Hardtop paint-265Express

[SkunkBoat]

I'm in the process of removing the hardtop on my 265 Express. It developed some cracks in the rear crossbar. While I have it apart I'm thinking of doing some touchup glass work on the top and painting it. It Is in good shape, no wet spots, just won't hold a shine and has the usual chips on the edge and old holes filled with silicone.

The underside is the only part of the boat that hasn't faded so its Grady creamy color.
Thinking of painting the underside with something colorful like Fighting Lady yellow, Ice Blue or a light Seafoam green. Going to use Pettit EasyPoxy one part. (will prime it too)

I never see hardtops with color on top.
What do think of also painting the topside of the top a color vs. an off-white?

I'm never going to paint the hull so this is the only oppurtunity to add color to the boat. It has the Grady blue mesh life jacket bag, hull stripe and rub rail so it has to be a color that doesn't clash with dark blue.

 

[DennisG01]

EasyPoxy is nice stuff - it lays down nicely. Just don't overbrush - let it do it's thing and smooth itself out. I, personally, don't see any problems with using two different colors - I think it will look nice. But that part is 100% opinion based and the only one that matters is yours.

Silicone... be sure to sand/drill back to fresh glass and gelcoat before filling the void (I assume you'll use poly or epoxy mixed up thick) otherwise you likely won't get a good bond if there's any residual sillycone left. Same goes for the existing gelcoat - sand/buff it get rid of all oxidation. A random orbital sander will work great for that purpose.

The nice thing about painting is that you don't have to worry about the repair part looking nice - just has to faired smooth.

 

[SkunkBoat]

some things I learned;
1- Have more than two guys if you are going to manhandle a hardtop...OMG!
2- The electronics box has to come off first. You cannot tilt it high enough to get over the last bar.

So we got the top off and then the frame. The top is really heavy. We slid it backwards and down over the motors. The frame is much more manageable. We went sideways with that.

Frame needs some new pipe and welding. Top needs a few chips and holes fixed.
Still can't decide whether to just paint the upper surface off-white and be done or also paint the underside a color or paint the whole thing a color.

 

[Fishtales]

I like the idea of a 2nd color underside. On the top, really doesn't matter as it has a light texture and nobody can really see it anyway. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Jimmyfiretruck]

Do not use a cheap single part paint - no matter what anyone tells you , it will not fully harden . You can add all the hardening products you want to it, it still won’t .
It looks cheap because it is !

2 products to use :
Gel coat - applied to the correct thickness

awlgrip

I like gel coat

 

[DennisG01]

Do not use a cheap single part paint - no matter what anyone tells you , it will not fully harden . You can add all the hardening products you want to it, it still won’t .
It looks cheap because it is !

2 products to use :
Gel coat - applied to the correct thickness

awlgrip

I like gel coat

Jimmy, can I ask why you say that? Do you have actual experience with EasyPoxy? I have it on the cockpit floor of my Grady - for 6 years, now. Also did an entire skiff with it... and numerous projects in the past.

 

[Jimmyfiretruck]

A single part paint - it won’t have the hardness a 2 part product does , won’t have the color or the appearance , looks cheap.
You’ll always be able to push your finger nail into it.
I would never use crap like that

I’ve seen others use it and I’ve repaired the results quite a few times.

it depends on what you want - some people , they don’t mind something that looks cheap , me, I do

big difference between a product that cost $20 gallon and awlgrip or gel coat

 

[DennisG01]

A single part paint - it won’t have the hardness a 2 part product does , won’t have the color or the appearance , looks cheap.
You’ll always be able to push your finger nail into it.
I would never use crap like that

I’ve seen others use it and I’ve repaired the results quite a few times.

it depends on what you want - some people , they don’t mind something that looks cheap , me, I do

big difference between a product that cost $20 gallon and awlgrip or gel coat

OK, so it's fair to say that you don't have experience with this and are making a groos overgeneralization. As I mentioned, I have plenty of experience with EasyPoxy so, excuse my bluntness, but experience trumps inexperienced generalizations.

FYI... EasyPoxy is about $45 per quart.

Awlgrip is great stuff - but this thread really isn't about that.

 

[Mustang65fbk]

This might me a dumb question but if you re-paint the top of the hardtop, will it then lose its grip textured finish? Not that I've ever stood up on the hardtop before, nor do I think I would ever need to, just curious is all.

