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Mr. Sandman · 01-23-2003, 07:30 AM

On an older boat....one of the best things to do (for looks and durability) is to have if alwgripped. (this is an epoxy paint). THe problem is that is really needs to be done by a professional to have it come out right. There are probelms if it is not thinned just right and it really needs to be in a spray booth IMO to obtain the perfect finish. It is great stuff when done right but costly. I just priced out doing my 8' dyer sailing dinghy and it was 1300 to have it sprayed with alwgrip.
The other option is to take to to a body shop and have it sprayed with imron. This is a little cheaper. Both are very dangerous to inhale. (you could die if you breath this stuff you need a resporator)
The cheap do-it-yourself option is to roll on another coat of gel coat. It does not look that good IMO but if you are careful and prep it right, you could get an acceptable finish. I would suggest when finished to sand lightly with super fine sandpaper and then compound and buff the hell out of it .You can get a decent finish.
BUT if you want that factory new look, the best is alwgrip. It will hide all the hairline cracks and look brand new when done.
Don't just roll on regular paint...it will look like crap and not stand up very well.
One last thought: You could try and spay the gelcoat in your backyard on a nice day. That will look decent. (Do it on a VERY *still* and *dry* day.) Gelcoat...you have about 20 mins of pot time. Gelcoat smells but it should not kill you if you inhale it. (use some common sense though)
Gelcoat is about 20 bucks a qrt. Not too bad when you compare to the alternatives.
Regular Paint is cheap but it is not the same as the 2 part epoxies which when cured is rock hard. Paint...drys, epoxy hardens.
get a couple estimates if you decide to have someone spray it. (check your local body shop, sometimes they do boats at a good price)!

good luck...

01-23-2003, 07:30 AM	#8
Mr. Sandman Registered User iTrader: (0) Join Date: Sep 2001 Posts: 7,649	On an older boat....one of the best things to do (for looks and durability) is to have if alwgripped. (this is an epoxy paint). THe problem is that is really needs to be done by a professional to have it come out right. There are probelms if it is not thinned just right and it really needs to be in a spray booth IMO to obtain the perfect finish. It is great stuff when done right but costly. I just priced out doing my 8' dyer sailing dinghy and it was 1300 to have it sprayed with alwgrip. The other option is to take to to a body shop and have it sprayed with imron. This is a little cheaper. Both are very dangerous to inhale. (you could die if you breath this stuff you need a resporator) The cheap do-it-yourself option is to roll on another coat of gel coat. It does not look that good IMO but if you are careful and prep it right, you could get an acceptable finish. I would suggest when finished to sand lightly with super fine sandpaper and then compound and buff the hell out of it .You can get a decent finish. BUT if you want that factory new look, the best is alwgrip. It will hide all the hairline cracks and look brand new when done. Don't just roll on regular paint...it will look like crap and not stand up very well. One last thought: You could try and spay the gelcoat in your backyard on a nice day. That will look decent. (Do it on a VERY still and dry day.) Gelcoat...you have about 20 mins of pot time. Gelcoat smells but it should not kill you if you inhale it. (use some common sense though) Gelcoat is about 20 bucks a qrt. Not too bad when you compare to the alternatives. Regular Paint is cheap but it is not the same as the 2 part epoxies which when cured is rock hard. Paint...drys, epoxy hardens. get a couple estimates if you decide to have someone spray it. (check your local body shop, sometimes they do boats at a good price)! good luck... Last edited by Mr. Sandman; 01-23-2003 at 08:34 AM..