[priceless9192]

As the refit of my San Juan 28 comes to an end, i may have made a little mistake in the paint department. The hull itself is staying its egg-white gelcoat but i am repainting the top stripe. the blue top stripe is about 8 inches wide and runs the full length of the boat. The previous owner brushed over the orginal stripe with what i assume is a cheap enamel. Huge brushstrokes running all over. ive sanded them all out with most of it down to original gelcoat. i have seen people get amazing results using plain old rustoleum enamel. i thinned my first coat 30%, using roll and tip, and i still had brush strokes. sanded that out, thinned second coat 15% and still got brush strokes. I am about to abandon this cheap paint and go ahead and buy the good stuff (Brightside) unless someone can point out a better flattening agent...

 

[sulli]

I would go with the interlux, you'll never get the cheap stuff to flow out right.
too thick it leaves brush marks,too thin it will run,just right won't last long as the volatiles leave it will thicken again.

 

[tommays]

It is to cold and humid among many issues and your not really using particularly good paint even with brightsides

 

[dvuyxx]

I thought Brightsides was Interlux?

 

[priceless9192]

yes Brightside is an Interlux product. What paint did you opt for with that project? Awlgrip? In further research i find that the Rustoleum i am using is an Alkyd paint, resulting in a low gloss. looks like i will be grabbing a quart of Brightside tomorrow.

 

[Barquito]

I second Brightsides. Much easier to work with (and cheaper) than their 2 part paint, Perfection. There are probably other one part paints that would work as well, but, I am not familiar with those.



My topsides are Interlux Perfection, the boot stripe is Interlux Brightsides, and the cove stripe is an adhesive stripe. (and this all looks like total [email protected] compared to tommay's)

 

[ambianceack]

I am not a paint pro but found working with Epifanes 2-part polyurethane for the finish coat on my aluminum mast to be relatively easy to apply. I also used it on a few areas on the deck. I have also used the Brightsides to touch up a few areas in the past a good choice, too. I have read that 2-part paints last longer than one part paints but I am sure that is all in the prep work.

 

[appick]

I've used both brightsides (on my deck, BIG mistake), and perfection for the topsides.

The brightsides is soft, and scratches easily. I regret taking the tips I did to use brightsides on the decks. The thinking was that it would be easy to touch up. It's a good thing it is because it needs it often

The perfection took some playing with thinning wise and when they say don't apply in direct sunlight they MEAN IT! I thinned to the max about 25% and on the third coat finally followed directions and strung up tarps to keep the sides shaded while painting. I tried using the best $30 badger hair paint brushes money can buy in the tipping and I was still having strokes show up. So I ended up using just the foam roller to apply the paint. Then gently going back over the same area with the now depleted roller slowly to smoot things down. That made the biggest difference, along with the shade. The mixing and thinning directions were easy to follow. All you need is some mearsuring paint cups and you're good to go.

The perfection is an incredibly hard paint with awesome gloss and color retention. I've very happy I went with it on my topsides. Awlgrip is supposed to be good too, but interlux had lots of literature for the DIY so that's the way I went.

 

[appick]

Prep is always key to good paint work but the two part paints will outlast one parts by several magnitudes of order. I was told to expect around 12-15years of good gloss and color on the Perfection. Only time will tell!

 

[MedSailor]

I had VERY good results using Pettit Easypoxy. It is a one part hard epoxy paint that I used for a bootstripe. I used the roll and tip method and thinned it slightly. It went on well and brushstrokes were visible with one coat, but not after 2.

It held up extremely well even when a ball fender was rubbing and bashing against the paint for an entire autumn storm season. The same ball fender's line rubbed a 1/2" deep gouge in my teak rail. The paint fared quite well.

Only other tip/suggestion, is make sure you're not using a cheap brush. If you do, all you effort is wasted on a project like this.

MedSailor

 

[Delta-T]

Whatever paint you use, a few tips.

Don't expect to do a dark color over a light color in one coat. Or any painting you do. Using a good tinted primer, two thin coats and two thin coats of a finish will look best.

The roller alone (1/8" nap) for this will work great, just like it was spay painted, if you have the right constancy paint, the paint will self level. As long as it is not too hot and you use the correct thinner, brushing thinner, it will keep the paint wetter longer. Be aware the thinning of top coat with dull the finished shine.

Once you apply the paint, don't go back over it. Once the paint is applied it starts drying, if you touch it again you will leave a texture.

If you are going to try and use the rustoleum, an oil paint I assume, use Penatrol and if it is a latex, Flood Floetrol I am not suggesting you use these paints, but you asked how to make it look right.

One last tip, use a drivers license edge to seal the painters tape and get a clean edge. And don't leave the tape on for over 24 hours, it will start to become permanent.

Good luck,

 

[priceless9192]

thanks guys. So far i have two coats of the rustoleum on. i will sand it out and add a third this weekend, followed by more sanding then one or two coats of the brightsides. i have severe deep spider cracks in the gel coat in some areas along the stripe, so i am trying to fill up those with the cheap rustoleum. I am hoping i don't run into any problems getting the brighsides to chemically bond with the alkyd rustoleum.

 

[sulli]

I think prime coat or any primer would be better for this. Fill faster sand easier and no problems with adhesion of top coats just my opinion.