Third Topcoat Application

December 28th, 2014

With the Christmas festivities beginning to settle a bit, I made an early morning bee-line to the dinghy for her third topcoat application.  Actually, the evening before, I took to sanding the hull in preparation for this early morning application.  The sanding was by hand and done with 320-grit paper.  I had added another work light to help to better see the hull surfaces. The next three photos are post-sanding.

The morning began with mixing the topcoat paint.  In this instance I began to play a bit more with the reducer ratio, and upped it to roughly 46% by base/converter volume.  After mixing the paint, and awaiting the induction time to pass (15 minutes), I solvent-washed the hull to pick up any remain dust that the vacuumed missed the night before.  Application was with a solvent-capable 4" foam roller.

A few imperfections formed on the hull, but will be addressed through the next sanding round and final topcoat application.  I will be applying the first coat of teak sealer to the new brightwork in the coming days in order to prepare for its installation.

Total Time: 1 Hr.

Second Topcoat Application

December 20, 2014

With a good topcoat applied and cured, I set out today to get the 2nd of 3 or 4 total coats on the dinghy.  The weather was good for painting and so I took advantage of the opportunity to get this second coat onto the hull.  I began with sanding the hull, by hand, with 320-grit paper.  I took care of a few small bubbles that had cured before they had a chance to pop and flow out to an even coat - a tad more of the reducer would solve this issue.  The picture below is the cured first topcoat application.

I worked my way around the dinghy admittedly still struggling with poor lighting conditions.  As a result, the sanding is a bit of a spastic battle trying to see a particular portion of the surface from a few different angles to catch imperfections.  Over the next two coats, I will arrange additional work lights to improve visible imperfections.  The picture below is after sanding with 320-grit paper.

I vacuumed most of the sanding dust, but as usually I solvent-washed the surface to take care of any remaining dust.  I upped the ratio of reducer to the base/converter mixture for this application.  The base volume was 5 ounces, the converter 2.5 ounces - the noted 2:1 ratio for brush and roll application.  To those 7.5 ounces, I then added 3 ounces of reducer, for a 40% by volume ratio.  The paint had noticeable improved layout performance.  After the application, I did catch a couple places that I had appeared to roll out lighter than surrounding areas - blaming the lighting for this.  I plan to apply two more applications of the topcoat.

Total Time: 1.5 Hrs.

(The Real) First Topcoat Application

December 13, 2014

I was eager to get the first application of topcoat sanded and to apply the second coat.  The first application of topcoat was doomed to failure due to the fact that I hadn't used enough reducer, and as a result the paint did not flow out and lay down.  With a new recipe designed to improve the paint's performance, I set out to sand and generally prep the surface for another coat of the Alexseal topcoat. I began with a rather aggressive sanding with 220-grit paper in order to remove the imperfections of the prior paint application.  I set up a second portable work light to improve my ability to spot the areas on the hull requiring further attention.  A slow and methodical walk around the boat revealed a few areas needing additional spot-sanding work.  At the conclusion of the sanding, I vacuumed the majority of the sanding dust and, as is my usual practice, I wiped the hull clean with a solvent to remove any remaining sanding residue. 

In the workshop, I mixed a new batch of the Alexseal Premium Topcoat 501 (Oyster White) with the new reducer ratio of 33%.  The new recipe:  5oz base, 2.5oz converter, and 2.5oz reducer.  After waiting the 15 minute induction time, I then applied the paint with a solvent resistant foam roller.  The paint's flow performance was dramatically improved.  Since I had sanded so aggressively to remove the first topcoat problem areas, I considered this application to the first of 3 coats of finish paint to be applied. As can be seen below, the application shows tremendous results. 

Even with the substantial improvement in paint performance for this round, I think that I may push the reducer ratio to perhaps 38 to 40%...I'm likely walking a fine line here on lay down versus sag performance; however, I won't hesitate in taking off a coat application with sanding to get the results I am looking for and that the owner is looking for.

Total Time: 1.5 Hrs

First Finish Coat

December 7, 2014

Wanting to at least experiment with the Alexseal topcoat paint,  I made a point to get to the first topcoat in less than ideal conditions.  Even with cooler temperatures, the relative humidity was a bit higher than I would of liked; and made working with this paint even more challenging as it was my first experience with it.  Even so, I pushed forward knowing that sandpaper lay waiting for me regardless.  I started by sanding the last coat of primer with 220-grit paper as I had done the previous rounds.  With the sanding complete, I then vacuumed the surfaces and followed with a solvent wipe down to remove any lingering trace of surface contamination.

Prior to wiping the surface down, I did go ahead and mix the topcoat paint.  The ratio for rolling and tipping is 2 parts base, 1 part converter, and between 16.5% and 33% of that volume thinned with reducer.  I began this round at 6oz base, 3oz converter, and ~2oz reducer.  While the paint was in its induction period (15 minutes), I solvent-washed the hull...and switched on the iRadio Reggae station.

I rolled on this first coat, more interested in watching the lay-down characteristics of the paint.  I finished with a bit more than I had needed for this first round.  There were a lot of take-aways from this first round of topcoat.

The most significant take-away from this experimental coat was that I needed a bit more reducer in my recipe.  The paint was not laying out as quickly as I wanted it to, and as a result cured with some imperfections.  I mixed a bit too much paint, as I mentioned above, so this will be addressed.  Also, my lighting needs some improvement, and I will set up a few more work lights for the next round of topcoat.

Total Time: 1 Hr.

Third Coat of Primer

December 4, 2014

Looking to conclude the primer coats by the coming weekend, I came home focused on getting the third coat on.  I stepped into the usual routine of sanding, cleaning, and painting.  I hand sanded the hull with 220-grit paper, taking off the imperfections and generally smoothing the surface and abrading for a good mechanical bond.  After the sanding, I vacuumed most of the sanding dust and then turned my attention to preparing the paint.  While the paint was in its induction period, I solvent-washed the hull's surface to take care of any residual dust.

After the hull was prepped, I rolled on the third coat of primer with a high-density foam roller.  Plans over the coming weekend include getting the first coat of topcoat on the boat.

Total Time: 1 Hr.

Second Coat of Primer

December 2, 2014

Looking to get the second coat on this evening, I quickly outfitted myself with protective gear and began the sanding process.  Using 220-grit, I worked my way down the port hull, across the stern, and then finished with the starboard side.  The sanding was by no means aggressive, but just enough to abrade the surface to prepare for a good mechanical bond of the second coat.  I vacuumed the sanding dust from the hull, and then mixed the base, converter and reducer.  During the 15-minute induction period, I wiped down the hull with solvent to remove any residual dust and debris.

I applied the second coat of primer with a solvent-safe high-density foam roller.  Photo is not of the best quality.

Total Time: 1 Hr.