23' Fish Nautique Restoration Project

firefight-n wrote: hows that boat coming along john?

Rich,
He just got married and to a very beautiful woman. Give the guy some time!!

Well the Gelcoating did not go the way I was hoping. I was planning on using the Binks to do it, but there is just not enough room under there to move fast enough for the machine. The Binks throws so much material that if you are not fast you will have runs all over the place. So I tried rolling it...... That was a joke, if I do that I might be done next summer!! So the last option was using the HVLP with the 2.5 tip. It worked but I can only spray 12oz at a time and since it is mixed with MEKP I have to clean the gun every 12oz's...... So tomorrow I am going to try and reposition the boat to use the Binks. No pictures like I said I would have Sorry. I will see what tomorrow brings.

John

Today I started sanding the new gel coat I sprayed the other day. I am using 40 grit to knock it down then I will go over that with 400 for a smooth surface. Then I will be ready for paint. While I was under the boat sanding Shawn bellied the holes that need filling around the boat. He also started filling the transom holes. I did this because I am not sure where the new exhaust hole and scupper holes will go. Well here are a few pictures of today's work.

Good to hear from you again... I kinda missed my reading here with my morning coffee...
Sanding is a PITA, it always seems you'll never see the end of it.

Swatkinz wrote: Why are you filling the exhaust holes? That's going to be one hell of a fishing boat when you finish.    Nice work.

I had to fill the exhaust holes becaue the new stringers I put in where about an inch wider then factory. This covered a portion of the hole so I will be relocating them.

Looks good. I am not understanding why you would go to the trouble to gel coat the bottom and then paint over it????

BKH

Bottom is Painted....
I got started today around 6:30pm EST after cleaning the boat one more time. Shawn was there to help me tonight and without him I would still be painting.. I put two heavy coats of Epoxy primer and two heavy coats of Snow White Paint. The bottom is slick and really shiny. I came out good considering I was painting in a warehouse with little light. Tomorrow I will mask and paint the Fighting Lady Yellow. Here are a few pictures. It's hard to see the shinyness but if you look close you can see some reflections of things around the shop.

i've really enjoyed reading your post...and the results are amazing

so, here is a dumb quesion...how do you paint around the boat stands??

makes sense, thanks.

You have the ability to gelcoat, but chose to paint instead?

Whats the logic there? Im curious. Seems gel would be the obvious choice.

wingwrench wrote: Can you tell us what paint you are using. I'm not a fan of gelcoat for recoating Jack

Jack,
What's your problem with gel?

8122pbrainard wrote: wingwrench wrote: Can you tell us what paint you are using. I'm not a fan of gelcoat for recoating Jack Jack, What's your problem with gel?

Pete,
John hit the nail on the head with the exception of durability. I'm using Delfleet Evolution and find it to be more durable than gel. The original Imron we had back in the 70's was pretty tough but this stuff beats it and it is easier to spray. This boat Saetta Boats is shot with it, clear over the wood and pigment on the hull, it was on display at Mt Dora.


Thanks John, if my supplier hadn't switched to PPG I'd still be shooting Dupont. I have just enough Imron left to do my trailer.

I rarely dabble in the Gel/Paint controversy, But,.paints have came a long way in the last 10 years, my addage is if its a Hemi car, you put a hemi in it.....if not put a Chevy in it   lol, alot of the boat companies are spraying the molds with Ureathane and then gel, I can attest from painting boats 10 years ago because i see them every year, they come in not chalky or in the need of buffing, we will spot in the side of boats with Base/clear and you cant tell. lets put it this way alot more R and D has gone into paints that they have in gels. but one thing i may add with the Ureathanes is to go 50/50 on the last coat with a good clear and color. the clear coats of today do come with uv protectors....

Gary,
This was in the early days when Imron came out. The bottom blistered, the sides got chalky at half a season and scratches couldn't be wet sanded out without going through the paint.

Yes, Eric is correct that the linear polys have come a long way. Still not the build you get with gel and the abrasion resistance. I remember when Imron was touted as being "self healing". Scratch it and then leave it out in the hot sun and it would "heal". Well, that was a advertising "stretch of the imagination"!!

Motor installed..
I have been working on the boat here and there. Not as much as I want to due to work. So this post is about 4 days of work. We where able to get the boat off the stands and on the trailer so we could maneuver the boat over the hoist and get the motor installed. Shawn was the man today, I had to be to work at 5pm today and he stayed still 9pm tonight and got the motor all bolted in. The reason I am putting the motor in before the inside is done is so I can get the boat in the water and figure out where the water line is going to be. I have to know this so I can re drill the exhaust holes and put the scupper holes in the right place. I will be keeping the motor in during the finishing process of the inside, just going to cover it all up. Well here is a few pics of the last few days...