Thread: hairline cracks in surface of ply?

Honestly, it looks fairly sound to me. I'd scrape back to good paint (A heat gun helps), then fill, sand, prime and paint over it all.

Yes I have been using a heat gun to get as far as this but what paint is left takes some serious heat and scraping to get off hence my reluctance to try to get it all. The wood is generally very dry and sound so if those hairline cracks are not a concern that need a specific treatment, then I am happy to sand and paint over.

Thanks

Anthony

You don't have to remove solid paint nor sand back to raw wood, to rejuvenate the surface coatings. Generally, you sand back to well attached previous coatings, feather the edges, use some filler to fix blemishes, prime the bare wood and filler areas and recoat with your choice of paint. You don't need to make a career out of refinishing this old puppy. Make repairs where needed, fix dings, nicks and divots as required, feather any uneven areas and move on. Since you don't know what the previous paints might be, you'd be best advised to scuff the whole surface and prime to whole boat. This will lock down any compatibility issues and your new paint job will start with a good "tie" coat and a uniform color to build on.