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Overview
Make your boat shine again
No improvement to a tired-looking boat will have a more dramatic impact than refinishing, and few tasks are easier. Here is everything you need to achieve a fabulous finish on your fiberglass boat’s bottom, topsides, deck, spars, wood trim, and belowdeck surfaces while saving time, money, and grief.
What reviewers have said about Don Casey's boat maintenance books:
“Astonishingly clear text and illustrations. The reader can almost feel the hand-holding this book provides through each step.”--Dockside
“I own many books filled with advice, but I strongly suspect that this is the one I will consult most.”--Sailing
“Casey makes tricky points clear in hundreds of illustrations and lively prose.”--SailNet
“If you have an older sailboat, you need this book.”--The Ensign
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780071508995 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | McGraw Hill LLC |
| Publication date: | 02/26/2007 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 144 |
| File size: | 11 MB |
| Note: | This product may take a few minutes to download. |
About the Author
Don Casey is the author of the universally praisedThis Old Boat, which has led thousands of boat owners through the process of turning a run down productionboat into a first-class yacht.
Read an Excerpt
SAILBOAT REFINISHING
By DON CASEY
The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Copyright © 2013 Don CaseyAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-07-150899-5
Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
THE BASICS
Good results depend as much on selecting the right product as on application technique. To help you choose wisely, this initial chapter contains use and application information for common marine coatings and systems. Also included is the life expectancy of the resulting finish and the safety precautions, if any, that are required.
Another essential ingredient in achieving the best possible finish is good tools. Good-quality tools almost always allow you to do the job better and get it done quicker as well. The cost difference between a poor-quality brush and a top-quality one is just a few dollars, and the difference between a cheap roller cover and a good one even less, so there is little reason to compromise. For a first-class finish, select only the best painting tools. The second part of this chapter shows you how to choose the right tools, how to use them, and how to maintain them.
The third requirement common to all refinishing jobs is good preparation. While different coatings call for different preparation schedules, many of the specific steps are the same. Labeling and detailing those steps in a single location saves a great deal of unnecessary repetition. This part of the chapter is, in effect, an illustrated glossary applicable to the refinishing projects individually detailed in the remainder of the guide.
No matter what refinishing project you have in mind, you need the information contained in this first chapter. Don't skip over it. Most of it will not be repeated, and a good grasp of the basics is essential to achieving satisfactory results.
UNDERSTANDING PAINTS AND OTHER MARINE COATINGS
Faced with hundreds of different products, each one claiming to be the best, how do you make a selection? The process is significantly simplified if you know the class of product most appropriate for the refinishing job you have in mind.
Marine coatings are invariably formulated for a specific purpose—e.g., providing a hard, clear protective coating for wood, giving a high-gloss finish to dull gelcoat, or discouraging growth on the underwater portions of a boat. Any product on the shelf intended for your purpose will do the job, but not all will do it equally well. Performance is often dependent upon a key ingredient—without chili pepper, it just ain't Mexican food.
It is this key ingredient that gives a coating its defining characteristics—long life, high gloss, abrasion resistance, ease of application, or whatever. Since every paint manufacturer starts with the same basic ingredients, all the products in the category defined by that ingredient exhibit similar qualities regardless of the manufacturer.
That is not to say there aren't differences between brands—there are—but a difference in the recipe doesn't stop it from being an enchilada. If you want the longest-life paint, every manufacturer will recommend their two-part linear polyurethane. Likewise, if you want to oil your teak without darkening it, you will hear tung oil mentioned repeatedly.
What follows is an illustrated list of the various classes of marine coatings and related products (such as thinners). With few exceptions, all the paints and varnishes and sealants on the chandlery shelves fall into one of these categories, and you should be able to determine whether or not a particular class of product—and, by extension, a specific product brand—will satisfy your refinishing requirements.
WHICH BRAND IS THE BEST?
Perhaps you're wondering why not just cut to the chase and recommend products by brand name. After all, if there are differences between brands, then one brand must be better than the others, right?
