Everything you ever wanted to know about AWLGRIP
 

Hey all you classic SeaCrafters, I’m getting ready to use Awlgrip for the first time & quite frankly it is rather intimidating. I’m hoping to break down some of the mystique surrounding it and get anyone who has ever worked with Awlgrip products to share their experiences. If you could, fill out the questions below and provide any advice you can think of (nothing is too insignificant).

Awlgrip products used & price paid:

Supplier:

Equipment used for application:

Coverage:

Safety precautions used:

Location & environmental conditions:

Tips & advice:

Re: Everything you ever wanted to know about AWLGRIP
 

I’ll get the ball rolling.
I haven’t painted or even ordered any of this yet. I’m hoping your feedback will help me get the best results and prevent me from over-ordering and or killing myself with isocyanates :)

Awlgrip products used & price paid:
White 545 Primer $117 gallon
Primer Converter $109 gallon
Primer Spray Reducer $24 quart
Snow White $208 gallon
Sea Foam Green $311 gallon
Top Coat Spray Converter $228 gallon
Top Coat Brush Converter $68 pint
Top Coat Spray Reducer $70 gallon
Top Coat Brush Reducer $29 quart
Griptex Non-Skid $39 quart

Supplier: Jamestown Distributors

Equipment used for application: Harbor Freight Gravity Fed HVLP gun with CAPSPRAY CS8100 3 stage turbine borrowed from a friend.

Coverage:
-20SF Seacraft-

This is what I’m thinking…

Hull: (2 coats primer + 3 coats topcoat)
2 Quart Primer
2 Quart Primer Converter
.5 Quart Primer Reducer
2 Quart Sea Foam Green
2 Quart Top Coat Spray Converter
.5 Top Coat Spray Reducer

Inner Liner (Not including floor): (2 coats primer + 3 coats topcoat)
2 Quart Primer
2 Quart Primer Converter
.5 Quart Primer Reducer
2 Quart Snow White
2 Quart Top Coat Spray Converter
.5 Top Coat Spray Reducer

Rod Storage & Anchor Locker: (2 coats primer + 3 coats topcoat)
.5 Quart Primer
.5 Quart Primer Converter
.1 Quart Primer Reducer
.5 Quart Sea Foam Green
.5 Quart Top Brush Converter
.1 Top Coat Brush Reducer

Center Console: (2 coats primer + 3 coats topcoat)
1 Quart Primer
1 Quart Primer Converter
.25 Quart Primer Reducer
.25 Quart Snow White
.75 Quart Sea Foam Green
1 Quart Top Coat Spray Converter
.25 Quart Top Coat Spray Reducer

Deck Non Skid: (2 coats primer + 3 coats topcoat)
1 Quart Primer
1 Quart Primer Converter
.25 Quart Primer Reducer
.25 Quart Snow White
.75 Quart Sea Foam Green
1 Quart Top Coat Spray Converter
.25 Quart Top Coat Spray Reducer
1 Quart Griptex

Safety precautions used:
Gerson P95 isocyanate approved respirator from Harbor Freight
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=66554

Full Tyvek coveralls with hood
Goggles to protect my eyes (I’ve heard that isocyanates are drawn to moisture)
Nitrile gloves

Location & environmental conditions:
Backyard
September - 88 degrees with 70% humidity
Underneath a 10 x 30 White Party Tent Gazebo Canopy with Sidewalls
http://www.amazon.com/White-Party-Ga...3026992&sr=8-4

Tips & advice:
1. I called Awlgrip and they recommended using gelcoat NOT Awlgrip inside fishboxes or anywhere that might have standing water.
I hope to have a lot more tips & advice about Awlgrip for everyone once I actually start working with it :)

Re: Everything you ever wanted to know about AWLGRIP
 

dis iz how i does it awlcat no primer
http://redtruckwest.files.wordpress....spraypaint.jpg

sumtime mi cousin homer gits caryed away and use a bag fer his mask
http://www.cynical-c.com/archives/bl...21051gold1.jpg

btw: yer a newby,idon't git yer name what kins of man cenima yer bin watchin?
see ya sam

Re: Everything you ever wanted to know about AWLGRIP
 

Ha. I knew that username would come back to haunt me one of these days.
Last name is Mancini & I'm a producer. Hence Mancinema. Not porn... And definitely not gay-man-porn...

Re: Everything you ever wanted to know about AWLGRIP
 

First name Henry? We need some "higher brow" intellect and humor- we'd all be better for it.

