need paint recommendation

[jasonmcintosh]

Years ago, I painted the interior of my GF18 an "off white" System Three paint. I didn't want bright white due to the glare.

I purchased an 1985 Nauticat 44 motor-sailer that will eventually need it's top deck painted. In the mean time, I have some other items that need painting. I was going to use the same S3 paint, but it looks like Boat Builder Central isn't selling System Three paints anymore.

The only experience I have with marine paint is that S3 stuff. I thought it worked well... Since it's non longer on this web site, I will just go with another brand. I've heard of Awlgrip, but I have no experience with it. However, they have far too many shades of white for me to pick from. Does anyone have a recommendation for a paint brand and color that might be close to that old "off white" System Three color? Or any "off white" color for that matter, just to reduce glare.

Jason

[Jaysen]

EMC/Quantum Oyster White

[jasonmcintosh]

Jaysen, thank you for the recommendation. Is EMC/Quantum a better brand than the Pettit EZPoxy top coat paint? I'm not familiar with EMC/Quantum. Are they commonly available? I was at West Marine and didn't see it there. (I don't know much about paints...) Jason

[fallguy1000]

Petit Ez is popular in my marina. But Quantum is likely better. I prefer Interlux paints to all others; despite having a variety of brands on my boat.

[Jaysen]

EMC/Quantum is, in my opinion, pro grade just like AWL grip. Unlike the Petit polishes nicely, self levels like water, and post cure touch ups vanish with just about zero effort.

My experience with petit was on a sporty that had a collision with a piling. Sanding cured paint to an even feather was difficult. By the time the next coat of paint was thinned enough to apply and not need excessive sanding it didn’t cover without 39474638 coats. Didn’t matter if I rolled, brushed, sprayed, threw, or yelled it onto the hull.

So yeah. I may be slightly biased toward EMC/Quantum and other LPU over epoxy based. As to accessibility, BBC and other folks sell it. Never had trouble getting it.

[fallguy1000]

I hate awlgrip.

Why?

It is spraypaint.

The primer is made to dry superfast for spray. Rolling is impossible, won't hold a wet edge for 3'.

The topcoat takes like 4 hours to dry b4 dust won't settle.

[jasonmcintosh]

Looks like there's:
primer, primer activator, primer reducer
and
topcoat, topcoat activator, topcoat reducer

My surface will be a cured S3 epoxy. Does that require the primer?

I've read that you're supposed to put a clear coat on the darker colors and so apparently you don't need it on a light color like Oyster White. Is this correct?

I assume that the reducer is optional??? Or do you think it's necessary to make sure the paint spreads out evenly?

Jason

[Jaysen]

I hate awlgrip.

Why?

It is spraypaint.

The primer is made to dry superfast for spray. Rolling is impossible, won't hold a wet edge for 3'.

The topcoat takes like 4 hours to dry b4 dust won't settle.

That’s why I prefer EMC. Use the brush/roller reducer and you get the pot time but quick dry. Use the spray reducer and it’s a long pot and oddly short flash and dry. Seems like they are much closer to automotive style that awlgrip.

[Jaysen]

Looks like there's:
primer, primer activator, primer reducer
and
topcoat, topcoat activator, topcoat reducer

My surface will be a cured S3 epoxy. Does that require the primer?

I've read that you're supposed to put a clear coat on the darker colors and so apparently you don't need it on a light color like Oyster White. Is this correct?

I assume that the reducer is optional??? Or do you think it's necessary to make sure the paint spreads out evenly?

Jason

Eh...

Think about it like epoxy.

The "topcoat" is the resin and color... part A
The activator is the hardener slow/fast but brush/spray... part B
The reducer is the wood flour/silica/graphite that makes it fit a specific use but in this case a specific "flow".

So you need
* The topcoat in the color you want.
* The activator for how you are going to apply the topcoat. This will effect pot life and marginally flash time for cure.
* The reducer for how you are doing apply the topcoat. This will effect the flow (self-leveling and runniness) as well as the "flash time" which is how long the paint will be fluid. flash time is oddly inverse to the fluidity of the paint... runnier paint flashes faster and get tacky quicker. More reducer faster flash once applied.

I used the S3 yatch primer. Can't get the paint off when I want it to come off. Primer is always a good idea. If you are going on straight epoxy though (and using EMC) consider a rougher final sand like 120gr and then an extra coat to get the smoothness.

Clear coats are to provide UV protection/fade resistance. Everything fades. Even light colors. Just not as noticeably. Around here, Nothing lasts long enough to fade before it has 524,236 patches so there's no point in clear coating. All the cars are clear coated, even the white ones, if that tells you anything.

I'm a bit of a pragmatist these days. No point in doing work that just gets in my way when I'm redoing a job 12 hours later because someone misjudged the end of a trailer. Literally why there is so much time between my replies. I just finished a job yesterday. The guy hit the trailer the same way again today. His wallet is crying.

[fallguy1000]

Looks like there's:
primer, primer activator, primer reducer
and
topcoat, topcoat activator, topcoat reducer

My surface will be a cured S3 epoxy. Does that require the primer?

Primer is used to create a good bonding surface. All topcoats require a primer for warranty.


I've read that you're supposed to put a clear coat on the darker colors and so apparently you don't need it on a light color like Oyster White. Is this correct?

No. Two part polyurethane paints do not require clears; that is a car paint thing. Boats get repainted in 10 years, cars not much,

I assume that the reducer is optional??? Or do you think it's necessary to make sure the paint spreads out evenly?

Thinning paints is tricky. Too thin and it'll run no matter how well applied. Too thick and it'll orange peel and not lay down. The standard test is to paint on cleaned glass. No peel and no runs and it is good. Thinning is temperature dependent, too, And time, too. I heard the Interlux help desk pro tell me to thin enough to make the paint 'lively'. What he meant is for the paint to move a bit..

And the main thing is to avoid contamination. I got it from paint tray liners.

Jason