roll paint or spray it???

[puff tentacle]

I have stripped my 17ft Osprey down to original but i still want to have it painted a certain blue.  Has anyone ever rolled the paint on or should it be sprayed

[wingtime]

I've heard the Roll N Tip method usually yields very good results.  I've even heard it can even be better than spray applied paint (no orange peel)  Now I'm sure it works better with some paints than others.  Others that have actually done it will chime in soon.

[gman 82 aquasport]

Depending on the paint you use as to which may be better, I did both with my rebuild, rolled and tipped the outside and sprayed the inside...rolled and tipped , you can't tell the difference just use real good soft hair brushes for tipping and don't do to much at one time..clean your brushes often... Roll it up and down tip from side to side 4-5 sq ft areas at a time..
Spraying, if you have sprayed before it won't be to bad, but I will say that you will need to play with the coat thickness some , I found that 3-4 lighter coats did better that 2 thicker ones and wait for the paint to tack up before adding the next coat or you will get runs, they can be sanded out but why make more work.. You may need to thin the paint for spraying..
Check online for ship shape TV and see if you can find a video of roll and tipping I know he has done a show showing that as thats how I first saw it done

[Capt. Bob]

From our Resource forum.
viewtopic.php?p=17045#p17045

[gman 82 aquasport]

My bad I got the roll and tip directions reversed...50 lashes with wet spaghetti noodles for me...

[Callyb]

Puff,

Unless you have the experience and equipment to spray, I would recommend roll and tipping. The learning curve is not that steep for stellar results and there is a ton of good info on the net. Just practice a little on a separate piece and you'll be all set.

Apply good painting practices though, ie., get rid of as much dust as possible, wet the floor down, etc...

Like Gman said, a HIGH QUALITY brush is a must for a quality finish. Plan on spending $60-$80 for a good one from Sherwin Williams, MAB, or other "real" paint store. However, as was said before, make sure the paint you plan on using is recommended by the manufacturer to be rolled and tipped because some are spray only and won't yield the same results.

Good luck, and please post some pics of your progress.

[Shine]

this is the last boat I rolled (no tipping for this brand of paint) 



not having to tip it off saves a tremendous amount of time (and some $, not needing the $25 brushes).  I experimented with tipping the paint, and it never would lay out as well with just the roller.

The paint is EMC Quantum topcoat

[RickK]

Sweet boat there Joel. 
Is this the jet ski convert?

[Shine]

thats the one Rick, its the first boat I have owned with no rod holders   

[williecoyote]

That looks very nice!

[Tsoles]

I rolled mine using Totalboats topside paint. Laid very well. Sorry for the pic, I will have to save them to my laptop and turn em. This is a 1975 Cruise Craft which is same mold as an Aquasport.