Sceptre Paint Job $$$

[FELLOW-SHIP]

Ha John
The Gel Coat was rolled as well. Personally I still like the combination of painting the hull with Gel Coating the bottom. In this way if you do decide to keep your boat in the water for more that two weeks at a time you don’t have to be concerned about the paint on the bottom being damaged by sitting in salt water. My boat has now been completed for 2 years and the bottom still looks in good shape. I still have not sanded and compounded the bottom Gel Coat yet I have been enjoying using it so much I put that sanding project on the back burner. I keep the boat on a drive on trailer and launch it approx 40 times a year if I had paint on the bottom I bet by now I would see scratches all the way down to the Gel Coat. Since I have not sanded the Gel Coat yet the bottom is as ruff as if I would have painted it with bottom paint, so far I can live with it, actually no one seems to notice that they look at the sides of the hull and the inside. Here are some pictures of the hull I don’t know if they are close enough for you to see the texture of the paint job. www.theboatzone.com/gallery/fs01 try double clicking on the ones you like.
FellowShip [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[JohnB]

Has anyone ever tried spraying gelcoat?
It would have to be thinned some, but I think it would go thru a lphv gravity feed gun ok. I was toying with that idea.

[Trayder]

Myself and EBEACH sprayed GelCoat on our 20's. I have done it 3 times in the past once on a 20 ft sailboat and the other time on my fathers 19 Mako. It can be done and really is pretty easy. The prep work is simple, sand and fair hull using poly resin products and 80 grit paper, shoot gel coat, 2-4 coats thinned with styrene and the final coat with styrene and wax additive. Let cure than fair out starting with 120-220 grit and work up 1500-2000 then compound and wax the last part is the bare and is very labor intensive.

I have only done it with white gel coat I think dark colors would be very difficult but EBEACH did a simply amazing job on his 20 Sceptere with fighting lady yellow.

Besides the cost of time but including a new Gel-coat gun from Fiberglass supply gelcoat, sandpaper, and DYEKEM, it cost under $350.00 to do my 20 inside and out.

By the way DYKEM is a metal marking fluid used when cutting metal. After you have sprayed the gelcoat and it has cured you wipe the DYKEM on the hull and let it dry (dark blue color) due to all of the highs and lows with the orange peel you know you can stop sanding an area when all becomes white (sanding the DYKEM off)

[Rufridr069]

How hard was doing the inside? Any reason for me to buy a new toy is reason enough. Now Im thinking of painting the sides and spraying gelcoat on the hull and inside. Im so confused. Then again I have been following Generaiders progress and his is coming out sooooo sweeet with paint.

[Trayder]

TB-

since I literally re-worked and re-constructed the interior of my boat from scratch I had in the back of my mind re-gelcoating and kept nooks and cranies to a minimum. My boat is all flat surfaces with some easy rounded corners here and there.

On your boat with drain gutters hatch wells and all the other nice molded in features re-gelcoating would drive you bannanas.

On the exterior with the flat hull sides it would be better.

One thing to remember is with a premium paint you will get much more luster with gel-coat waxing is necesary.

I am not an advocate of either but as a do it yourselfer who like to try new things (yikes sounds like a personal ad [img]/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img]) I found the gelcoat pretty neat stuff, very forgiving because if and when you get a sag or a run all you have to do is sand and buff it out, also if you damage the finish in the future it is pretty easy to fix.


With all of that said I am now treating my re-gelcoat job as may people do primer on their mid eighties camaros, sort of an inbetween coat untill I find the right finish. Unlike an eighties camaro with a grey primer paint job my white gel-coat looks decent but it is far from perfect after seeing capt chuck's 23 with the signature finish I may give that a shot in a few years after my boat settles in.

Have I confused you any further...? Good I thought I may have [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Rufridr069]

I was born confused...but thats a whole other story. With all the help and ideas I get from you fine group of SeaCrafters, I am hoping that it turns out half as good as some that I have seen. Thanks....you guys are the best. Mean it.

[ScottM]

With all of that said I am now treating my re-gelcoat job as may people do primer on their mid eighties camaros, sort of an inbetween coat untill I find the right finish.

Oh sure, you're gone for months and then you come back to the site and insult my car!! [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Capt Chuck]

after seeing capt chuck's 23 with the signature finish I may give that a shot in a few years after my boat settles in.

Thanks Jason for the cudos but after you paint that white gel-coat "yoshi" won't blend in on the bow