protective equipment. This will include a Tyvek
suit, gloves and, most importantly, a properly
fitted respirator. Read and follow the health
and safety recommendations on the MSDS and
the label. These warnings are written for the
professional user who will come into contact
with the paint on a regular basis, but they will
also help keep the casual user safe.
Topcoats can be applied with gravity cup,
siphon cup or pressure pot spray guns, which
are all just what they seem to be—gravity cup
guns feed the paint into the gun from the top,
where it is atomized; siphon cup guns position
the cup underneath the nozzle and the paint is
pulled by suction to the tip where it is atom-
ized; and pressure pot guns have two air-lines,
one of which runs to the pot where it pushes
the paint to the tip and one which runs to the
tip where it atomizes the paint. Professionals
will use all three for the finish, but the pres-
sure pot is most commonly used.
When spraying paint there will be a lot of
overspray that floats around and can settle
on other objects, so it is best to work in an
enclosed area or, if possible, tent the boat. If
you must work outside, pick an area that is far
removed from other boats, buildings or cars.
If you are going to attempt spray application
make sure that you have the compressor and
spray guns required and the correct nozzles
and needles for each.IDEAL CONDITIONS
Ideally, it is best to paint when the tempera-
ture is between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit
with low humidity. If you have to work outside
try to paint as early in the morning as possible
as soon as the dew has dried from the surface.
The surface temperature at application should
be at least 5 degrees above the dew point. If
you are working outside it is hard not to paint
in direct sunlight, but if you have to the sur-
face must stay below 105 degrees Fahrenheit.
Applying paint to a hot surface leads to poor
flow, which results in an orange peel finish or
solvent pop.
Keep in mind that the gunwale on a 45ft
boat will be 12 to 15 feet off the ground, and
while you can work from ladders, scaffolding
would provide the safest and most comfort-
able environment in which to work. Once
topcoat painting is complete, it should be keptfree from moisture for
at least 24 hours, as
high humidity will
result in under-cur-
ing and loss of gloss.
A further seven to
10 days should be
allowed for full curing to take place. Only after
that amount of time will the finish achieve its
maximum resistance to abrasion. Particular
care should be taken not to lift a boat in slings
before the paint has fully cured.FINISH THE JOB
You can paint your boat yourself. While it is
not easy, it is far from impossible. If you’re not
happy with the results, simply sand it back and
have a professional apply the topcoat. At least
you’ve done the preparation work, and it’s the
preparation work that takes the most amount
of time and costs the most money. If you don’t
think you’re up for the final coat yourself, do-
ing the prep work on your own and having a
professional apply the final coat will get you an
end result that can be spectacular and a source
of pride for years to come. sSingle-part finishes
are not as hard as
two-part paintsCruising Design, Inc.
44 James Street, Homer, NY 13077
P: 607-749-4599 F: 607-749-4604
[email protected] http://www.sailcdi.comCruising Design, Inc.
44 James Street, Homer, NY 13077
P: 607-749-4599 F: 607-749-4604
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