# Boat Prep



## Bigg J (Nov 7, 2007)

Hey guys, bout to paint my boat and was wondering other than sanding, what other kind of prepping do I need to do.


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## X-Shark (Oct 3, 2007)

Have you washed the boat well 1st with a grease cutting dishwashing liquid soap?





Have you cleaned the surface before you sanded it with Wax & Grease Remover using the 2 rag method?


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## Bigg J (Nov 7, 2007)

Not yet. Whats the two rag method


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## Deeplines (Sep 28, 2007)

What Bobby said, 2nd, what kinda paint?

LET ME TELL YOU!! USE AWLGRIP. You can go with the cheaper paint as I did but you will work 3X's as hard. 

PREP IT RIGHT THE 1st TIME AND USE AWLGRIP.


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## X-Shark (Oct 3, 2007)

> Whats the two rag method




It is standard practice for cleaning the surface of auto's or boats.



It is easier done with 2 people. Using a wax & grease Remover, available at any auto body paint supply shop.



You wet a rag and wipe a small area of the surface aprox 3ft X 3ft. Before it evaporates you dry it with another dry rag. If it evaporates, you wet it again and dry. Change the rags often.



What this does is lift any wax or Grease to the surface and is taken away with the dry rag. 



I personally do this before sanding, after sanding and after the primer is sanded before paint goes on.



It will stop you from having to deal with "Fisheyes" in the paint. Fisheyes are a crater.



Once the surface is clean. Go over the whole boat with a pencil. NOT A PEN or SHARPIE! It's best to have several sets of eyes looking at the boat to do this. Circle any blems or nicks.



Have a pencil in your pocket as you go to sand the boat. As you come to the area where you have a circle. Sand that area and recircle it.

If you don't you will not find many after the surface is sanded. Once all sanded and circled again, wash the dust off and you can fill those blems & nicks. Then you can fair the surface by hand blocking it.



Yep, I know. You will have 40 more questions. 



Spend some time on http://www.classicmako.com/forum/. There are more boats being cut apart at any one time than on any other website on the net. The info is all there, as I and others have written it.

























In Primer. Awlgrip 545

























Guide coat for block sanding the hull.

























Awlgrip Oyster White




























































About pix's on a forum. I have said this before. They can hide flaws or not do the job justice. In this case they don't do the job justice.


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## Bigg J (Nov 7, 2007)

Sweet man. Apreciate it.


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## Bigg J (Nov 7, 2007)

Hey X-Shark, should I paint with asprayer or brush and roll it.


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## X-Shark (Oct 3, 2007)

Depends if you want it to pass the 6in test or not?


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## Bigg J (Nov 7, 2007)

I'm assuming the6" test would pass with the sprayed


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## X-Shark (Oct 3, 2007)

Yep.


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## Bigg J (Nov 7, 2007)

You think with a little bit of practice I could tackle it? Or is it a pretty big pain in the arse.


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## X-Shark (Oct 3, 2007)

I have no idea what your skill's are and your tools at hand.



I have in the past spent hours explaining all the in's and out's to people. It was pretty much a waste of time, as they decided to just go cheap.



But I will explain it to you if you will come see me. Way to much to write here.





Good materials are not cheap. The weather we are having now is way to cold for anything but sanding.


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## Bigg J (Nov 7, 2007)

yeah i'm definitely in no hurry to jump on it. still trying to figure what method i want to do with.

Preciate your help man. You're truly a boat guru


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## Deeplines (Sep 28, 2007)

overnunder - I will try to post my pixs of my boat that I just finished. 

Yea, it looks ok and that is all I was looking for BUT LET ME TELL YOU............

When you start putting in your own hard earned sweat, go with the extra $250 and make it look awesome. 

If you do the paint and brush tech. which I did, that you are gonna want it to look better and you will have to put 6 coats on or so to make it look like a spray job. NOT ONLY THAT you have to check the weax and make sure it is right. As far as putting on the coats and sanding it only takes about 2-3 hours, but you have to do this like 4 times. THAT IS NOT INCLUDING THE 1st SAND JOB. 

BELIEVE ME, I wish NOW I had listened to Bobby. My boat looks ok, after all it is 19 yrs old, but when you work on something you will want it to be better. :banghead

I will try to get some pixs up by next friday. I have TUes and THursday off. Thursday may be reserved for the PCB trip.


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## Bigg J (Nov 7, 2007)

True that brother.


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## X-Shark (Oct 3, 2007)

> When you start putting in your own hard earned sweat, go with the extra $250 and make it look awesome.






HaHa Just the Awlgrip epoxy primer is $200. That is for a 1gal kit.


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## Deeplines (Sep 28, 2007)

That may be true Bobby, but cheap primer and INTERLUX paint, good rollers and brushes will cost you $250. 

I'm guessing for the paint and primer using ALWGRIP will run around $500. That is how I came up with the EXTRA $250. 

No matter what, you have to buy the sand paper PLUS you only have to sand it ONCE. Not 4 or 5 times like had to, between every coat. :banghead


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## oldflathead (Oct 3, 2007)

:mmmbeer I agree with Bobby almost 100%, but before you make a decision, ask yourself ,"How long am I going to keep this boat?"

Also, ask "Just how important is a PERFECT job?'

Bobby W, AKA X-Shark does PERFECT jobs.

My "keeper" boats get Awl Grip or even better, Sterling poly linear urethane. The salvage boats I prepare to SELL, that is maximize profit, so I use Petit EZPoxy single part ( 3-5 years), Interlux about the same and if a tight ass customer I use West Marine enamal,

Figure about $300+ a gallon for Awl Grip or Sterling, including catalysts, special thinners and you need to be an experienced painter. I have been spray painting boats since JC was a bait boy, but still hire a "gun" to do the final coats.

Rolling, brushing and tipping will get you a six foot job, that is from 6' away it looks okay.

My $0.02 worth

Tom Vandiver


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## Bigg J (Nov 7, 2007)

I never thought it'd be that hard to decide, but I'm stuggling.

Question: Can you usejust about any paint in a gun on the boat or is it best to go with actual boat paint.


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## X-Shark (Oct 3, 2007)

Boats have been painted with anything and everything over the years.



The question is: "How long do you want it to last and how durable of a finish do you want?"



Let's take the door on my truck for example. My truck is painted with Awlgrip. [the same thing on my boat and one of the standards of boat paint]



It has been dog claw tested. IE A big dog drug their claws all the way down the door.



Do that on your standard auto today and you will have scratches all down it. You can't even tell it ever happened on my truck door. Dupont's Imron is another standard and some will use a combination of Awlgrip base color and Imron Clear.





EasyPoxy is nothing more than a "Glorfied" Alyked Enamel. There is no "Epoxy" in it. Fact is you do NOT want to put Epoxy paint on a boat where the sun shines.

Sounds funny doesn't it. Epoxy primers are the best and can be used as a barrier coat. But sunlight will cause a True Epoxy paint to chalk due to UV rays. Now it is a excellent paint to use inside a cuddy or bilge.


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## Bigg J (Nov 7, 2007)

Right on man. I appreciate it guys.


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