Help with prep and paint

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danthefish

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Hi all this is my first post on tin boats. Seems to be a very informative site.
I have a 1992 spectrum deep v 19.5' that is in need of a paint job. It is currently very scratched and faded. Want to give this a good overhaul. From sanding, decal removal, prime and paint. What is recommended?

1. Sanding, what type of sander and grit? Fastest option.
2. Primer to use? Or any if needed?
3. What type of paint? I have a spray gun and ready to go.

Boat is currently white on bottom with a faded blue on top with pin stripping. Want to spray all white and leave the top of hull blue dark blue. Best way to remove decals or stripping? Wanted to try heat gun and scraper?
Any input would be appreciated. Thanks I am also in Ontario, Canada keep in mind for any specific product suggestions.
 
For stripping the boat something as simple as an angle grinder will work. If you want to take the boat down to bare aluminum then you may want to consider using some type of stripper i.e. aircraft stripper, citri-strip or other types. If you don't want to go to bare aluminum then you want to make sure to scuff up the old paint really well then clean with acetone or mineral spirits. As far as primer yes you definitely want to use some and self etching primer is the way to go. This will fill all imperfections in and leave a nice base for paint to adhere to. For paint some type of either marine paint or enamel paint will work well. For removing the decals a heat gun with scraper will work. You could also just use the angle grinder to do this as well. The main thing when sanding and painting is to make sure that you have a good clean base for paint to adhere to or you will get bubbles and cracks in your paint and it won't last long.
 
Good advice from Bassfishva. I ended up using a dual action (da) sander on my recent project to strip some dried paint, glue, and muck. The da sander did not get the paint as hot as the grinder and ended up working just a little better for me. Take some pics if you get a chance. We always love to see the progress shots!
 
Yes will show progress for sure... Will start next month when weather here starts to get a but better.... I'm not going to bare aluminum but want to scuff up clean and give a good prime.
 
I. Like the idea of the dual action as it uses compressed air..
 

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As for the primer should I buy the can stuff? I remember reading on here about a good aluminum primer.
 
The DA sander is a good way to go. Just be sure to have enough capacity on you air compressor. It uses a ton! I ended up Y-ing the output of a couple of 2 hp. compressors together to keep up. I would definitely recommend using a self-etching primer anywhere there is bare aluminum showing, otherwise I would just try to use the same kind of primer as paint. (Enamel, epoxy, urethane, etc.) I actually used an acid etching primer on my current project. It is made by a company called U-Pol. It is a little pricey, but it works really well.
 
Do they sell by gallon? For this type of paint... Primer and enamel for top coat I have a spray gun to apply.
 
if you have straight aluminum, you get better results if you use a self ecthing primer... you can use rattle cans, or if you can find it - zinc chromate is the best (not sure if you can still find this stuff).

For the paint - I've had best results with Petit Easy Poxy. I've used it on 3 boats and they all still look like I painted them yesterday. Very durable and pretty good at being sratch resistant, even in some of the hardwoods I fish in.

I did a big write up on the first boat I redid which was a 1236 Alumacraft... I'll see if I can find it - but I know its from probably 5 years ago

umm.. just saw you were in Canada - don't know if you can get these products up there, but I'm sure you can. If the paints not that bad or all the way through to the aluminum, just wet sand it down and put 4-5 light coats of that Easy Poxy on there. Just make sure you wet sand a little after each layer dries, wipe it down with alcohol and spray again. The more coats of light you put on, the more durable it will be. Might take you a while depending on the temperature to make sure the paint has hardened. You can buy the reducer and make that paint go a long way, especially if you're gonna spray it.
 
My advice. Take a little bit of the paint you plan on using, and paint a 12 inch by 12 inch square over a section of the old painted aluminum after you've cleaned and roughed up with sandpaper. IF it dries, cures nicely and does not crackle or bubble, then you shouldn't need to use a chemical stripper and you shouldn't have to go all the way to bare aluminum. The stripper is nasty stuff. Sand it well. Use Goo Gone to get rid of any decal or registration sticker glue. Clean those areas with alcohol. And wash the boat thoroughly with water and dawn. If you add ammonia or even vinegar, you will get a good clean etched surface.
 
OK thanks good to know... I wasn't on planning to go bare to aluminum... Recommendations interlux brightside or rustoleum marine paint?
 
Marine paint is a fancy way of saying it has a copper compound in it that prevents stuff from growing on it. Highly recommended if it sits in the water or even on a lift. If trailered exclusively, there is no need. Any oil-based or acrylic enamel will work fine.
 
ericman said:
Marine paint is a fancy way of saying it has a copper compound in it that prevents stuff from growing on it. Highly recommended if it sits in the water or even on a lift. If trailered exclusively, there is no need. Any oil-based or acrylic enamel will work fine.
Yah that's what I was thinking what the big difference was.... My boat would be trailered only..... How about the primer? I will sand and stuff up before primer for sure and a wash with dawn soap and vinegar.
 
Has anyone tried rustoleum tremclad? They have a primer not sure if it's self etching maybe I should just get the real self etching rustoleum stuff. The paint says it's oil based would this work well? Also what do I add into paint if I am spraying with gun?
 

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ericman said:
Marine paint is a fancy way of saying it has a copper compound in it that prevents stuff from growing on it. Highly recommended if it sits in the water or even on a lift. If trailered exclusively, there is no need. Any oil-based or acrylic enamel will work fine.
If it has copper in it you don't want to use it on an aluminum boat. Same reason you don't use pressure treated wood on an aluminum boat, it has copper in it.
 
Also the paint on boat now is OK it's just very dull looking no chipping or flaking really. What type of scuffing should I use? Grit sand paper to give it a good contact for the primer? Will post photos soon of boat and starting of project
 

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