Bulwark Prep, Paint Indecision & My 1 Year Birthday
The weather is improving – slightly… the change of seasons comes late on Martha’s Vineyard. The ocean has a warming effect in the fall, and a cooling effect in the spring. But with steady temperatures of at least 40º or so, it’s time to turn my focus to the work on the boat. I’ve completed my big take home projects, all that remains are a few odds and ends like painting spreaders, painting electronics covers, outboard motor water pump replacement, etc… nothing too pressing… but great reasons to take a break from web design work at 10pm.
The 8″ teak bulwarks are a really nice salty feature… until you have to scrape them down. Funny (sad) to think I started this job about 10 months ago! Since then, I’ve become very good friends with the chemical stripper and my trusty 3 sided scraper. This is a job I hope I never have to do again. Which is why I want to choose the best paint possible, and do it right from the get-go.
I’m still debating my coating options. I was all set to go with Sterling, a linear polyurethane, which comes highly recommended. But it’s very expensive and complicated to apply, requiring a veritable army of products: thinners, reducers, catalysts, multiple primers, etc. I think I could do the bulwarks, covering board, taffrail, and rub rail (175 sq. feet) for about $1300, but even that estimate is with a minimum of coats. The LP paint is super durable and UV resistant, and if done right produces a gloss that is unparalleled. But what about touch-ups and spot repairs?
Easypoxy, a single component polyurethane, is another option I’m considering, which I would do over a few coats of CPES. My Easypoxy system (CPES, hi build primer and top coat) would run about $500.
I learned tonight that you can use the Sterling topcoat over System 3′s LPU high build 2 part epoxy primer, which sells for a mere $85 per gallon kit, SUBSTANTIALLY reducing the cost of having that coveted Sterling finish and durability. Found this interesting forum tonight: forums.bateau2.com. A distributor for Sterling, Boat Builder Central, runs it, and they have some decent Sterling info there. It’s well presented, unlike the DetcoMarine website.
So I’m still researching and I’m undecided for now. I’ve already invested some money into Sterling. However, I kind of pussy-footed with it and ordered small quantities, which is very cost in-effective. The price ratio with Sterling is such that a quart costs half of what a gallon costs.
This blog is 1 year old. Happy Birthday BCCElizabeth.com. Read your first post!
LPU paint systems don’t patch/touch-up very well (I’ve tried). This paint is so thin and glossy that it amplifies any surface imperfections. So, surface prep is of utmost importance. A poorly prepped LPU job can look REALLY BAD, even with perfect application technique. But, if you are not going for gloss, there may be additives to make the finish ‘flat’.
This is interesting. I have been thinking that the LPU on the bulwarks will be very glossy, but my hull won’t be, and it will make the bulwarks really standout. And I bet after a few minutes I’d be tempted to paint the hull to match. The bulwarks are not perfect either, there are a few dings, hollows etc. I don’t really want a super fine, super glossy yacht finish (despite all my varnish efforts). I want something durable.
Although it sounds like fun, and would be an interesting challenge, I think my best bet is to stick to something like Easypoxy.
Ask me again in a few minutes and you’ll get a completely different answer. Making the decision takes longer than doing the job.
Are you going to do more stripping, to remove ALL the old paint? Probably needed if the epoxy sealer is to really seal the wood. Are you using the methylene chloride stripper, or the more user-friendly non-toxic type?
I removed Shaula’s stanchions when I epoxied and painted the bulwarks. It’s a pain to do, but it sure makes working on the bulwarks easier. I wish I had put the through-deck bolts in from the under side, with cap nuts on the deck side. It would have made stanchion removal easy, the next time. Instead, for repainting, I’ve used LOTS of blue tape to mask off the stanchions.
Remember, BCC’s are ocean-going boats, frequently sprayed with saltwater for days or weeks on end. They CAN be made to look like a piece of furniture, but that look doesn’t really match their best use! How’s that for a rationalization for Shaula not looking as glossy as is possible??
Yes, agreed Dan — I don’t want a highly polished yacht — I realized I was heading in that direction… “Ready About!” I’m in a new mode… GET IT DONE AND GO SAILING!
I’m 100% decided on One Part Paint. I’ll use whatever Sterling primer I can from the stuff I already bought, but I’m not buying any more LP supplies.
A BCC showed up here on MV, and I’m incredibly inspired! Nothing like seeing one all ready to go across the pond to get you fired up to finish. My clients aren’t very happy about it though
I used the toxic stripper, found it tastes better. Will be removing all of the paint… I think. CPES is a nice idea, but would love to see some real evidence that it makes a difference worth the extra scraping effort and $180 for the gallon, which I assume will be enough for a few coats.
Anyone have thoughts about CPES?
Oh, nice idea on the inverting the thru-deck stantions bolts! Wonder if there would be ANY drawbacks… toe stubbers?
Hey Ben,
Just discovered your “notebook”! Cool, I will folllow your progress. Fun stff eh?
Gary
Ben,
I don’t think that acorn nuts on the stanchion bases would be any problem for feet–not much different than the round-head machine screws already there. I think each fastener would have to be cut off after fitting, as the deck thickness probably varies a bit. Ideally, the bolts would be held strongly enough by sealant that you wouldn’t need to hold the heads when removing the nuts.
I don’t know anything about CPES–maybe I should? I used West Systems epoxy on my mahogany. The first coat on bare wood was fairly rough, requiring sanding. The 2nd coat looked great–like varnish. Then I used Interprotect epoxy primer on some of it, and regular primer on other parts. The epoxy primer was probably overkill, but I like the extra protection it gives.
Dan
This post was extremely interesting, especially since I was searching for thoughts on this subject last week.