Opinion on just painting rough surfaces?

[s/v Jedi]

I think Bondo is polyester as well.

That expensive 3M marine fairing compound… isn’t that vinylester?

[neilpride]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

I think Bondo is polyester as well.

That expensive 3M marine fairing compound… isn’t that vinylester?

3m Premium marine Filler its vinilester , Yes.

[nwh10]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Actually you have seen good photos of the boat. Ha ha.

You saw that front page of this thread right? That’s what it looks like. There’s no interior yet. Just that yellow and brown pattern everywhere. No cabinetry. Nothing painted, just a raw fiberglass hull.

Getting ready to build some stuff out in a little while.

Assuming I’m keeping it which I think I am, I will be starting some cabinetry this summer.

And that’s a very good point about what buyers will be interested in 10, 20 and 30 years from now.

That will be GenZ buying this thing. Who knows? Maybe they will love popcorn finish or those flecks on Jon boats. Ha ha. Fashions comes around and goes around.

Plus I am considering being one of those guys that stays on it until I die. It’s a pretty nice home. My other option would be a small cabin or tiny home type thing when I am that age where I can’t do anything anymore. But why not stay in this thing?

And if I die and still own it, then all of these worries were for nothing. My heirs can get a few bucks less on resale.

LOL - oh OK, no interior to speak of yet, so not exactly ready for beautifully staged photos! That just reinforces my point about doing what works for you and your use. But news flash - no.one is going to love a popcorn finish! Hell, nobody loved that even when it was being done.

I think you're well on your way to having this figured out even down to the easiest, least expensive, effective technique.

[SuW]

Originally Posted by Chotu

It would be really cool if there was some kind of paint that would go into the lows and that’s it. Kind of smoothing the texture a bit but not needing sanding

You could try Kiwigrip. We've used it on the floor of our boat - using one of those nylon mesh paint rollers cut into 3 inches long to get into the curves.
The paint is like thickened cream and can be applied with a spatula.

Mask where you don't want it and remove the masking tape asap. It dries in minutes especially in warm weather, except when very humid.

[gulfislandfred]

If you have a paint that will stick to the bare epoxy/glass, where it's inside cabinets, just paint it. I have had good luck with Rustoleum brand oil base paint.



If you can use it, coal tar epoxy (from an industrial supplier) is relatively cheap, sticks well, and fills a lot of rough areas. That's if you're OK with black.
If you want white, Kilz primer sticks to pretty much anything, and leaves a mold resistant, flat white finish. It goes on thin, so the texture will show.
Any kind of paint will stick to the Kilz primer.



I think your texture looks fine for inside of cabinets. Not further smoothing needed.

[DoubleD]

Not sure if this has been mentioned, but if you just paint with the least level of effort and then if you don't like it, try something else that takes more effort such as fairing/painting or panels. Kind of like problem solving or other maintenance items such as the engine. Start with the simple items then move on to more complex.


My 1991 Caliber 33 has the standard vinyl perforated headliner of the day, but accessing behind it is a pain. If it wasn't in such good condition, I'd either tear it out and paint, or use panels that can be easily removed for access. Good Luck.


DD

[aqfishing]

I once saw a finish that was plain old non drip enamel painted on with a ripple effect roller. Loved it. Cheap, nasty and extremely effective. Do not understand why more builders don’t do it.

[team karst]

Would you think that a thin paint would even exaggerate the already textured surface on vertical or overhead areas? Not painting a floor here, where gravity is your friend.
I would worry that the paint film will hang on the resin peaks.

[s/v Jedi]

Also don’t shy back from doing some experiments. Try to mix some microspheres through TotalProtect until it can be applied with a putty knife

[jimellifritt]

Originally Posted by Chotu

It looks like I’m starting to think about keeping the boat. Even though I haven’t gone sailing yet. Even motoring around it has been pretty nice. A great platform to live and travel from.

I have a question about some finish work.

Basically I have an epoxy boat. A lot of the stuff on the bridge deck level is already fair and painted. Down in the hulls, it’s still raw fiberglass in many places.

I haven’t started on that yet because much of it will be hidden behind cabinetry so there’s no point in making it all pretty when it’s going to be in the back of a cabinet behind a shelf and some things.

