1973 Lobster Boat - Painting!

[JamieT]

4 layers of top coat, not super happy with the results. I don’t think I thinned the first coat enough. The humidity the day I painted was 80% (according to the weather channel). So I thinned my first batch at 15%, it dried way to fast. The next I ran at 20% and the last to at 25%.
How long before I can start sanding? My plan is to wet sand (by hand) at 600 and see if it takes out the brush strokes. If so great, I will progress through 1500 and buff with the recommended 3M compound. Has anyone done this, advise??
Thanks
Jamie

[gk108]

It's probably too late now, but you should have used only vertical brush strokes when final tipping the paint. I had some issues with my V10 paint job when I was doing it and Joel advised me to wet sand with 320 grit to remove the brush marks and give it one or two more thin coats. That worked, but S3 paint is not the glossiest finsh, so I gave it two coats of S3 clear LPU. That really made it shine.

[Daddy]

Jamie, sure looks great from here, love the boat.
Daddy

[JamieT]

Joel, any input? How long before I can sand the System 3 Paint?

[PJPiercey]

How long before I can sand the System 3 Paint?

It depends on the temperature and humidity. When I was wet sanding the S3 top coat I would wait a few days (heated garage about 68 degrees) and then give it the wet finger rub test. With a wet finger, scrub the paint and see if you can get it to emulsify. If it doesn't, you can wet sand. But be careful. The paint continues to harden and will wet sand quite easily at first.

[tech_support]

I would give it a couple days with the current temps. In the summer (90 degree days) you could sand it the next day with no worries.

[JamieT]

Just wet sanded a small portion as a test. Paint brush marks came out fine with 320 (lot of work) however I defiantly need to add another coat or 2. Questions before a wasting another 6 hours sanding.

-Will I be ok with wet sanding with 320? Concerned that the next coat may not adhere properly. Of course considering proper preparation (wash, air dry, alcohol wipe)

-I tipped out the paint horizontally coping the how to video. Should I apply the last 2 coats with vertical tipping?

-no matter what the weather I will thin paint at max (30%) and do my best to create shade on the painted surface. Any other advice to make sure this paint “flows out”, as I am running out of time on this project.

Thanks
Jamie

[tech_support]

I have never bothered to wet sand with 320, if your putting more than one coat on, then I would just run 220 over the hull, wipe it down and paint. On the last coat, try to thin it a little more to make sure it lays out. Vertical tipping is a good idea on hull sides. The last few times I have tipped both ways (ending in vertical) and had very good results, but that was with sterling which does not skin over as quick as S3. Try the vertical tipping only, but just on the transom at first, and see how it works for you.

This is a good time of the year to paint (although tomorrow is supposed to be 80)

[JamieT]

To remove all the brush strokes I ended up sanding with 120 as the first coat I did last time had the worst brush strokes and sanding with 220 would have taken all day. That being said I thinned to 30% on every coat along with cross linking every time. Got 4 more coats on yesterday and it looks MUCH better, vertical tipping was the way to go for me. There are brush strokes, but not as pronounced as the first attempt. Another question, I finished the last coat around 4:30pm and it started raining around 6:00am this morning. Do I have anything to worry about? There is a warning on the primer not to get it wet but nothing mentioned on the top coat. I will take pictures when it stops raining.

[JamieT]

New question, how do you remove the old non skid?!? I started sanding with 60 and the old non skid is tougher! Is there a way to prep without removing? Can I scuff with a wire wheel or something? I also tried sanding with my grinder but it is way too easy to gouge the surface.