GT23

[fallguy1000]

Well, the board that is used to properly fair is called a torture board.

Long for and aft sweeps with the board chine to chine are needed to get things flat. You can do the process with a notched trowel and sand less and fill in at the end.

If you think you are done, you can spraypaint it with a dustcoat.

Putting a fluorescent lightbulb vertically will help.

I have some pictures of me using carbon black instead of spraypaint, but I hated it.

[fallguy1000]

https://community.boatbuildercentral.co ... hp?t=66616

[TomW1]

Adding to what fallguy posted, use a can of Krylon fast drying spray paint and shake it over the bottom or sides as you spray it to get dots. It will dry quickly and then take as long as torture board as you can handle 3-4' and sand the bottom this will show you the lows that are left to fill on the bottom.

Tom

[drbobopp@gmail.com]

I liked peewee's post: How far one goes with the fairing process depends on whether one more prefers building boats versus going boating.
So I'm done with fairing, ready to prime. (talking about sides and transoms here; the bottom is done...glassed, primed, ablative-coated)...

Here is my question: after the primer goes on (using Awlgrip from BBC), can I move to the final paint (Quantum from BBC) while the primer is still green, and thus avoid (yet another) round of sanding, or must I allow the primer to fully dry, then sand it, then the final coat(s) of paint ?

[Jaysen]

got to cure, but don't need to sand (necessarily). If you get a good clean, no lump, no shine coat, you don't "need" to sand, especially with quantum as it will fill and level. but if you have shine on the primer or any imperfections, and you want a good finish that will last, break out the 300 and and scuff/flatten it. don't remove it though.

quatum is the bomb just read the directions, do some tests and read the directions and do some test then read the direction and do some tests. It is finicky until you "get it". I'm a fan of the roll and tip on a workboat sanding as you get "that looked like fecal matter 3 hr ago" from anyone that's been paying attention. That said, it gave fallguy1000 fits (I'm pretty sure it was emc/quantum).

[drbobopp@gmail.com]

OK, good info, Reid at BBC also helped me understand the issue as well, on the phone.

Please tell me all you can about the Quantum paint and the problems fallguy and others had. In what way is it 'finicky'?

Two questions:
 
1) Should I reduce/thin it?

2) Educate me on 'roll and tip' method. Doing it right might save time, money, and effort:

I will be using using a dark blue tone called "Aim High". After purchase, I belatedly noticed an asterisk beside this particular color, on the BBC/EMC site, saying that this particular color should be allowed to cure, then sanded and yet another Quantum Topcoat Base called "Hi-gloss Clear" applied. OK, I can live with that. It's more time, more money (these are not cheap products), and more sanding (the GT-23 is an enormous boat for a home-builder. I could easier sand my house than this ark!).... But OK, it's boat-building; I chose my fate, and will do it if best. However, when I talked to the folks at EMC/Quantum (about another issue) we discussed the recommended final Hi-GlossClear coat for the Aim High color. He told me that coat might not be necessary, "if you know what yur doing with a roller." Said that the darker blue and gray tones were prone to orange-peeling if roller technique wasn't adequate, and that the remedy for that was a final sanding and then the Hi-Gloss Clear coat. But that I could avoid that step with good technique.

So how do I do that?

[fallguy1000]

OK, good info, Reid at BBC also helped me understand the issue as well, on the phone.

Please tell me all you can about the Quantum paint and the problems fallguy and others had. In what way is it 'finicky'?

Two questions:
 
1) Should I reduce/thin it?

2) Educate me on 'roll and tip' method. Doing it right might save time, money, and effort:

I will be using using a dark blue tone called "Aim High". After purchase, I belatedly noticed an asterisk beside this particular color, on the BBC/EMC site, saying that this particular color should be allowed to cure, then sanded and yet another Quantum Topcoat Base called "Hi-gloss Clear" applied. OK, I can live with that. It's more time, more money (these are not cheap products), and more sanding (the GT-23 is an enormous boat for a home-builder. I could easier sand my house than this ark!).... But OK, it's boat-building; I chose my fate, and will do it if best. However, when I talked to the folks at EMC/Quantum (about another issue) we discussed the recommended final Hi-GlossClear coat for the Aim High color. He told me that coat might not be necessary, "if you know what yur doing with a roller." Said that the darker blue and gray tones were prone to orange-peeling if roller technique wasn't adequate, and that the remedy for that was a final sanding and then the Hi-Gloss Clear coat. But that I could avoid that step with good technique.