It depends on what you're evaluating. For example, one manufacturer may formulate a paint that outlasts its competitors by 20 percent, but perhaps the extra durability comes at the expense of flow characteristics. Which is more important to you, a glassy finish or an extra season of durability?
It gets worse. The paint or varnish that seems to have them all beat in Connecticut may well lose its composure under the relentless sun of South Florida. In fact, some products carrying the same brand name are formulated differently for use in different parts of the country. Even if the formula isn't supposed to be different, the actual product often varies from batch to batch—chemical suppliers change, machinery fails, operators drift off. It's paint, not pharmaceuticals.
Still, some brands are undoubtedly better than others, and consumer boating magazines regularly run comparative tests of marine coatings. Such evaluations can be helpful in selecting a particular brand, but don't be surprised if the results vary between publications, or if this year's test results differ from those of only a couple of years ago. There are just too many variables—surface preparation, application, geographic location, weather patterns, boat use, water salinity, even evaluation criteria.
Don't count on any selection help from newsstand boating magazines. You may encounter a product "roundup" in a commercial publication, but don't expect to find any "let-the-chips-fall" test results. Rare is the boating magazine that will risk alienating potential advertisers by publishing negative results.
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
So how do you make a selection? Your best source will often be local knowledge. If you ask other boatowners in your area what bottom paint they use, one brand name is likely to come up more often than others. If you see an old boat with a topside finish you admire, find out what the finish is and if it was owner- applied. If you hear praise for several different varnishes, get each advocate to show you his brightwork and ask the hard questions: How long has it been on? Always exposed? How many coats? How long between coats? You will know quickly enough precisely which product to choose and what to expect from it.
PRODUCT GUIDE
Marine paints and other boat refinishing products are constantly changing. New technologies provide continuing opportunities for tougher, smoother coatings. Environmental pressures lead to the elimination of specific ingredients or entire products. Products from other arenas find their way into marine use. (An example of the latter is the widespread use in Europe of a diaper-rash cream containing zinc oxide in place of antifouling paint.) In spite of this flux, most of the refinishing products on chandlery shelves have been around for years, some for decades. You are likely to find yourself choosing products that have a long history of marine use. Having a basic understanding of each of these products by class will help you select the specific product best suited to your individual needs.
ALKYD ENAMEL (exterior-grade house paint)
* Cost range: $10 to $30 per gallon
* Coverage: 200 square feet per gallon (two coats)
* Primer: Alkyd primer recommended
* Method of application: Brush
USE: Excellent for interior hull spaces—inside cabinets and lockers. May also be applied to bulkheads but can show brush strokes. Good- quality exterior trim house paint can also be used as an inexpensive and surprisingly durable deck paint; not recommended for the hull.
* Finish life: 1 to 5 years
* Dangers and precautions: Flammable.
* Solvent: Mineral spirits
* Recoat time: 8 hours
* Sanding between coats: Unnecessary
* Drying time: 24 hours
TOPSIDE ENAMEL (marine alkyd enamel)
* Cost range: $12 to $20 per quart.
* Coverage: 50 to 60 square feet per quart (two coats).
* Primer required: Alkyd or epoxy undercoat required.
* Method of application: Brush, roller, or spray.
USE: The least expensive hull and deck coating. Can be applied to almost any above-the-waterline surface. Compatible with most old coatings. Better hiding characteristics than polyurethane, but lower gloss and much shorter life. Good choice for interior surfaces.
* Finish life: 2 to 3 years in exterior applications.
* Dangers and precautions: Flammable.
* Recommended solvent: Proprietary or mineral spirits.
* Recoat time: 24 hours.
* Sanding between coats: Recommended.
* Drying time: 24 hours.
BOOTTOP ENAMEL
* Cost range: $5 for 8 oz.
* Coverage: 100 linear feet (2-inch-wide stripe, two coats).
* Primer required: per manufacturer.
* Method of application: Brush or roller.