My question is regarding a picture I saw on a recent thread about replacing headliners.

MarcJSmith posted a picture of his excellent looking work.

All he did was take down the old bad headliner and give a coat of paint to the fiberglass. It shows texture. It shows kind of the guts of the boat. But in my opinion it looks pretty good.

What does anyone think about just leaving my fiberglass rough as well and painting it over in the areas that it shows?

Again, this is for down inside the hulls.

Because of my problems with all of the boat building chemicals these days, I am pretty limited on what I can do. But I’m thinking if I make the cabinetry absolutely beautiful and use high end items everywhere I can to set off a good expensive look, leaving the walls with the rough texture might be OK.

Kind of like how in a lot of really nice stores and restaurants they just leave the old industrial building that they converted. You can still see all the concrete and steel and stuff, but because they have very new and nice-looking fixtures, it comes together.

Any opinions on that?

First picture is markjsmith’s work. Second and third pictures are my raw fiberglass texture in a decent area. And in the worst area. The chain plate area.

Could I just paint this stuff over?

Yes paint. So much easier to accomplish now.

[mikereed100]

Originally Posted by Chotu

It would be really cool if there was some kind of paint that would go into the lows and that’s it. Kind of smoothing the texture a bit but not needing sanding

Before painting the interior of our boat I got one of these:
https://www.harborfreight.com/textur...xoC230QAvD_BwE
and a big bag of drywall texture. We sprayed the interior wherever it would be visible and then painted over with paint from Home Depot. 10 years on it still looks great and is holding up well. You can touch up spots with a can of spray texture.

[Bowdrie]

Sometimes "Zolatone" is your friend.

https://www.bing.com/search?q=zolato...ips&FORM=QSRE3

[aqfishing]

Originally Posted by team karst

Would you think that a thin paint would even exaggerate the already textured surface on vertical or overhead areas? Not painting a floor here, where gravity is your friend.
I would worry that the paint film will hang on the resin peaks.

Non drip enamel! The ripple effect really hides the imperfections. I have also seen it done with flow-coat, but was very tricky as texture of ripples varied as catalyst kicked in!

[foufou]

I did cover the inside of a camper shell with outdoor carpet. Glued with contact cement. Not very pretty but I preferred it to the rough fiberglass look.

[rossdv8]

Originally Posted by ozarkshark

I have just used truck bed urethane liner. You can get it in several colors, apply with spray can, brush or roller. tough and durable. Get it online or at about any auto parts store.

In 2008 when I started working on my second last boat, I looked at a lot of options, mainly because she'd had a pretty hard life racing, and because both the outside and inside were a mess, with the inside having been filled with water for a year or more to just above the bunk cushions.


I opted for the epoxy deck paint I'd used on previous boats, then saw the latest price. It was going to cost me most of my repair budget. So I looked at alternatives.

Previously I'd always gone for an initial Epoxy job when I bought a boat, then repainted each year with a single pack urethane, to keep costs down.


This time I decided on Epoxy below the waterline (only the outside waterline) and Urethane for the boot top and above, and the decks. But I'd discovered a secret. Somewhere while I had my previous little yacht I'd discovered something called 'Urethane Paving Paint'.



I have no idea what was in the stuff, but it was only the 'single pack' variety, so I planned to use a couple of coats. I only got one coat on before the wet season started, but took some with me for touch ups. I didn't need it. What I foundout was all it took was a walk around with a roller, then a brush for some tricky spots, once a year, and the boat was fine.


Once the inside of the boat was dry I did all the exposed gelcoat inside, and the bits I'd repaired. Inside, it ended up looking pretty decent for an old boat.
Not perfect, but better than the factory gelcoat.



If the 'Truck Bed Liner' is anywhere near as good as Urethane Paving Paint', and if you can get it tinted to look the way you want - that would seem to be a great option for downstairs. It would be worth checking with someone who knows, but Urethane Bed Liner 'should' stick nicely to gelcoat, polyester fibreglass, after sanding off the bloom a little, or epoxy, also after light sand.
It should be better than the Urethane Paving Paint, and that stuff even stood up to the area under my anchor winch with just a quick touch up each season. the rest of the walked on areas were fine.



If I had a yacht still, and that bed liner stuff was available, I'd be testing it up at the pointy end where the chain lives . .