Water based 2 pack under/top coat and deck paint?

Hey Groper. I just wanted to give it a shot on areas like the deck, cabin and cockpit. That represents most of the work. Sure the hull sides are also a big area, but the decks are where all the hardware and intricacy is. So I wanted to get this done bit by bit where I am now. The rest will be done on a haul out.

I thought if I tried to do it will a roller I would not be wasting too much effort if I can't get a good result. As the prep work will be done. It will just require sanding and then a spray if my roll job looks like crap.

How long would I have to re-coat a shitty roller job with spray without having to sand it all off again? Spray jobs also look shithouse if they are not done well.

 

Cheers MIA. There is no wood to paint. Its all composite. Do I have to sand ALL the other paint off down to the original primer?

 

Hey mate, doing the deck is easy and takes no skill whatsoever using a roller- that's the least of your worries. However trying to get a nice finish on the glossy cabin sides and hulls is very difficult with a roller I've found... I found it much easier to spray and I have no experience prior...

 

Yeah sure thing. I wanted to get the cabin sides and the edges of the non skid done and cockpit. Obviously rolling a single pack non skid like I have (norglass) is piss easy. The hard bit will be the rest. I am keen to give it a shot. I dont think I have much to loose by trying.

When I say decks, I mean everything from just below the sheer up inc the cockpit. A fair bit of smooth paint and hardware there.

I am a gun with a roller when it comes to single pack. I have a good technique of thinking before hand and never rolling over anything that has been rolled more than a few seconds before. No stipple on my house or antifoul. Yes this is much different. But nothing to loose by trying. Just a bit at a time.

What do you think of those electric spray guns? They must work on an airless spray system?

 

I found the cheaper spray guns from the hardware shops are rubbish. The high volume low pressure units like the pro's use are good . You may be able to hire one.

 

Those electric spray guns are rubbish, toys for home renovator arts and crafts... Ive got one which I only use for spraying guide coats...

I bought my pressure pot from super cheap auto. Then chuck the spray gun it comes with in the bin and buy a star s770 pressure pot gun from your nearest automotive paint wholesaler etc. It has a 1.2mm nozzle and I get great results with it and find it easy to use... I think it was only just over a $100 maybe 150 can't remember

 

There's a few different types of homeowner airless sprayers, most truly suck, but the better HVLP turbine units do a fairly good job, once you learn what they need. I have several painting setups (spray), from a production Binks pressure pot to a relatively cheap (couple hundred) HVLP turbine.

Most automotive guys have switched to gravity fed guns, but though I have a couple of these, I find I'm grabbing the old Binks more often, because I can get into smaller, tighter locations and turn the gun to more severe angles.

For the average guy that needs a system that will do pretty reasonable work, look at the Graco line. You'll spend a few hundred, but you're up and running (airless). These aren't designed to give a flawless finish, but for most, you can live with it and if you're really anal, you can buff it down, so it is a flawless finish.

The airless sprayers have come a long way in recent years, with really nice ones costing as much as a full up compressor, trap, filters, hose and gun setup. These are cordless and do nearly as well as the automotive guns, but are portable. Simply put, if you spend $100 - $150 on a Wagner or similar, you have a toy and it'll paint like one, but if you buy a good unit (expect to spend $300+), now you'll notice the finish quality is greatly improved. The professional airless from Graco is $1,200 bucks, but it easily rivals an automotive finish.

Conversely, you could rent a compressor (with traps and filters) and buy a good gravity fed, for less than $100. Eastwood sells a pretty very good gravity fed for about $120.

These gravity guns are LVLP and only need 5-7 CFM at 40 PSI, which most small compressors can muster. It'll need to be a real 2 HP (under load) with a minimum of 20 gallon tank, with 30 being much better.

Harbor Freight sells a 2.5 HP 21 gallon compressor that'll just barely get it done, but it's only $150 on sale. Toss in a gun, traps, hose and filters and you're good to go, for less than $300.

Lowes sells a 1.8 HP compressor that seems to have enough volume (CFM) at 40 PSI and a 20 gallon tank, for just under $200.

It's all about what you want to get. If it's got a good shine, you'll want it to go down smooth and air is the way, but you have to justify the costs.

Log onto (> learnautobodyandpaint.com <) to get a bunch of information about air spraying.

 

I just ordered a Festool RO 150 ROTEX 3 in 1 Random Orbital Sander. Sick of using garbage tools. I have the largest single phase renegade compressor you can get at home. Its too big to use on the boat and my inverter will not like it. But I wish I had it on the boat for sanding. I like the feel of air palm sanders. So small and good control.

That expensive airless setup seems the way to go. But in AUD it would be REALLY expensive. But then again I just got a $950 sander. It would be much less work doing every part at a boat yard. But right now I am in the Sandy Straits, crab pots out. Fishing lines in and beer in hand. There is much to be said for chipping away at jobs while enjoying the boat.

 

Maybe find a used petrol driven compressor or get a belt driven electric and fit a motor to it. Chinese honda copys can be bought for around $100 .

 

I've never seen a $100 compressor with the volume and tank size necessary to spray anything except dust off a work bench. A rental seem reasonable, but if you have a compressor, (rental or otherwise) pick up a good LVLP gun ($100) and do it right.

 

I never said compressor. You can buy petrol engines for $100 to convert an electric compressor to an engine driven 1 that can be used anywhere.

 

Not new, sure, but I just bought a used Hydrovane unit complete with tank, pressure switch, water trap etc for $60. Of course it is 3 phase but still, Hydrovanes are gems of compressors and it's only a 4HP motor. I'm really looking forward to binning my cheapo Bunnings direct drive compressor.

I already had a 120 CFM Hydrovane compressor but firing up a 25HP motor to run air tools or a paint gun is madness. Hence the baby unit.

PDW

 

The problem with gas powered units is control, which most of the small units don't have. These typically just have a overpressure bleed off and the thing just runs and runs. Larger units with electric start can be controlled with a pressure switch and some modest electronics.

I'm asked to do on site paint jobs all the time and the only solution I've found are the LVLP units and a 30 gallon portable or the electric turbine units that only require a generator or extension cord. The cheapest I've found at the big box stores is a 33 gallon "Husky" (Home Depot) 1.7 HP with 6.8 CFM at 40 PSI. This will do for LVLP, but not a production pressure pot or typical HVLP guns. This particular compressor can be had on sale for $250, but is usually about $300. This isn't so bad if you can use it fairly frequently. It's not a jobber unit, but the homeowner that can use it for more than inflating basketballs, will enjoy it.