 

[Jimmyfiretruck]

OK, so it's fair to say that you don't have experience with this and are making a groos overgeneralization. As I mentioned, I have plenty of experience with EasyPoxy so, excuse my bluntness, but experience trumps inexperienced generalizations.

FYI... EasyPoxy is about $45 per quart.

Awlgrip is great stuff - but this thread really isn't about that.

Correct - I don’t use cheap single part products , I’ve already stated that

actually, this thread is about that - the gentleman asked a few questions and I’ve given him answers.

 

[Jimmyfiretruck]

This might me a dumb question but if you re-paint the top of the hardtop, will it then lose its grip textured finish? Not that I've ever stood up on the hardtop before, nor do I think I would ever need to, just curious is all.

You can add a product “griptex” to the surface, after you’ve applied one coat.this will give a non skid surface .

 

[SkunkBoat]

Yep, so yes I'm just doing glossy on the top. Don't care about texture because nobody goes up there. It will clean much easier without texture.

If i was doing the hull or cockpit I would probably use 2 part but there is no good reason to do that just for a top.

I agree 2 part paint is always harder. I've heard other good reviews about EZpoxy one part, the key being thin coats, proper temps, humidity and dry time.

 

[SkunkBoat]

I was just at West Marine staring at some quite empty paint shelves.
Those color charts are not very good. Wish I could get cheap sample sizes.
Also, the thought came to me that painting the upper surface a color would mean I don't have to try and match the off-white of the faded hull
Guess I have plenty of time for that.
I'll be grinding out in the cold and patching and painting in a heated garage (once I make some room).

 

[DennisG01]

I was thinking the same thing - using a contrasting color means you don't have to try and match the color of the boat... HUGE "plus" for using a different color! Granted, it's far enough away from the hull that it probably won't matter, but if it does happen to be noticeable then you get to have a do-over... which isn't as pleasurable as it is in sports!

Yeah, you might lose a tiny bit of the non-skid as the paint fills in low spots - but it won't be too bad. And, like you said, it's not a priority to you, anyways.

If you do end up wanting some non-skid additive, I recently used a newer product called "soft sand" and was VERY impressed. Actual sand is a no-no since it's too sharp - harder on bare feet feet or knees and it tends to break through the paint surface. Soft Sand is rubber based... and after it's dried in, there actually is a very slight, "soft" feel underfoot.

Jimmy, I'm sorry - and I don't mean to be crass - but, again, you're speaking of something you don't know anything about. EasyPoxy is anything but cheap and it truly is about as close as you can get to a true 2-part without the huge cost.

 

[DennisG01]

I thought I had a better picture of the boat, but this is the only one. My 17-yr old son chose Seafoam green for the skiff - told him he can do whatever he wants with it. I'm posting this so you can see a real life color (depending on computer screen, of course). In "my opinion", it might be too dark for the underside of the top - but you could lighten it by mixing it with white. Just for giggles, the before pic is here, too! That's after replacing the transom core (the same son dropped an engine off the boat because of that... FIRST time he went out in it solo, too!) and some glass work... but you get the idea of the condition it was in after sitting the woods for 20 years.

 

[Jimmyfiretruck]

I was thinking the same thing - using a contrasting color means you don't have to try and match the color of the boat... HUGE "plus" for using a different color! Granted, it's far enough away from the hull that it probably won't matter, but if it does happen to be noticeable then you get to have a do-over... which isn't as pleasurable as it is in sports!

Yeah, you might lose a tiny bit of the non-skid as the paint fills in low spots - but it won't be too bad. And, like you said, it's not a priority to you, anyways.

If you do end up wanting some non-skid additive, I recently used a newer product called "soft sand" and was VERY impressed. Actual sand is a no-no since it's too sharp - harder on bare feet feet or knees and it tends to break through the paint surface. Soft Sand is rubber based... and after it's dried in, there actually is a very slight, "soft" feel underfoot.

Jimmy, I'm sorry - and I don't mean to be crass - but, again, you're speaking of something you don't know anything about. EasyPoxy is anything but cheap and it truly is about as close as you can get to a true 2-part without the huge cost.

