Thanks!

-Kodiak Man

Kenny Mann

Owner (co)
Ms Penny Fishing Team
Emerald Coast Marine
4610 Saufley Field Rd
Pensacola, Florida 32526
ph # 850-456-8196
fax# 850-455-8318

X-Shark,

That's a good pointer, thanks. I am painting a 1972 (or 1987 according to title) 14' Starcraft fiberglass bass boat. Solid Hull and transom, just needs lots of lovin'. Heres a pic of it right after I got it (Thanks Sean). I didn't have enough money to buy a  new boat so I got this fixer upper that I can slowly restore as the ends are available. It's working out great so far.

So this being my first boat painting experience, what do you suggest as far as the brand of primer and paint? I was hoping to find a primer that I can apply either by roller or aerasol, and I have access to a paint shop where my buddy (who paints cars) is going to help me with the paint gun when the time comes to paint. I'm just not sure which paint is compatible with which primer.




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-Kodiak Man

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I am curious why you need that much tooth on a boat finish when 220 grit should be plenty for proper adhesion? I am not trying to challenge you in any way, rather I am trying to learn the reasoning behind using such a coarse grit followed up by so many probably heavy coats of primer and then hand blocking with the exact same grit that most bodymen would use to prep the surface for sealing/painting after a 220 rubdown. I was taught and I also taught my autobody students that the coarser grit scratches would have a greater tendency to swell and come back in the final prep to bite you in the butt with scratch marks and other problems in the final finish, particularly if you were using any 2 part epoxies or catalyzed enamels. There are some chemical actions that occur between the undercoats and the top coats of most finishes and, if they are done correctly, will ensure a quality top surface that will be pleasing to the eye and very durable to the elements. If the application steps are not adhered to, in some cases, the finish will craze, swell, sometimes crack, and you will fight sandscratch swelling until the cows come home!!

This wasn't just hearsay but was part of the required curriculums that I had to attend periodically that were put on by PPG, DuPont, Ditzler in their plants in Michigan, and a few other quality automotive finish developers located across the Midwest. I had to stay abreast of all the latest trends and products that came out of R&D in order to keep my students up on all the latest techniques that they would run into in the bodyshop when they graduated.

What I am thinking now is that, since I have been out of the trade since the early 90's, the trends have changed so much and the products have improved so radically that our "old" methods are not viable anymore. But, when I read your description about using 80 grit on a fiberglas finish, I cringed to think what some of my really picky clients would have done to me had they come into my bodyshop back in the 70's and 80's with their vintage 'Vettes and caught me sawing away on their precious finish with 80 grit!!!   

I happened to be one of 4 restorers/refinishers back in the late 70's that David Burroughs of Bloomington Gold fame would recommend for restoration of Corvette bodies in the state of IL. I was South of Bloomington and had a background in working with fiberglas and special finishes and I wasn't afraid to touch one of the rare "Vettes" with a sander or grinder when needed. But the technology of finishes was progressing so rapidly that it was difficult to keep up with the trend of new techniques and the introduction of new 2 part finishes. I spent more time and money learning new techniques and products than I did sometimes using the ones that I already paid to learn!!!

So my guess now is that you are using some technique that is newer than what I was accustomed to using back "in the day". BTW, "guide coating" is one of the old tried and true methods used to instantly spot the most minor of imperfections in the final surface prior to painting. I was taught to guide coat as one of the very first steps in learning bodywork back in 1957 when I first started out in a bodyshop! I can see just from your few photos that you have more than a layman's background in refinishing as your tape and masking techniques and the guide coat application reflect the training that you obviously have in the paint field. No Walley World masking tape and newspaper on THOSE boats!!