aex

The exhisting paint not peeling / cracking indicates good previous prep and materials , just sand and refinish . Do NOT use a chemical stripper .
PS my least expensive speedboat ( 24 BANANA ) was also the only one I didn't break . Go figure . Call me I can advise on this project . JIM

Guardado

Do not use Chemical stripper
and make sure you use PPG products to paint

jknnd

Well I have never painted a boat before, but I restore classic corvettes and its all fiberglass.

If you decide to go with aircraft stipper, just be careful and only do small sections at a time. It will soften the gelcoat in some areas, just be careful not to gouge it, and make sure that you rinse it VERY well and it will harden back up. The best thing to use is a bondo knife and scotchbrite pads. And, if you do not rinse it good enough, the stripper will eat the new paint off from the bottom up.

Another but more expensive option is to have it media blasted. Be sure to shop around and find someone experienced in fiberglass though. If not they could cause the surface to become "wavey".

As far as PPG goes, they make a very good product, however in my opinion you can obtain the same quality with less expensive products.

Gmoney52

Do not use chemical stripper!!!!! Block sand to a flat finish, prime/seal before paint. I have done both and learned the "quick" way with chems ain't the way on glass. The boat looks good in the pics. I would not consider a radical strip job unless it was cracked, stressed, blistered or otherwise not adhered to any of the substrates. Also keep below 10 mil thickness or less. (Yea, sanding block )

Gmoney52

WELCOME to the Board!
What would you suggest, Omni? I know I have used their paints and thinners, but I am adament about DCU 2021! lol No shortcuts on the clear!

glassdave

iTrader: (1)

yep . . if your looking to save a few $$$ you can use the Omni (now called Shop Line) base with DCU 2021 clear. works great, actually the Omni clears arent to bad either although i would not use them on a high end job.


hows the boat pait'in biz G?

Gmoney52

Dave, have you found that the Omni has more binders than pigment and takes a little more to cover? Also, the thinners take more time to cure so it won't tape track with multiple overlays. The paintin' is really seasonal. I would think that while you weren't using the toys it would be a good time to paint em', but seems they are forgotten til it warms up! go figure!

jsmagnum

DON'T chemical strip, your just looking for problems. Block sand with 120 on a long board. Prime with an epoxy primer. Let cure for 30 days and refinish with any true polyurethane paint. Will last for years.

Fr@nk

Could it be blasted with baking powder or some other soft material??
Just curious ;-)

Top Banana

Thanks for all the advice.....we have decided and have started a sanding of the boat. We have found that the black paint has a really strong bond and in hindsight it was best not to disturb it.

We are now trying to get some awlgrip mixed to match the original colors as found under the sterndrive plates.

Will keep everyone posted. Thanks again for your help.