Opinion on just painting rough surfaces?

[Chotu]

Yeah I built my whole boat with a laser. 1/8 inch tolerances. Unheard of.

Painting still sounds a lot faster and easier. I doubt I will do anything else down in the cabins.

[malbert73]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Maybe. I have never tried the epoxy primer without the amine Hardner. I think we decided it was probably possible. But I didn’t risk anything. Good memory though. I’m kind of impressed that you remember this.



One thing that worked just fine on these surfaces was Bondo. I tried a little patch of that in the corner somewhere and it won’t come off. I have tried to get it off. But it’s not going to come off. I can’t peel it off with a scraper. I can’t sand it because that’s not good.



So you may have given me an idea here.



In some of the worst spots that just look really lumpy, maybe I can even them out with some judicious Bondo application before painting. Really really good application. And that I could hit just a little bit to sand it down.



And I would only do this in areas that were just awful.



Specifically I’m picturing an area by my chain places where they didn’t mask it and let all of the epoxy drip down everywhere and it’s just a wreck.



And adhesion is not an issue here. Due to the rough nature of the surface, plus peel ply in many places, it’s extremely easy to adhere things to it. Nothing falls off.



And yes. Rust oleum is amazing stuff. I have used it outside in a couple places and it’s going nowhere. It sticks like crazy and it’s pretty durable.

Bondo can be “grated down” when curing- easier to knock it down, no dust (just shavings) and would match surroundings?

I think paint, and consider some light varnished wood battens for accent strips on larger expanses which will distract the eye from the large white expanse

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by malbert73

Bondo can be “grated down” when curing- easier to knock it down, no dust (just shavings) and would match surroundings?

I think paint, and consider some light varnished wood battens for accent strips on larger expanses which will distract the eye from the large white expanse

That’s a pretty cool idea for some of the worst parts. I could make the transitions a bit nicer with some Bondo which definitely sticks like crazy to the walls.

Then what? You use a rasp type of thing? Like a little cheese grater?

[malbert73]

Originally Posted by Chotu

That’s a pretty cool idea for some of the worst parts. I could make the transitions a bit nicer with some Bondo which definitely sticks like crazy to the walls.



Then what? You use a rasp type of thing? Like a little cheese grater?

Yup- search “body filler rasp”
They make flat ones like the picture. I believe curved ones would be better on the concave underside of cabin. I know I had one once.
The rasp leads to quicker bulk removal and no dust. And you can leave it textured.

[Matt Johnson]

Here's a new one that just popped up today:

https://www.yachtworld.com/yacht/200...t-401-8710231/

Shows the textured surface well in the photos of the head. Should hide a lot of imperfections.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Matt Johnson

Here's a new one that just popped up today:

https://www.yachtworld.com/yacht/200...t-401-8710231/

Shows the textured surface well in the photos of the head. Should hide a lot of imperfections.

Interesting. I wonder what this is exactly. It’s shiny, yet rough.

Now it gets a little more tricky because I’m trying to figure out what it look best. I feel like these globes are a little bit big. It started to approach popcorn ceiling. Ha ha. So I think I would want something different but this is a good example I guess.

I kind of don’t like it.

This boat is a good example of how doing things weird can lower the resale value. Who would want this? Look at all of that stuff you have to repaint. All of those quotes everywhere. Quotes that aren’t your own.

If it was between this one and another sister ship I think everyone would pick the sister ship.

Which still leaves me thinking that maybe just leaving the actual bones of the boat showing might be better. That rough surface looks like it’s trying to hide things. And because it’s shiny you can really see where the imperfections are.

It’s also over large open surfaces with light reflecting off it.

Maybe my mantra down below should be “when in doubt build a cabinet.” Ha ha ha. That way there aren’t large uninterrupted spaces showing.

I think this entire subject will be a work in progress.

I attached a screenshot from that link so that people could see it right in the thread.

Edit: I also think using a flat paint but creating not a texture, but a contrast with it might work. Picture of that ceiling. In the picture below. Instead of bumpy shiny things everywhere, what if it looked like the far bulkhead wall? But instead of one color, you had a slightly slightly different color making little spots everywhere?

[Boatwright]

Originally Posted by Bill Seal

Zolatone spatter paint. Make you think you're inside a giant jon boat.

Zolatone. Yes - autobody guys call it trunk paint. Background color with spots of contrast. The visual effect breaks up the uneven surface. About $50/qt. You will need a spray gun.

If you are on a very tight budget: Put on the background with a spray can or brush. Apply the spots by dipping a just the tip of a new 2" brush with fairly stiff bristles and flicking the paint with the corner of a paint mix stick held just below the tip. Practice first.

GM used to sell a trunk touch-up paint in spray cans. The standard color was a dark grey with blue spots. I'd check at an autobody supply for a lighter color.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Boatwright

Zolatone. Yes - autobody guys call it trunk paint. Background color with spots of contrast. The visual effect breaks up the uneven surface. About $50/qt. You will need a spray gun.

If you are on a very tight budget: Put on the background with a spray can or brush. Apply the spots by dipping a just the tip of a new 2" brush with fairly stiff bristles and flicking the paint with the corner of a paint mix stick held just below the tip. Practice first.

GM used to sell a trunk touch-up paint in spray cans. The standard color was a dark grey with blue spots. I'd check at an autobody supply for a lighter color.

That’s kind of what I was thinking. But using almost the same color paint. Not such a high contrast like truck paint. Subtle v

[s/v Jedi]

So here’s my idea… I’m sure you’re not gonna like it, but I feel it must be said:

You already don’t like the popcorn ceilings… phew that’s a relief

Do not use bondo to hide or camouflage things like tabbing or rough surfaces. You are gonna see the patched up spots and it’s gonna look terrible. You’re gonna have to bite the bullet and have someone sand sharp edges and fibers sticking up etc. so that the surface doesn’t hurt when someone’s hand strikes the surface. After that, just paint it a couple of times, which further softens the surface drastically.