USE: Boottop and cove stripe. Commonly available in small cans. Any alkyd-based topside enamel will serve this function. Urethane paints may also be used for this purpose. For imitation gold leaf, use a bronze pigmented paint, such as Kemp's Permagild.
* Finish life: 2 to 3 years.
* Dangers and precautions: Flammable.
* Recommended solvent: proprietary or mineral spirits
* Recoat time: 24 hours.
* Sanding between coats: Recommended.
* Drying time: Overnight.
SINGLE-PART POLYURETHANE (urethane-modified alkyd)
* Cost range: $15 to $20 per quart.
* Coverage: 50 to 60 square feet per quart (two coats).
* Primer required: Proprietary.
* Method of application: Brush, roller, or spray.
USE: Hull and deck finish. High gloss and good durability. Easier to apply than two-part paints. Fewer compatibility problems with old paint.
* Finish life: 3 to 5 years, with some loss of gloss.
* Dangers and precautions: Flammable. Air-supplied respirator required for spray application.
* Recommended solvent: Proprietary or mineral spirits.
* Recoat time: Overnight.
* Sanding between coats: Recommended.
* Drying time: 24 hours.
TWO-PART POLYURETHANE (linear polyurethane)
* Cost range: $35 to $95 per quart.
* Coverage: 50 to 60 square feet per quart.
* Primer required: Proprietary.
* Method of application: Foam roller, tipped with brush. Amateur spraying is strongly discouraged.
USE: The best hull and deck finish. Outstanding gloss and durability. Several brands formulated for amateur application. Not difficult to apply well, but intolerant of omissions and shortcuts. Done well, delivers a better-than-new finish.
* Finish life: 5 to 7 years.
* Dangers and precautions: When roller- or brush-applied, hazards are similar to other paints—primarily those associated with exposure to solvent—but when atomized by spray equipment, linear polyurethane is highly toxic. Contains isocyanate: leaking methyl-isocyanate gas killed 3,300 people in Bhopal, India, in a 1984 industrial accident. Spraying requires a positive-pressure air- supplied respirator.
* Recommended solvent: Proprietary.
* Recoat time: 24 to 48 hours.
* Sanding between coats: Recommended.
* Drying time: 48 to 168 hours.
LEMON OIL
* Cost range: $8 per pint.
* Coverage: Depends on the wood.
Method of application: Rub into the grain with a cloth.
USE: Unvarnished interior wood. Replaces natural oils and is poison to mildew.
* Finish life: Perpetual.
* Recommended solvent: None.
* Recoat time: Every 30 to 60 days.
* Sanding between coats: No.
* Drying time: Immediate.
LINSEED OIL
* Cost range: $10 to $15 per quart.
* Coverage: 150 to 200 square feet per quart (single application).
* Method of application: Brush and/or cloth. Initial application usually calls for multiple coats.
USE: Unvarnished exterior teak. Linseed is the primary oil in most teak- oil products. An excellent preservative but tends to darken the wood.
* Finish life: Depends on location. To maintain the desired color in southern waters and the tropics, sun-carbonized oil will have to be scrubbed from the wood every 6 to 12 months.
* Recommended solvent: None.
* Recoat time: Every 30 to 60 days.
* Sanding between coats: No.
* Drying time: Overnight.
TUNG OIL
* Cost range: $12 to $17 per quart.
* Coverage: 150 to 200 square feet per quart (single application).
* Method of application: Brush and/or cloth. Initial application usually calls for multiple coats.
USE: Unvarnished exterior teak. Tung oil is the base for some teak-oil products. More water-resistant than linseed oil and does not turn the wood dark. More expensive than linseed: if a teak product contains tung oil, it will be prominently mentioned on the label.
* Finish life: Depends on location. To maintain the desired color in southern waters and the tropics, sun-carbonized oil will have to be scrubbed from the wood every 6 to 12 months.
* Recommended solvent: None.
* Recoat time: Every 30 to 60 days.
* Sanding between coats: No.
* Drying time: Overnight
TEAK SEALER
* Cost range: $10 to $20 per quart.
