paint

[DANNY18SC]

i am just about ready to paint my 78 18'. i want to do F/L yellow on top and white on the bottom. i am wanting to spray it. the boat has the original gelcoat so i am just going to scuff that and spray it, no primer. what are other good paints available in the F/L yellow besides Awlgrip and Interlux? or should i just buy one of these?

also, what are pros/cons to poly and 2 part paints. thanks

[uncleboo]

Howdy! Do a search on Awlgrip and you will be overwhelmed with results. It's been covered many, many times and you will get your answers, (Probably, more than you would with a new post on the topic).

[Old'sCool]

I'm having mine painted with Awlgrip soon. I requested a color chart through their website and area rep. They sent a packet containing everything I could think of if I were spraying. Check their site.

[Blue_Heron]

...so i am just going to scuff that and spray it, no primer.

Awlgrip is not recommended below the waterline, but a lot of guys with trailer boats do it without incident. Another paint to consider, especially if you don't want to use primer, is Signature Finish. It's rated for use below the water line and the manufacturer recommends you don't use primer. They also recommend roller application rather than spray. I haven't used it yet, but quite a few on this board have and swear by it. I'll probably be using it on the bottom of my 25 over Awlgrip 545 primer.

Try a forum search for "Signature" and you'll find quite a bit of info. Be sure to reset the time span for your search to cover the past two or three years so you get enough info.
Dave

[Bushwacker]

Awlgrip is not recommended below the waterline, but a lot of guys with trailer boats do it without incident. Another paint to consider, especially if you don't want to use primer, is Signature Finish. It's rated for use below the water line and the manufacturer recommends you don't use primer. They also recommend roller application rather than spray.

I painted bottom of my boat with Signature Finish and have been very satisfied. Have left it in water for almost 3 weeks with zero problems. It's also easy to touch up if you scratch it. Can't do that with Awlgrip!

[jfc6866]

If you are planning on spraying then I would use one of the following paints, PPG Concept or Imron or Awlcraft 2000 but not Awlgrip here's why, the Awlgrip is not able to be sanded/buffed and is not easily repairable in the future. Basically you spray it and walk away. If your going to use it make sure you have a tip not bigger than 1.0, .8 is better because it atomizes the paint better. I like the PPG Concept, once buffed it has one of the best finishes with the deepest shine. It is easily repairable. The Imron is similar but a little harder to blend repairs. It's been around since the 1970's and they now have a new marine formula so it is proven. The awlcraft 2000 the complaint I have with it is that it's not as hard as the other 2 and the shine doesn't last as long.
All of the above paints are not recommended below the water line for the same reason as awlgrip but, I've used them as long as you don't leave the boat in the water for more than 1 day. As for color all of them can be mixed to whatever color you want.

[DANNY18SC]

thanks for all the posts. my boat is trailered and will only be in the water when in use. how do most of these paints fair against bunks when loading/unloading the boat? while im asking, should i use carpet on the bunks, or the new style plastic and screw it to the bunks?

[Seacraft84]

I painted a 23 with Awlgrip. It was ok. Scared on the trailer pretty bad. My 20 that I am doing now I am going to paint with Alexseal. My father painted two boats they built last winter with Alexseal and thay seem to be holding up better than the Awlgrip.

[muddywater]

JCarp had recommended PPG Concept among others. I know from all of my research that the PPG stuff sprays completely different from Awlgrip. Does anyone know if PPG Concept is as poisonous to spray for the DIY'er as Awlgrip?

[thegoggleeye]

if you are not going to prime dont waste the money on awlgrip. it doesnt finish right with out its own 545 primer. emron or interlux, or some other one part paint will do you better. if you insist on awlgrip w/o primer roll and tip it on.