Painting topsides

[rudy]

I am restoring Commander 212. The topsides and non-skid have been painted and are waring through in many places. Spray painting seems to be expensive and dangerous. Is brush painting advisable? Also, does anyone have recommendations on paint brands and/or tips on painting.

[Theis]

I used Interthane Plus for the side of the hull and the deck and it worked out well. I would recommend it, other than it is a pain. But it is tough, holds its gloss, and looks spectacular. For the deck it has a particular benefit. It runs very thin, which means that the deck tread does not get plugged up, as it does with Interlux Brightside single part paint (which is what I use for touch up). The only disadvantage is a) the expense, and b) for touch up, their single part colors don't match (at least for Hatteras off white)

[commanderpete]

I used the multi part Interthane Plus too. I was hoping to get a finish as hard and durable as possible since I never want to have to do that job again.

However, if your boat was previously painted with one part paint, you cant apply multi part paint directly over it. You have to use a special primer like Interlux Multithane to make the transition. Also, you have to be careful not to sand through the primer between coats.

Might be easier to use one part paint like Brightsides or Toplac.

To get a nice finish, you need to remove virtually ALL of the deck hardware. I found its nearly impossible to get good results trying to paint around the hardware. It doesnt take much longer considering all the time you spend taping and retaping, sanding out brush marks and scraping errant paint of the hardware.

As always, surface preperation is 90% of the job.

The painting is the easy part. I bought several expensive brushes but always end up going back to the foam brushes. Use good ones (Jen Polybrush sold at Sears). Use the widest brushes practicable. Use the good 3M blue tape. Get the wide tape.

Get tons of brushes, tape and sandpaper so you dont have to keep running back to the store. Buy a box of 100 gloves. Buying cheesecloth tack rags is also a nice luxury.

Thinning the paint is the key. To get it to flow nice it has to be almost as thin as milk.

The usual: keep a wet edge, use as few strokes as you can, dont go back over it, be mindful of weather conditions.

Thats all I can think of. Check out Tim's website

www.triton381.com

Also, don't fall off the boat and break your neck.

[Theis]

For the Interthane Plus, make sure you wear a good mask (not the cheap 3M type) and are covered. The two part stuff is really bad - it is a cyanate. In other words, follow their suggested precautions.

Also, I found you can put the Interthane Plus on in cooler weather than 50 degrees, and that cooler weather is easier that warm weather. The stuff dries too fast in warm weather.