Faux Bois

I have seen carbon masts painted (convincingly) to look like wood (faux bois). Does anyone know who sells the paint product and/or can it be used on an aluminum mast?

Thanks

[duluthboats]

Even if you could get the paint to hold without chipping the first time a line slaps it in the wind the deception will be evident. Oxidized aluminum is very low maintenance.

Gary

Check out GMT Composites spars, including the ones on the gorgeous schooner "Lion's Whelp," just posted to the gallery. Those are carbon. I'm thinking aluminum would be cheaper than carbon, lighter than wood- which is the mix I'm looking for.
Also, I need this for decorative mast. There would be no halyards to slap.
Thanks

[8knots]

If you are looking for eye candy alone this will do the trick!
http://www.beacongraphics.com/carbonfiber.html
Wipe that AL down with 99% isoprople alcohol first should be just fine!
8Knots

[8knots]

Sorry ....Misread your post, Try this one!
http://www.beacongraphics.com/avery-print-film.html
8

[artsdecor]

The process for painting carbon fiber spars to look like varnished spruce is a technique I have developed over ten years and have successfully applied for many yacht projects. I'm not sure how many other artists/techinicians are presently engaged in a similar process but our track record speaks for itself. The bulk of our projects have been through GMT of Bristol, RI. Although most masts and booms that we have applied our techinique to have been carbon fiber, there have been many instances of aluminum spreaders and furling booms. One of the beauties of this process is that if the highly durable finish should receive a ding or become worn by a line it can be easily repaired and will not interfere with the overall look of the spar. In fact the character added by such repairs can help to boost the illusion as with a natural wood spar having plugs or a dutchman. The durability of the process is borne out by the fact that the very first project was not repainted for eight years.
Any inquiries may be sent to my email address.

[DGreenwood]

I can vouch for the what artsdecor says, as we recently took delivery of some spars built by GMT, and, I presume, painted by artsdecor. The result was absolutely stunning. If you know what you are looking at and get a few inches from the spar you can tell. Otherwise, insitu and not specifically looking for the illusion, you would never recognize the deception. The overall workmanship on the parts was fantastic.

[Barry Steinberg]

Composite Solutions, Hingham, MA produces carbon fiber spars and does faux finishing in house. Contact us at 781-335-4650

[B. Hamm]

It's all preparation, I've got painted spars I've painted 15 years ago that get seasonal use that still look like new.

Bill H.

[mcrawf]

I agree with the assertions that the finish will be durable if done properly. GMT uses a two-part linear polyurethane (either awlgrip or alexseal, I can't remember), which is tenacious. I have an aluminum mast that was alwgripped in 2005, and later was hit so hard by blocks flogging off the clew of a genoa that there are some serious dents in the mast. Those are some pretty thick walls, so the impact had to be huge. But the finish is intact. If prepared well, I'm not sure the finish would even notice lines slapping against it.

[hoytedow]

Welcome, mcrawf.
You sure picked an old thread upon which to introduce yourself. Good info on the durability issue.

[PAR]

Agreed Hoyt, though line slapping a mast will easily eat through any paint job, regardless of paint type. solvent based LPU's are the most durable of the paints, but some lines can be so abrasive that they'll chew through the coating relatively quickly.

[Submarine Tom]

Besides, if God had wanted masts to made out of aluminum, He would have made aluminum trees...

-Tom

[mcrawf]

I completely agree. Thank goodness I've got a few carbon fiber trees growing in our backyard that will be just perfect for the 1960's-era Pearson Ensign we're renovating. ;-)

Most say the carbon is overkill, but portions of the area in which we daysail have trees and hills on both sides of the inlet, and an extra 4' on the mast will be useful. So instead of going heavier with aluminum, and increasing the heeling moment, we'll go both lighter and stronger with carbon, which will also have a much longer fatigue life. Not as good as sitka spruce, but a good start nonetheless.

I agree that the lines will eventually wear through the paint if they slap on a continual basis. I've not no concerns about slapping or wear while sailing, but it will be important to make sure that they aren't abrading the paint the other 150+ hours each week that the boat is moored.

Any thoughts on that?

I was planning on putting a block of wood down by the cleats that will keep the halyards off the mast most of the time (maybe removable, so we don't have to sail with it), and also considering Yale Ph.D rope, which I use for sheets on another boat. It's not normally used for halyards, but it's incredibly strong, elongation-resistant, and soft as lamp cord. It feels like something that should be on one of my three-year-old daughter's toys, not like a high-performance marine rope. http://www.yalecordage.com/pleasure-...d-cruiser.html

Thanks for the welcome, Hoyt. I've never really had a reason to register or post before now. But this page came up while I was looking for someone to do a faux bois finish on our mast for this coming summer, and I just had to mention how durable that awlgrip is. It's not indestructible, but it's also not going to wear through or flake off the first time a line hits it.

[PAR]

You will receive no additional gains with a carbon spar on an Ensign. I have a fair bit of experiences with the type and trust me, you could use a mast made from case hardened Cheetos (far superior to carbon BTW) and the improvement in the preformance envelop will be measured in 100ths of a knot.