Re: Everything you ever wanted to know about AWLGRIP
 

Agreed. Thanks Lew. Ever worked with Awlgrip?

Re: Everything you ever wanted to know about AWLGRIP
 

Go through this thread at Boatdesign.net:

Awlgrip Knowledge Challenge

Take notes as you go through it. It's 2 1/2 years old and 38 pages long. There's lots of good info, but lots of noise too. Basically there are two general schools of thought; roll and tip, and spray. There's lots of discussion on all aspects of both approaches, much of it by professionals. But again, take notes, or you'll forget all the good info by the time you get to the end because of all the off-topic noise. Well, unless you have a better memory than me.

Dave

Re: Everything you ever wanted to know about AWLGRIP
 

do your self a favor and check the prices at discount marine supplies .com, i ordered all my awlgrip from them when i did my boat. plus there shipping rate is great $6.00. the sea foam green is $219 gal compared to $311 you had. all your other questions can be answered thru the awlgrip web site,what gun/tip size/air presure etc. great paint and will hold a shine for many years.

Re: Everything you ever wanted to know about AWLGRIP
 

Not yet...thinking about it, though!
Please be very carefull, it is nasty stuff and can kill. Think about a full face respirator mask with the proper filters!!!! Check out ebay - $50-$100, some with cartridges filters. The fumes are not to be trifled with. Later (or before), the mask will be welcome addition when sanding or grinding fiberglass. Worth the money, I think.

I am impressed with your home work and planning. Prices sound a little on the high side though. If it is local along with worthwhile advice/knowledge, probably worth it rather than an expensive disappointment in the end.

Re: Everything you ever wanted to know about AWLGRIP
 

I've sprayed two boats with it inside and out...I never did all the figuring you have done though. I cant even remember how much paid for the stuff....or how much it took to cover the boat. I have a commercial account with a local boat shop so I get a good deal. If you have a big boat yard near you that sells it then you may find a better deal on your materials so check around and tell them you have a boat restoration business and you want to open a commercial account.

for a 20sf I would start with 2 quarts primer and 2 quarts converter as this gives you a gallon of material. Then get one quart of out side paint plus one quart inside paint plus the respective converters. A little of the paint goes a long way. Is the hull bottom going to be a different color then the hull sides?

I would not recommend spraying Awlgrip out side. You don't need to be in a booth but you do need to be in a somewhat controlled environment. You need good lighting as well. How good you prep the boat with your sanding and fairing compounds will will determine how much primer you use...but 4 good heavy coats of primer is a good estimate. The primer does not spray as easily as the paint does...it's a little thicker. It dries very fast and spray technique is not all that important...just get it on the boat. The paint is misted on the first two coats and allowed to flash then successive heavy coats are applied...till it looks good. I don't know what experience you have with a spray gun... I was trained in my early teens how to spray clear lacquer on kitchen cabinets when I was a painter. You have to keep moving all the time. Try practicing on something first and you will get the hang of it...its really not that hard. Awlgrip is one hell of a tough paint...and it looks great!

Make sure you have lots of ventilation...full tyvec suite...best respirator money can buy goggles and a hood.

strick

Re: Everything you ever wanted to know about AWLGRIP
 

I am no expert but I painted several boats in my old shop and after a lot of trial and error found that the key was a very high quality gun with pressure pot and the number of coats and how thick you apply them. My last one was a 19" SCFT and I used Awlcraft 2000, a Devilbiss gun setup ($600.00) with excellent results.
http://www.hermco.net/images/Brinson20scft/bsc0073.jpg

Re: Everything you ever wanted to know about AWLGRIP
 

Thanks Blue Heron, I have read all 38 pages of the Awlgrip Knowledge Challenge. It was actually what gave me the idea to start this thread. I know what you mean about all the noise. Not nearly as informative as some of the great classicseacraft threads over the years : )

Kneedeep, HOLY COW!!!! Discountmarinesupplies is going to save me a fortune!!! THANK YOU!!!

I live in South Florida & have been to Fiberglass Coatings, Crook & Crook, Merritt Marine, Gold Coast Paints & The Boat Owners Warehouse. Of all of them, Jamestown Distributors seemed to have the lowest prices : ( Then again, I never asked any of them for discounts by telling them I restore boats professionally…

I'm insanely happy with discountmarinesupply.com by comparison, but lets see if we can keep it going and find the absolute rock bottom price for Awlgrip. Where does everyone buy their paint & what price do you get it for?