You’re correct - I know very little about cheap low quality products
Use the best available, use the proper techniques - do it correctly …
Using low quality is never a good move - nothing will change my mind !
You stated “about as close as you can get to a true 2 part,without the huge cost” sounds to me, you admitted it’s not the same quality as awlgrip or gel coat …
Again, last time, using cheap crap isn’t my thing - may work for you , but it will lot for me

never use a single part paint

 

[SkunkBoat]

yep the Sea Foam is way too dark and I don't want to mix. Want easy touch up in future.

YOU WOULD THINK that in the 21st century Pettit and Interlux and AwlGrip would have pix on their websites of actual boats with every color...YOU WOULD THINK!
Thats just incompetent marketing departments if you ask me.

I'm narrowed down to Blue Ice or Fighting Lady Yellow (I've seen actual boats with those colors) or possibly Seattle Gray if its as green-ish as the chart looks

Awlgrip's Aqua Mist is the light seafoam color I like but Pettit doesn't have that.

 

[DennisG01]

You’re correct - I know very little about cheap low quality products
Use the best available, use the proper techniques - do it correctly …
Using low quality is never a good move - nothing will change my mind !
You stated “about as close as you can get to a true 2 part,without the huge cost” sounds to me, you admitted it’s not the same quality as awlgrip or gel coat …
Again, last time, using cheap crap isn’t my thing - may work for you , but it will lot for me

never use a single part paint

Well, I already mentioned that Awlgrip is great stuff earlier. But I guess you'd have to take the time to actually read to see that.

I'm not trying to change your mind - but it seems you're trying to change our minds by forcing your opinion on us of something (EasyPoxy) you don't know anything about. Especially when you're, quite honestly, being insulting by saying I've chosen a cheap, low quality product... which EasyPoxy is not. It's not "high end", but it's darn good stuff.

I originally asked, in all honesty, for your experience with EasyPoxy to hear about a comparison. Since you don't have any, quite honestly, you really don't have the credentials to give your opinion of it.

Skunk, my appolgies for the derailment. But when someone insists upon voicing an opinion on something they know nothing about, it's like Chris Rock says, "That ain't right". I'll drop out of this particular conversation to keep things from getting worse.

 

[DennisG01]

yep the Sea Foam is way too dark and I don't want to mix. Want easy touch up in future.

YOU WOULD THINK that the 21st century Pettit and Interlux and AwlGrip would have pix on their websites of actual boats with every color...YOU WOULD THINK!
Thats just incompetent marketing departments if you ask me.

I'm narrowed down to Blue Ice or Fighting Lady Yellow (I've seen actual boats with those colors) or possibly Seattle Gray if its as green-ish as the chart looks

Awlgrip's Aqua Mist is the light seafoam color I like but Pettit doesn't have that.

I know - even the color chips I have in the store are pretty darn small.

Mixing is pretty straight forward - and one quart is MORE than enough. Meaning, you only have to mix once - it's not like you have to duplicate it. IF you wanted to go this route, you could easily experiment by mixing 1 ounce of each together... maybe 2 ounces of white and 1 ounce of green. But I think I hear where you're coming from that it may be more work than you need to do if you can just get a color right from the can.

 

[Jimmyfiretruck]

I was thinking the same thing - using a contrasting color means you don't have to try and match the color of the boat... HUGE "plus" for using a different color! Granted, it's far enough away from the hull that it probably won't matter, but if it does happen to be noticeable then you get to have a do-over... which isn't as pleasurable as it is in sports!

Yeah, you might lose a tiny bit of the non-skid as the paint fills in low spots - but it won't be too bad. And, like you said, it's not a priority to you, anyways.

If you do end up wanting some non-skid additive, I recently used a newer product called "soft sand" and was VERY impressed. Actual sand is a no-no since it's too sharp - harder on bare feet feet or knees and it tends to break through the paint surface. Soft Sand is rubber based... and after it's dried in, there actually is a very slight, "soft" feel underfoot.

Jimmy, I'm sorry - and I don't mean to be crass - but, again, you're speaking of something you don't know anything about. EasyPoxy is anything but cheap and it truly is about as close as you can get to a true 2-part without the huge cost.

Here’s one of many, many jobs I’ve done - this will show you a very distinct contrast between a cheap low quality single part paint and a real surface finish ,again, your idea of good and mine are probably very different …

That’s gel coat , applied to the correct thickness , wet sanded and buffed …
A cheap single part paint will NEVER appear close to that - ANYONE that states different, they’re not telling the truth or they’re stupid …