Even if you will put panels on the ceiling later or slats along the hull sides etc…. paint it first. The paint will greatly help keep a clean boat, protect the laminate against UV, air pollutants (cooking, heater etc.), inhibit mold etc. Same for the insides of cabinets: paint or varnish the insides or at some point mold will grow; it’s a matter of when, not if. I am painting the hull sides even though I’m mounting hardwood slats on them… just to keep it clean and what you can see through the openings between the slats.

For the wiring above the ceiling: make wiring raceways. Make them a little prettier than normal so that you don’t have to build ceiling panels until you find time and energy for it.
It’s easy to make raceways from thin plywood that you paint the same as the ceiling. You can integrate them in a “cove” along the hull-deck joint that you also mount indirect lighting behind. You can give that a vertical face from hardwood for contrast and maritime looks.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

So here’s my idea… I’m sure you’re not gonna like it, but I feel it must be said:

You already don’t like the popcorn ceilings… phew that’s a relief

Do not use bondo to hide or camouflage things like tabbing or rough surfaces. You are gonna see the patched up spots and it’s gonna look terrible. You’re gonna have to bite the bullet and have someone sand sharp edges and fibers sticking up etc. so that the surface doesn’t hurt when someone’s hand strikes the surface. After that, just paint it a couple of times, which further softens the surface drastically.

Even if you will put panels on the ceiling later or slats along the hull sides etc…. paint it first. The paint will greatly help keep a clean boat, protect the laminate against UV, air pollutants (cooking, heater etc.), inhibit mold etc. Same for the insides of cabinets: paint or varnish the insides or at some point mold will grow; it’s a matter of when, not if. I am painting the hull sides even though I’m mounting hardwood slats on them… just to keep it clean and what you can see through the openings between the slats.

For the wiring above the ceiling: make wiring raceways. Make them a little prettier than normal so that you don’t have to build ceiling panels until you find time and energy for it.
It’s easy to make raceways from thin plywood that you paint the same as the ceiling. You can integrate them in a “cove” along the hull-deck joint that you also mount indirect lighting behind. You can give that a vertical face from hardwood for contrast and maritime looks.

And you thought I wouldn’t like it! Ha ha.

That’s exactly what I want to do.

The great part is I built the boat. So it’s not full of meat hooks. It wasn’t some guy hurrying up on a Friday or someone rushing off to a three beer lunch.

There are no sharp areas. I don’t have to sand anything.

The worst of it are some unsightly drips created by others.

I’m thinking of doing one of the state rooms first. So I can have a nice pretty place to sleep. Currently, it’s very clean but you could never tell because of all the patterns of building a boat. It looks like I’m sleeping in a lumber pile or rather composite pile.

A coat of paint over all of that would really look a lot better.

When it comes to the tabbing, that’s what I was talking about either I could blend that with some Bondo, which may not look good, or I can just let the bones show. I could let the bones show and deliberately keep every pound of weight off this boat. If the cabinetry is really nice, and you know the cabinetry takes up most of the wall anyway, that could be pointed to as a feature.

[rslifkin]

FWIW, there's visible tabbing just painted over in some of the cabinets that sit against bulkheads, etc. on my boat. It's never bothered me. None of it's visible outside of the cabinets though.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by rslifkin

FWIW, there's visible tabbing just painted over in some of the cabinets that sit against bulkheads, etc. on my boat. It's never bothered me. None of it's visible outside of the cabinets though.

Mine would be visible outside the cabinets. But who am I building the boat for anyway? The next owner? Or myself? Lol

These are difficult questions to answer sometimes.

[unbusted67]

Don't do it. It becomes impossible to clean. Any grit that accumulates will never come out. If your paint fails then it becomes impossible to properly sand the stuff to repaint. I speak from experience on this.

As with all things and boats, do it right the first time.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by unbusted67

Don't do it. It becomes impossible to clean. Any grit that accumulates will never come out. If your paint fails then it becomes impossible to properly sand the stuff to repaint. I speak from experience on this.

As with all things and boats, do it right the first time.

Well, who wants to come do it then? Because I’m not doing it.

I’d like to go sailing.

I’m pretty done building the boat.

Maybe somebody who enjoys building boats more than sailing them wants to come by and do it? Have at it. I don’t really like building boats. I like sailing and traveling. Not that there’s anything wrong with liking building boats. It’s just not for me. Not for my whole life. I’m done.

I’m done building.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by unbusted67

Don't do it. It becomes impossible to clean. Any grit that accumulates will never come out. If your paint fails then it becomes impossible to properly sand the stuff to repaint. I speak from experience on this.

As with all things and boats, do it right the first time.

Well of course the painting must be done properly. Two key points that will fix this considering Chotu’s comments on there not being any meat hooks etc.:

1 Prep the surface properly. First use a shopvac with horse-hair brush to take any debris off every millimeter of the surfaces. This isn’t hard, just takes a little time.
Second, decontaminate the surface. Use something like Awlgrip or TotalBoat surface prep: those are much easier to work with than harsh solvents.

2 use the right paint. Start with a coat of Totalboat Protect or Interprotect2000 barrier coat. If you want more gap-filling properties then TotalBoat doesn’t have a product for it, but Jamestown Distributors also sell Awlgrip and you can buy something like a high build primer and make that the second coat (always use the regular primer/barrier coat first).
After that you can go straight to Rustoleum oil based paint. The primer underneath is for ever because it is a 2-part coating that is compatible with every product someone wants to use for finishing later.