Strick, I read in one of your older posts that you used Duratec primer on your 23’ and you thought it worked as well if not better than Awlgrip 545. Do you currently have a preference? Does the 545 primer have the self-leveling properties Awlgrip top coats have and if so, is there more sanding involved when you use Duratec?

Although I am going to trailer it, I am planning on using an ablative antifouling paint for the bottom. I was thinking of using Interlux’s Micron Extra.

Thanks for the advice about how much I should order. Looks like I was going to have enough leftover to paint my bike and car. Ha. I coulda been the neighborhood weirdo with all Sea Foam Green colored transportation.

HermCo, those are EXCELLENT results! Why do you recommend using a pressure pot? Do you remember how much paint + converter you use for that beautiful 19'? Also, what did your Devilbiss gun setup include and where did you buy it?

Lets talk about safety:
Awlgrip says that when spraying, you must use an air fed regulator such as this one:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Supplied-fresh-A...d=p3286.c0.m14

But their safety guideline brochure has at least 2 photos of people spraying with regular 3m cartridge respirators.
http://www.awlgrip.com/support/safet...inal%20Doc.pdf

What type of mask do you guys use?
Has anyone had any health problems they would attribute to boat restoration and suggestions on how to avoid them?

Re: Everything you ever wanted to know about AWLGRIP
 

At work we use 3m full face respirator w/ cartridge filters and felt dust pads. I put a little wax (rainx works too) on the lense and the overspray comes right off. It works much better for me than the mask + goggles.

Re: Everything you ever wanted to know about AWLGRIP
 

Ah... Rain-x! These are the tips & tricks I'm looking for. Very clever. Where do you work nitz? Can you find out the model number of the facemask & cartridges for us?

Re: Everything you ever wanted to know about AWLGRIP
 

when memaw blowes 1 we hav to mask up :eek:
u cant smell nutin wit theze bad boyz
http://i671.photobucket.com/albums/v...os/gasmask.jpg
sam

Re: Everything you ever wanted to know about AWLGRIP
 

You are a professional boat restorer...you just don't know it yet.

2 quarts primer plus converter
2 quarts paint plus converter for the inside (will have some left over)
1 quart paint plus converter for the hull sides

duratec is harder to spray then 545 therefore I would just get the 545 and paint over that. I just use the 3M respirator which may be the reason I cant remember much anymore. I usually have the windows and doors open in the shop with a large fan blowing at the same time.

Sam that's some cool stuff

strick

Everything you ever wanted to know about AWLGRIP
 

Ever looked into using Signature Finish? Very tough stuff but easily REPAIRABLE, which is a big deal if you actually use the boat much! Also easily applied via roll & tip method, no fancy primer, sprayguns or air-supplied mask needed. Probably much cheaper in the long run. I used it for bootstripe with good results, but Capt. Chuck is resident wizard on this stuff. Did his whole boat with it years ago and it still looks great!

Re: Everything you ever wanted to know about AWLGRIP
 

I'm more worried if Sam blows one versus memaw. Brings to mind "mustard gas", you know like people in mass graves, terrible thoughts......

Re: Everything you ever wanted to know about AWLGRIP
 

Signature Finish does look rather impressive. Has anyone worked with both Signature Finish and Awlgrip? If so, what is your preference? Give us the pros & cons of each. I’d be interested to see what Signature Finish looks like when sprayed on. Of the pictures I’ve seen, sprayed Awlgrip still looks a good bit glossier than rolled Signature Finish. Plus, I HATE sanding & buffing…

No offense, but since Awlgrip seems to be the gold standard for marine paint (maybe it’s all in the marketing) & is the focus of this thread, let’s try not to get too sidetracked with other brands. Keep the Awlgrip experiences coming. Thus far, discountmarinesupplies.com is the winning supplier on this thread for having the cheapest Awlgrip… has anyone found it cheaper?

Awlgrip products used & price paid:

Supplier:

Equipment used for application:

Coverage:

Safety precautions used:

Location & environmental conditions:

Tips & advice:

Strick, what setup do you use for spraying? You shot your 20sf with a Harbor Freight gun right? What HP is your compressor?

Re: Everything you ever wanted to know about AWLGRIP
 

I work for Continental Airlines. I don't know the exact part number of the respirator, but I'm sure if you check w/ your local auto body supply house they will have one. I think we buy all our stuff from Grainger Industrial Supply. I would also check your auto body supply place for awlgrip prices. You might be surprised at their prices, and you'd be supporting a local business which is important these days.