Painting a timber Mossie

Wayne Wildenburg
12/5/05
G'day all,
I am in the process of stripping back 2 glass hulls for repainting and was wondering if any of you gurus had any thoughts on which primer and paint was a good combination.

The Decks are ply.

I was hoping to use a filler primer combination to fill any sanding marks or wood grain that are left over after orbital sanding, as I would like to give the hulls that nice gelcoat smoothness, without any real increase in weight (the hulls alone are min weight). Any feedback would be appreciated.

Thanks
Wayne

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Peter Cobden
18/5/05
Wayne,
Getting information about repainting a fiberglass boat you would be best talking to Jim Boyer at Boyer Fibrecraft in Bendigo his number is 03 54477700. You may find that Jim built the boat in the first place. It would also be a good idea to weigh each hull as you work on them. If you can keep the maximum weight for one bare hull under 20.5kgs you should make the minimum 55kgs platform weight.

Good luck
Peter Cobden

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Peter Foulsum
18/5/05
Wayne,
STOP !!! Don't take to it with an orbital sander !! It's too destructive and your Mossie deserves better. I have a timber Mossie so I can't help with the fibreglass areas but for the timber decks purchase an industrial strength paint stripper and apply in short sections and strip back. When the applied section has bubbled up and soft strip the paint off. Don't wait for it to go hard. It won't come off easily once dry. Go over areas that haven't lifted again. When complete use a medium grade sanding paper and cork block and clean up the decks by hand. Your Mossie deserves care and patience. Don't sand too hard or you may go through to the next level of ply. You don't know how many repaint jobs it's had already.

When you are happy with the surface wipe off all sanding dust and apply a good 2 pack surface primer by brush. I use International Everdure available from most yacht fitting suppliers. This is a thin epoxy and sinks into the bare timber filling all micro cracks and provides a very strong base to paint over the top of. So far it has prevented any re-cracking of high wear areas that were previously an issue. I was able to apply a second coat immediately after finishing the 1st coat. The primer is so thin it soaks into the timber like a sponge.

When you have applied enough coats (see the manufacturers instructions) then fill any dents or grooves with 2 pack filler and sand back smooth (I assume you are going to paint the decks rather than varnish).

Apply undercoats then top coats all from the same manufacturer with a spray gun. I use a hand held electric gun with a professional paint spraying tip with good results.

Don't forget to mask off areas you don't want overspray on. Don't be stingy with the masking tape either. Use a top product for a proper job. It's really disappointing to spoil the paint job because you used any old masking tape and the paint seeped underneath it. For a great paint finish remember it 90% preparation and 10% application.

Good luck and happy sailing.

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Stephen
27/7/05
A quick question, if I used paint stripper on my wooden paper tiger, would the paint stripper affect the resin and glass tape on the seams?
Cheers, Stephen

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Peter Foulsum
27/7/05
Stephen,

I have stripped my wooden Mozzie without any problems. The stripper is only on the surface for only a very short time. Just wait long enough for it to lift the paint adequately then scrape it off. If the resin was of good quality and set properly there shouldn't be any issues. Apart from that why are you sailing a Paper Tiger ??

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Paul Wiggins
3/10/05
Hi Guys, I need to strip back the forward tops of the hulls due to cracks in the paint. From what I read above it may be best to to go back to bare timber and start from there. I would appreciate advice on the process to follow, [starting with a 2 pack surface primer.]
Thanks.... Paul

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Peter Foulsum
6/10/05
Paul, Please see my note above posted on 18/05/05. That pretty much describes the process and yes you do need to strip the deck back to get the best result. The 2 pack primer I used was the key to a deck that is strong and has great resistance to further cracking. Data sheets from the yacht chandler who sells the paint is also required reading prior to starting. A 2 pack paint (undercoat and top coat) is better than a single pack also because it's harder and stronger. Don't scrimp on the cost of the paint either; you don't want to repeat the process for the next season.

p.s. Don't get a deck colour that's too dark because it will expand and shrink in the sun too much and you may end up with cracking again.

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Wayne Wildenburg
7/10/05
I just realised that I did not say thank you the responses that I got to my original question...so.....thanks.

Wayne

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Paul Wiggins
10/10/05
Guys some more help please???? How difficult is it to detach the hulls from the beams... What are the sealing requirements when putting it back together?
Thanks....Paul

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Peter Foulsum
10/10/05
Paul, the difficulty in getting the beams off depends on how much sealant has been applied previously. If the sealant is up to the deck on the fore and aft sides you may find it difficult. Remove the trampoline to remove any lateral tension then undo the nuts on the inside of the hulls and unscrew the bolts through the beams and set aside. There should also be load bearing packers on the underside if it's a timber boat. They may be recessed into the timber bearers.

See if you can lift the beam from the hull. If you can't then try to separate the sealant from the fore and aft sides of the beam with a sharp knife or scraper. If that doesn't work then pry a flat scraper between the beam and the hull on the flat inboard and outboard surfaces. Use the bottom face of the beam as a guide rather than the hull to try and prevent damage to the hulls. Keep persevering until you get separation.

I used to have a hell of a time trying to separate the beams from the hulls but always used way too much sealant.

Last time I decided that you really only need the sealant (waterproof silicone in tube/gun form from the hardware store) at the bolt holes so only applied a small amount around each hole and a small line between the holes. The clamping load from the bolts, load bearing packers, washers and nyloc nuts should be enough to keep the beams from moving although you will need to check it after the first couple of outings. So far the results have been excellent with minimal leaking from the beam areas.

If the Mozzie is timber check the holes through the deck for slop or damage. If they are in poor condition you will need to fill them with 2 part epoxy filler and re-drill to suit the beam hole spacings. This will provide a stronger and more rigid locking mechanism which further helps to prevent leaking. If you do this be careful that you set up the yacht square by using a measuring tape diagonally from bow to stern.

Good luck with the project.

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Paul Wiggins
31/10/05
Well, removal of the hulls was a bit difficult, but the info supplied above made the job much easier. Thanks.

After a few long days both hulls are now stripped of paint and back to bare timber. From the look of the ply there was never a clear sealer applied as after the removal of the undercoat I seem to be back to 'natural' ply.

Some faint smudges of undercoat remain on the ply but I am hesitant to sand these for fear of damage to the ply. There are also some patches on the glass tape on the bow and stern.

My question: Is it OK to apply the Everdure [2 pack epoxy] over this?

Thanks for any incoming advice....

Paul

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Peter Foulsum
2/11/05
Paul,
Well done ! It looks like you've done all the hard work.

I remember asking myself the same question with the smudges. The only way you'll know is if you apply a small amount of sealer over the existing patches and see what happens. Just use a couple of plastic bottle caps as measuring meters to mix a small quantity. Apply to the affected area and wait and see. The primer sinks into the timber very quickly and should be touch dry in about 30 minutes on a cool day. You should see very quickly whether you will have a problem with the residue undercoat.

I didn't have any problems with my Mozzie but it your previous paint system may have been quite different.

I have attached a picture only got the decks left to do now! then pet her together!