I used 2 pack automotive/industrial paint. Imron.
Check the auto body supply shops in your area. This is their entire line of business and they have much better pricing.
I used a traditional spray gun, but a good DeVilbiss brand gun. I also used a pressure pot, which is this thing like the size of a large pressure cooker that you put the mixed paint into.
What you use for
equipment isn’t quite for as important as your
compressor and the air you feed the gun as well as the surface prep you do.
You need a high volume of airflow and you need
oil free, DRY air getting to the gun. You must use a lot of filter/dryers between the compressor and the gun. Even more so if you’re in a humid climate. I had to build a big contraption to drain out the
water from my air and also use several filter/dryers.
Make sure you thoroughly clean the
hull with soap and
water then wipe down with solvent before you spray. NO GREASE, NO WATER, NO HUMAN FINGERPRINTS. Nothing.
The setup I used was actually borrowed from the automotive paint rep. It was his personal
equipment. He just liked the
project and I had a lot to spray. He was of the opinion that the DeVilbiss gun was the important part (return your
cheap one) and that the pressure pit would make such a large job easier. He was right, of course.
Once you get it set up and the surface ready, it’s an incredibly fast job. Comes out perfectly.
Make sure you get the spray reducer for the paint system that works with your gun.
The paint sales people will be a wealth of knowledge. They know more than we do. As them all the questions in the world when you’re
buying the paint and buy from local automotive supply shops so you have good support. Don’t just order paint online and hope for the best.
Good luck! It’s the most rewarding part of doing all the work of building a
boat. I suspect it will be very rewarding for you also.