Boating How-To’s - Roll and tip painting

Who's done it? Results? Got and pics, tips, or tricks??

I have done it on a couple of boats. Looks great just take your time. Goes faster with two people. Make sure you use the proper paint and thinning agent so it flows. It will look very thin upon application but it works great with a couple of coats.

I have done it three times on my two smll wood boats. One of them black, twice. Looked great.

This is the canoe: http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a118/bfeller/Moccasin2/DSC_2480.jpg

And the sailboat: http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a118/bfeller/Moccasin2/DSC_2461.jpg

Anyone done a larger boat? Like 30 plus...

My father and I used to paint our 37' wooden Egg Harbor this way. We would use a foam roller and about a 3" brush. He mixed a lot of penetrol in the paint. we would apply multiple thin coats and it came out great

Any fiberglass boats?

I used Interlux Prefection thinned to the max with good results on my 25 Bertram. Two foam rollers, one to apply and one to pull it out 2 feet back. The trick is prep and taping. The painting is the easy part.

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o51/uscgman/rubrail2.jpg

That looks like it has a great shine! So u used a roller to tip as well?

Yes. No brush and only rollers. The second roller is to pull out the paint like you would do with the brush but I found it to be much easier and the results are great. The paint is very thin and that is the key. Here is another picture. It is not perfect by professional standards but it was $400 total and still looks good to me.

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o51/uscgman/firstcoat4.jpg

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o51/uscgman/100_0076.jpg

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o51/uscgman/100_0075.jpg

2 important tips as above

1. Job can never look better than the prep. Has to be perfect and clean.
Wash and degrease thoroughly before you sand. Any bedding material and silicone especially have to be completely removed. Once you have done prep, do it 2 more times.

2. Thin the paint very well. Will need a few coats to get best finish.

3. Can tip a hull easily with foam roller. Brush around tight spots, then apply light coat, then use dry roller to lay it out in vertical sweeps gunnel down. (two men makes it go fast here). Tip roller should be about 2 feet behind the applicator.

Pick a cool dry day and do it in the shade.

Wow, Thanx guys. It's so much Better to get tried a true tips from here than step by step in a book.

Wet sand and polish after?

I have done it three times on my two smll wood boats. One of them black, twice. Looked great.

This is the canoe: http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a118/bfeller/Moccasin2/DSC_2480.jpg

And the sailboat: http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a118/bfeller/Moccasin2/DSC_2461.jpg

Beautiful!:thumbsup:

Awl grip? Interlux? What's the best? Wet sand and buff after? What color will show the least imperfections?

Timely thread. I am getting ready to roll and tip paint our 17 footer. I have my son removing the decals as I type. I am leaning towards Perfection but considered supermarine brand paint quite seriously..... http://supermarinepaint.com

Here is a website that I was reading earlier this morning regarding the process.

http://www.sailingworld.com/gear/the-do-it-yourself-topside-paint-job

I just finished rolling and tipping a cabin hatch I built out of a solid piece of fiberglass board. I used Interlux Perfection and was very happy with the results. As everyone has said, its all in the prep. If you're going over bare glass, be sure to apply a couple coats of epoxy primer. Not sure, but some of the more experienced guys will be able to let you know whether you'll need to use primer over existing gel coat. This was the first time I've tried it, and it's true - the painting is the easy part. Good luck and post before and after pics when you're done!

http://i1080.photobucket.com/albums/j322/mfeenan/CabinHatchPiecesCut.jpg

http://i1080.photobucket.com/albums/j322/mfeenan/done1.jpg

http://i1080.photobucket.com/albums/j322/mfeenan/done6.jpg

No wet sanding after as it opens up the paint. Interlux Perfection specifically says no sanding or polishing.

Awl grip? Interlux? What's the best? Wet sand and buff after? What color will show the least imperfections?

I have used both.

I feel that Awlgrip is a bit more forgiving, easier to apply and odor is not as noxious. (ALWAYS use a respirator)

I think Perfection has better depth of shine.

White shows imperfections least, followed by yellow and light blue

Black and navy are the worst, followed by red and royal blue.