Thread: painting help

Toluene will soften acrylic and most modified acrylic paints (latex). You can then scrape until you elbow hurts.

OK, after I sand it, and brush off the sand dust, and even vacuum it, there is still a very fine layer of dust. Should I wash it off or something, before painting?

Originally Posted by PAR

Toluene will soften acrylic and most modified acrylic paints (latex). You can then scrape until you elbow hurts.

<in very best Homer Simpson voice> mmmmmm... Tolulene..

thunk long and hard while not sleeping... will have to live with it for a bit.
Not enough enamel in stock to do the job. Missus's job is a bit tenuous at the
moment so she will be unduly stressed if I blow $$ on frivolous things like boat
paint. (peace at any price?)

sanded it all today with 120gr no-fil.
Will apply another thinned coat or two of acrylic with a pad I found. Won't be as hard
gloss as enamel, but ok for a season or two, and a better finish than using a brush.

Originally Posted by Hally

OK, after I sand it, and brush off the sand dust, and even vacuum it, there is still a very fine layer of dust. Should I wash it off or something, before painting?

I say yes, & clean everything with a wet or damp rag.
If painting with acrylic, the surface can still be damp when you paint (I've read the whole tin now.)
If painting with enamel, you have to let it dry thoroughly.

But I wouldn't take my advice - I can't tell the difference between tins of acrylic &
enamel, even when they are clearly labelled, smell different, & behave different...

Originally Posted by b.o.a.t.

I say yes, & clean everything with a wet or damp rag.

If you want to get fussy the pros use a tac or tack cloth (depends which school you went to) available paint or hardware stores. Bit pricey for me so any dampened lint free rag will do.

But I wouldn't take my advice - I can't tell the difference between tins of acrylic &
enamel, even when they are clearly labelled, smell different, & behave different...

Chuckle........ mmm.....actually I reckon you have a case against Dulux.
Everyone knows there is no such thing as high gloss latex paint

As a lawyer friend of mine would suggest, "a reasonable argument about the true definition of Gloss could be made . . ."

I remembered your story, AJ, and carefully steered away from the acrylic at the shop. I bet it would have been easier to clean up, though. There is paint and turps all over EVERYthing.

If interested in easy clean up, very high gloss, long term gloss retention and highly durable paint, consider WR-LPU.

Several manufactures have begun formulating this water clean up version of the linear polyurethanes that have such a good reputation for gloss and toughness.

They (WR-LPU) aren't quite as glossy as the solvent based LPU's, but very close, plus after they're good and cured, you can buff them up to match the gloss of solvent LPU. They clean up with water, in fact react with moisture in the air to affect cure rates. They dry fast, real fast. I applied 4 coats yesterday and had no fear of placing my coffee cup on the work this morning. They display similar self leveling properties as the solvent based LPU's and a good roll and tip job rivals spraying.

Like everything else associated with boats, there are draw backs to WR-LPU use too. They need moderate temperatures or you'll never get it on the work fast enough before it's getting "draggy". You can thin with regular water, which helps, but I've found the biggest help is using a room humidifier near the work and wetting down the floor under the work (which I do anyway for dust control).

It seems these paints like humidity, but lower temperatures. I've been working in 60 to 80 degree weather and had much longer "wet edge" time when it was in the low 70's or high 60's. Many shops during the summer months can't keep temperatures this low, including mine (though I have installed A/C in a portion for this reason) so this paint may prove difficult to some.

There also is a clear coat you can apply, which has UV inhibitors (filters maybe) and it can turn a dull paint job into a shinny work of art. It's suggested by the manufacture that it can also be used on raw wood as a clear finish coat. I haven't tried this yet, but will in the next month or so. The clear is available in both gloss and satin.

I'm using System Three's WR-LPU products and the price is less then half of the solvent based stuff, with similar results. They have a limited range of colors, but I was able to make a teal by mixing 1 part of their green with 1 part of their blue and a bit of white to soften it up a little. They'll mix up custom colors, but only in gallons.


Food for thought; if the price of regular LPU sends you off, but the coating performance is enticing. A good solvent based LPU (AwlGrip) cost me around $120 a quart (retail), but I'm getting the System Three WR-LPU for less then $50. It's better then a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.

Very good points about humidity. The WR-LPU work much better in Brisbane than they do in Adelaide for this reason.

Also ... Marine paints here in OZ are highly manipulated in terms of price as there is one major supplier only. The margins that most shops make are tiny for the bigger name products. So paint prices are considerably higher here.

With epoxy, glass etc there is some competition that keep the prices down.

Don't sound like a lefty red socialist humanitarian - do I?

Best wishes
Michael

Originally Posted by Hally

I remembered your story, AJ, and carefully steered away from the acrylic at the shop. I bet it would have been easier to clean up, though. There is paint and turps all over EVERYthing.

That's the shot Hally.... true wisdom is learning by other people's stuff-ups.
You won't regret the extra work applying it.
Better finish & longer lasting.
5+ years between touch-ups & recoats rather than touch-ups & repairs after each
outing, and major recoat every 2-3 years.
.
These water based LPUs that Paul refers to sound interesting.
Will have to investigate price/availability here in sunny downtown Adelaide.

cheers
Aj