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.
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