The Point of No Return

There comes a time when you just have to say "that's enough" - especially when it comes to sanding. I finished off the 220 grit last night but had to fill in a few small blemishes. I hated having to do this but I could not leave them as is. I was being pretty picky with the feathering of tape edges because I did not know how much, if any, that the paint would cover any rough edges. Anyway, today I decided that I was finished sanding.  It's time to paint.

I knew that IMP Marine had some Interlux Brightsides in stock - this is a one part polyurethane paint. From the start I decided that I wanted to go with a white hull and blue deck. Not being one to concern myself with colours, I simply dropped by the store and bought what ever they had in stock. I went with Saphire Blue and Blue Glo White (which is just a very bright white)

I gave the hull a rub down with acetone and when the saw dust was cleared, it showed a lovely looking natural finish to the hull. 

A lovely soft hue!!

I taped the sheer with masking tape. Note to self - buy better tape. This just started to peel off as I was painting. I'll simply feather the paint edge when I'm finished and retape the deck - with proper tape!!

Taped sheer.

I flipped the boat back over and set to the task of painting. Did I mention that I truly hate painting?? I usually throw lots of paint at a surface and hope the first coat is enough!! But not this time. Too much work invested in this project to go and get sloppy!!

I happened upon a method that works great with polyurethane paints to give a mirror-like finish. I think the person who devised it must've been a kayaker because it's called "roll and tip".  You roll on a coat of paint and then tip or smooth out any bubbles or streaks using a dry brush. I used a foam rolled and a foam brush with pretty nice results.

Once I got the hang of it, it was pretty easy to do. I came close to having a few sags at the beginning but realized that a lot of paint was not required for coverage. There's two more coats to come, so why try to put on one thick one that'll just run like a river?

Port Bow

Port Quarter

I really like these two images below - one with flash, the other without - as they show the reflective qualities of the paint. Remember, this is the initial coat that has been applied directly over un-primed glass/epoxy. The second coat should be smoother as I'll sand this first coat before applying another. I also have a better understanding of the "roll and tip" method and should get better.

One sleek hull. Look at how the reflection makes the hull seem to disappear!

Made to slice the water, what?

Anyhow, that's the initial paint job. 16 hrs between coats is required so another one can't go on until tomorrow night. Plus, I'm staying out of the work area to prevent stirring up any dust. This all means that I can, with good conscience, take a break from building. Maybe I'll have a beer and watch a movie!! 

Thanks for dropping by - not long now!!