painting an aluminum jon boat?

We want to paint our aluminum jon boat before the start of the season, but have recieved several opinions on the best way to do this. So I figured I would get the general consensus from here...

The boat currently has a semi-full camoflage paint job, meaning it was sprayed camo, but not completely; there is still aluminum showing. The paint is not peeling, cracking or anything else, we would just like a nice solid color. We have a spray gun and a compressor. Thanks for reading and any advise you may have to offer.

It needs to be media blasted,sanded by hand in 3 phases,320 grit,800 grit,1100 grit.move to paint booth.The 3 layers of primer sanding with 1100 grit between layers,wiped down with prep wipes.Then 2 coats of base and 2 coats of clear.Next the clear will need to be wet sanded and cut n buffed to finish it all off.Oh wait this is for show cars.

Boats wash,sand with 600 grit,wipe down,prime,light sand with 800 grit,paint.

ben2go said:

It needs to be media blasted,sanded by hand in 3 phases,320 grit,800 grit,1100 grit.move to paint booth.The 3 layers of primer sanding with 1100 grit between layers,wiped down with prep wipes.Then 2 coats of base and 2 coats of clear.Next the clear will need to be wet sanded and cut n buffed to finish it all off.Oh wait this is for show cars.

Boats wash,sand with 600 grit,wipe down,prime,light sand with 800 grit,paint.

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what kind of paint do you suggest....more on the cheap side?!

You'll want to go with an acid etch primer to get good adherance to the aluminum, then your top coat will defanitaly stick better. If you are going to paint it with a gun, then get the paint from your local paint shop. If your doing a spray bomb job then go with a little better grade like Krylon or Rustoleum.

My paint is pretty good on my boat, but when I touch up I use the acid etch and then had 3 cans of color match green made up.

If I was doing the whole boat, I'd take it to the good ole' boys body shop in town.... Every town has one, and I'd have them do it for cheaper than I could.

ben's post is the ideal way... but theres also the poor mountain man redneck sex'r up job(tm)

rub it down like a lady with acetone, drink beer, use no more than 2 cans of primer, back to the beer store, then spraypaint, with all the cheapest supplies of course :mrgreen: .

now this isnt ideal for everybody, mostly for ppl like me that use and abuse there boats (because we have very little cash invested in them)

anyhoo if your going to do it right, after you spray it with self etching primer i'd mix some cheap primer nice and thick and spray it, sand it down with a block, and repeate 2 or 3 times. it will take alot of the dings and scratches in the aluminum out

goodluck with it!

Man, any one know how many cans of spray it should take?! 1432

If I had to guess, on the outside 6 cans acid etch and 12 cans paint. Probably a bit more to paint the inside. Acid etch in cans is pretty spendy too. Maybe it's a lot cheaper if you use a gun. Also, if you go acid etch from a gun, you may be able to get it tinted jon green, and not have to paint anymore. But if you want a pretty/shiny finish, then you'll have to do another coat with paint.

Forget the spray cans and use a roller if you don't have access to a spray gun.

You'll never know the difference in the finished product if you are going with flat paint and it will be one heck of a lot cheaper.