PREPARATION AND PRIMING FOR TOPSIDES PAINT WORK To achieve a good finish, the condition of the existing paint work should be thoroughly checked to determine the extent of the preparation required. Look for areas of damage, separation or peeling of the paint or any other signs that the paint does not have a firm hold on the substrate. Clean bare fiberglass with Fiberglass Surface Prep YMA601 or Fiberglass Solvent Wash 202.For previously painted surfaces use Special Thinner 216 to remove any contamination. Re-inspect the hull to ensure no damage has been missed. If the paint is in good condition, sand with 220-320 grit wet or dry sandpaper and when dry, wipe with a cloth dampened with Brushing Liquid 333 to remove any dust residue. If existing surface is in poor condition, sand with 80-grit. If the paint shows localized areas of damage, these areas can be repaired using Watertite Epoxy Filler or Interfill Epoxy Filler. If the previous coating is cracking, peeling or generally showing signs of separation over the whole area, it should be totally removed. Typical methods are scraping, sanding, grinding and/or using Interstrip Paint Stripper. After old paint has been removed begin with preparation for bare surface. Application of an undercoat will provide additional depth of color and durability to the finished surface. To create the best finish, when working with single part finishes, we advise mixing the second coat of Pre-Kote 50-50 with the topcoat. This will create a satin finish, which highlights final imperfections, which can thus be sanded smooth. This procedure will also help achieve greater gloss and color depth in the topcoat. TOP TIP: TESTING FOR COMPATIBILITY: To test if an existing topside paint product is compatible with our two-part polyurethane finish; tape a cloth soaked in Spray Reducer 2316N to the previously painted surface for 24 hours. If the surface is softened, it is probably not compatible. In this instance only a one-part paint product should be applied. APPLYING THE FINISH APPLYING BY BRUSH Use the largest brush possible. Long flexible bristles are best for gloss paints. When applying by brush a good technique is the Criss-Cross method. Paint is applied to the surface with a diagonal brushing action from the left and right (Step 1). This is then spread further with horizontal strokes (Step 2) before finally laying off with light vertical strokes (Step 3). This results in any brush marks being able to flow out to give the best possible finish. APPLYING WITH ROLLER AND BRUSH Our products are formulated so that a great gloss finish can be obtained through application with a solvent resistant, high density/closed cell foam roller and good quality China Bristle Brush. This will minimize the formation of bubbles in the surface that can occur with mohair and large cell foam rollers. The paint applied will be thinner and so more coats may be required.The roller is used to apply paint to the surface and the pad or brush is used to create a smooth surface by tipping off. This works particularly well when two painters work side by side.While many traditional painters will apply topside finishes by tipping off horizontally, the diagram below will yield a better result for most 'Do it Yourselvers' as it helps reduce brush marks. The information provided here has been reproduced courtesy of Interlux. Wholesale Marine reproduced this information 08/13/2009 #DIY #Paint #Product Information