So how do I do that?

I did not use Quantum; it was looking like it was gonna cost $20k.

I did both roll and tip and just roll.

For my boat, tipping did not lay down well enough and left lines. So, I stopped and lived with a bit of orange peel.

[Jaysen]

Sorry FG. I thought the fisheye was with quantum.

Roll and top is documented online. My ch better than I can explain it. Plus I suck at it. YouTube is your best bet for that.

Quantum is “finicky” in the since that you really need to follow the directions. If you’re rolling, use the rolling reducer. If you’re spraying use spaying reducer. Measure it EXACTLY until you understand how it works. Even then, only make minuscule changes in how much reducer you use.

Thinner is NOT a replacement for reducer. Reducer alters how the LPU forms drops, thinner just makes it runny. Reducers impact catalyzing times. Thinner does not. I have used thinner more when spraying. Also on final coat. Small amounts. A little goes a long way.

Quantum is more like automotive paint just no heat/uv cure. Keep you space ventilated or make sure someone is checking regularly to gaily your unconscious backside to clean air. Also it is super easy to “cheat” as it will self level if you have a good prep (no tip, just roll and a bit heavier spray).

Dark colors are PITA. They show a lot of detail if you don’t have perfect prep. Tint your primer with or use black primer. Think scuff before clear, not sand. If you remove too much of the top coat the primer will show through. Make sure your clear is UV blocking as that will prevent color fade of the dark topcoat (this is for all dark tops, not just quantum).

The only other thing is get all the dust off the hull be fire you paint. When you think you have it all off, realize you don’t and clean it again. Eventually you’ll just have to accept it and then be ready to pick out any dust clumps that show up.

I think that’s it.

[fallguy1000]

My fisheyes were caused by Sherwin Williams plastic paint tray liners and the mold release on them.

I found out way too late, and so my paint finishes are contaminated.

Maybe on a repaint, we can reduce them, but they will probably never be fully resolved. Although repaint, resand, acetone wash may do it.

[drbobopp@gmail.com]

OK, thanks guys,....
Here's where I am, and a question:

So I've got 5 coats of the Quantum Aim High dark blue on her. She is not "yacht grade", but is quite beautiful (in her daddy's eyes!). ....

On my FS-14, I achieved a yacht grade finish. It looks almost exactly like the boat on the BBC Home Page. Has to be the same turquoise we used....almost the same boat, just longer. It was a pricy two-part epoxy product, cant recall the brand. Sprayed on, it is gorgeous and durable for 8 years now...
However, the GT-23 is now the FS-14. It's not a "pretty boat". It is also enormous, a lot of acreage to make perfect. I also built Bolger's Old Shoe, a really boxy 13-foot lead-keeled cat-yawl, another 'not pretty' boat, and though I used good AwlGrip primer from BBC, I did a very quick, minimalist fairing job before covering her with some porch paint I had around the shop. Point is, some boat designs insist more than others on a fine-faired yacht-grade finish.

My other experiences with this paint job: I used the AwlGrip High-Build Primer. It left orange-peel. The Quantum covered it, in the end, but it was disconcerting. I like AwlGrip, but will hence be using the regular kind, not the High-Build. Maybe I missed something.

Also feel that the AimHigh is a lighter blue than the sample chart. Oh well...Still very pretty..... All good. Gotta keep moving...

So here is my dilemma/question:
Her bottom ablative paint is white, sides/transoms blue. The colors meet at (what I expect to be) the waterline.
I have a three-inch wide boat stripe that I plan to lay along this line. However, where the white and blue and blue meet along this line, there is a small step-off. The blue is about 1-2mm higher. So what to do?

Options I see:
1) Leave the step-off, and lay the stripe down right at it, on top of the blue, so the bottom edge of the tape is placed right at the step-off. But leaving the step off in place, right at the waterline, seems unwise.
2) Leave the step-off, and run the tape over it, overlapping a half-inch to cover the step-off. That's gonna leave an odd permanent crease in the stripe.
3) Sand down the step-off, fair, re-sand, touch up with the white up to the line, then stripe along the line. Seems best way out of it.

Thoughts?