* Coverage: 150 to 200 square feet per quart (single application).
* Method of application: Brush. Initial application usually calls for multiple coats.
USE: Unvarnished exterior teak. Sealers are typically a mixture of oils and resins or polymers—kind of a cross between teak oil and varnish.
* Finish life: The oil in teak sealers still carbonizes despite the shielding of the resin or polymer. Periodic stripping—as often as every 12 months—will be required in southern waters to maintain a light color. Some formulations are pigmented to counteract darkening.
* Recommended solvent: None.
* Recoat time: Every 60 to 90 days.
* Sanding between coats: No.
* Drying time: 1–2 days.
SPAR VARNISH
* Cost range: $10 to $30 per quart.
* Coverage: 90 to 125 square feet per quart (one coat).
* Primer required: Thinned varnish.
* Method of application: Brush. Minimum of five initial coats required, with the first two thinned as much as 50%.
USE: Clear finish for exterior and interior wood. Resin-based spar varnish is the least complicated wood finish and very long-lasting when properly maintained. Less abrasion-resistant than polyurethane but more flexible. Adds some color to the wood.
* Finish life: 3 to 5 years. To achieve this longevity, nicks and scratches must be sealed immediately and a fresh topcoat of varnish must be applied every 3 to 6 months. Covered varnish will last indefinitely.
* Dangers and precautions: Flammable.
* Recommended solvent: Proprietary or mineral spirits.
* Recoat time: Overnight.
* Sanding between coats: Required. It is possible to apply multiple coats without sanding by recoating as soon as the previous coat "skins."
* Drying time: Overnight.
POLYURETHANE VARNISH
* Cost range: $10 to $30 per quart.
* Coverage: 90 to 125 square feet per quart (one coat).
* Primer required: No.
* Method of application: Brush. Multiple initial coats required.
USE: Excellent finish for interior wood. Generally less satisfactory for exterior applications. Harder than spar varnish, but tends to lose adhesion when exposed to the sun, peeling off in plastic-wrap-like sheets. Excellent abrasion resistance for cabin sole applications. Water-clear finish adds no color. Polyurethane varnish should not be confused with clear two-part polyurethane, which is sometimes applied over epoxy-saturated wood to good effect.
* Finish life: 10 years on interior applications.
* Dangers and precautions: Flammable.
* Recommended solvent: Proprietary or mineral spirits.
* Recoat time: Overnight.
* Sanding between coats: Required. It is possible to apply multiple coats without sanding by recoating as soon as the previous coat "skins."
EPOXY
* Cost range: $75 to $95 per gallon.
* Coverage: 400 to 500 square feet per gallon.
* Method of application: Brush, roller, or squeegee.
USE: Primer/filler for porous and/or crazed gelcoat. Wood sealer under an overcoat of two-part polyurethane. Sheathing with lightweight fiberglass cloth for hard-wear surfaces. Barrier coat below the waterline for blister prevention. Extremely sun-sensitive; requires an overcoat with UV protection. Very difficult to remove if system fails.
* Finish life: Unlimited if protected from UV damage.
* Dangers and precautions: Highly toxic. Contact can lead to allergic reaction and lifetime sensitivity. Adequate ventilation and protective clothing (especially rubber gloves) required. Organic respirator recommended.
* Recommended solvent: Acetone, cider vinegar (for cleanup only).
* Recoat time: Overnight.
* Sanding between coats: Required.
* Drying time: Overnight.
EPOXY BOTTOM PAINT (non-ablative)
* Cost range: $75 to $120 per gallon.
* Coverage: 150 to 200 square feet per gallon (two coats).
* Primer required: None.
* Method of application: Roller or brush.
USE: Best choice for most boats left in the water year-round. Long- lasting hard coating that may be scrubbed to extend time between haulouts. Few compatibility problems with old coatings.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from SAILBOAT REFINISHING by DON CASEY. Copyright © 2013 by Don Casey. Excerpted by permission of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc..
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