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Good paint for fiberglass canoe?

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Dwight

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Aug 25, 2011, 1:45:21 PM8/25/11
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We have a canoe I built years ago with polyester resin which needs
touching up.

I am sure there are many conflicting ideas out there, but a few hints
would be very helpful.

1. What would be a good product?

2. How best to apply it?

Thank you in advance.

Dwight Gibb

Joe

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Aug 25, 2011, 1:51:21 PM8/25/11
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Find a group that discusses boat matters and ask there. Or try people
who modify Corvettes. Or simply head off to the nearest boat shop with
your checkbook or credit card. Good luck.

Joe

Steve B

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Aug 25, 2011, 1:59:08 PM8/25/11
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"Joe" <jbo...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:98a49ff2-44fa-4951...@z15g2000yqk.googlegroups.com...

Joe

WHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT GO TO REC.BOATS, AS THE GROUP IS A SEWER OF OFF
TOPIC POSTS, GENETIC INFIGHTING, AND PLAIN MORONS. IF YOU POST THERE
REGARDING A BOAT, YOU WILL BE RIPPED TO SHREDS. THEY HAVE ABSOLUTELY
NOTHING TO DO WITH BOATS.

Steve


Steve B

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Aug 25, 2011, 2:01:59 PM8/25/11
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"Dwight" <dwigh...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:nLidnTOpkd2mF8vT...@earthlink.com...

I've done what you're thinking about. My thoughts:

It is tricky. A lot of paints have a hard time sticking to the fiberglass.
A lot of paints react with the resins in fiberglass, and ruin the finish.

Go to a boat shop, as suggested. They can either give you the right
supplies, tell you how to do it with all caveats, or do it for you and
guarantee results.

If you DIY, you will get ONE chance. It will look good. Or not.

Steve


jamesgangnc

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Aug 25, 2011, 2:23:17 PM8/25/11
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What's on it now? That's probably what matters most. Assuming you
are not going to sand the current stuff off you need to adhere to it.

hr(bob) hofmann@att.net

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Aug 25, 2011, 2:26:44 PM8/25/11
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On Aug 25, 1:01 pm, "Steve B" <pittmanpir...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> "Dwight" <dwightn...@earthlink.net> wrote in message

For sure, the canoe will have to be meticulously clean, powerwashed or
hand-scrubbed everywhere you want the paint to stick. You didn't say
inside or outside, but the precautions apply to both unless you are
very strange and don't get the inside of the canoe wet.

Dwight

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Aug 25, 2011, 3:18:08 PM8/25/11
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Thanks for your ideas.

We are working on the outside only.

Present color is tinting in the polyester resin - so no paint - and we
will sand it well.

Dwight

Steve B

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Aug 25, 2011, 3:49:14 PM8/25/11
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"Dwight" <dwigh...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:GqmdnZHtx8xsAsvT...@earthlink.com...

> Thanks for your ideas.
>
> We are working on the outside only.
>
> Present color is tinting in the polyester resin - so no paint - and we
> will sand it well.
>
> Dwight

I rebuilt a diving helmet once, using resin and colorant. I would never do
it again. Unless this is a valuable artifact, or some personal memento, go
out and buy a brand new one, and take the difference and have a nice dinner.

Restoration is not always what it is cracked up to be.

With these things, if you do ten of them, you learn along the way, and do a
better job every time. If you do one, you cannot improve.

How does one NOT get water inside a canoe?

Steve


Message has been deleted

gregz

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Aug 25, 2011, 7:20:56 PM8/25/11
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I painted the inside of my canoe with oil based paint. Anything is going to
want to scratch. I don't think I had any flaking. Maybe I better take a
look. Its in the back yard, done in 1972. As far as the outside I just
buffed with car wax.
Trail craft, combo sail, flat back canoe, with center cutout for
centerboard.
Got to redo the back wood again!!

Greg

JIMMIE

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Aug 25, 2011, 9:38:28 PM8/25/11
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On Aug 25, 1:45 pm, Dwight <dwightn...@earthlink.net> wrote:

My brother had his done at an automotive paint shop, pretty sure they
used acrylic enamel. Forest green thinking it was a Chevy color. He
had worked a deal with one of the guys that worked there and got it
done for materials and it still cost him about $300. That was probably
10 years ago....boat still looks pretty good.

Jimmie

Doc

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Aug 26, 2011, 6:50:05 AM8/26/11
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Dwight <dwigh...@earthlink.net> wrote in
news:nLidnTOpkd2mF8vT...@earthlink.com:

> We have a canoe I built years ago with polyester resin which needs
> touching up.
>
> I am sure there are many conflicting ideas out there, but a few hints
> would be very helpful.
>
> 1. What would be a good product?
>
> 2. How best to apply it?
>

I had to paint an old town canvas canoe that had been fiberglassed and
needed a color upgrade about 15 or so years ago. I happened to live near a
paint manufacturer, Keeler and Long, so I went by and asked one of the
engineers what was recommended. After the necessary joke about the paint
used for power plant containment vessels, he suggested an epoxy primer
followed by a polyester based topcoat. The epoxy provides a solid base for
the topcoat to adhere, and the poly topcoat provides a really deep, solid
color. When I did as he suggested it turned out really well, very deep,
substantial color and from what I understand no concerns with cracking or
any other defects.


Dwight

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Aug 27, 2011, 1:08:15 PM8/27/11
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Thanks everyone for the ideas.

The idea of a primer makes great sense.

I will proceed from here.

Dwight

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