RickK's 170 rebuild

[RickK]

Not much to report.  Sanded the primer on the boat down with 220 but the wind was too strong to spray the bottom paint.  I jumped over to the console and pulled out the 400 and 800 and an air jitterbug sander I bought from HF.  Filled a bucket with water and brought out a big sponge and started wet sanding with 400 on the jitterbug.  Didn't take long to cut through the gelcoat I had so happily sprayed last weekend
So, note to self "lay it on thick next time" - live and learn 
Probably have to rough it up to 220 and then spray it again. Glad I still have the qt of tinted gelcoat left.

[larsli68]

I'm sorry to hear you went through the gelcoat.
I did the same thing on my transom... It takes several coats before you manage to sand without breaking through. The reason my Seacast sticker is where it is, is because I sanded through a small spot right there... I just gave up and placed the sticker over the little spot...

I learned a new English word. Jitterbug sander. I had never heard that expression before.
Thanks!

//Lars

[RickK]

Stickers are a good thing sometimes

All is good - I'm learning - gotta keep the grey mass between your ears active.
All the reading I did on gelcoat said that you need 20 mils minimum and I do have a dump gun but I don't think you can use the Duratec with it because it's too thin for the gun then.  Maybe you can - Duratec says to use a 2.5 tip though. The duratec makes it nice because the gel flows out and lays down. Maybe I need to not use Duratec and use the dump gun??
I have a lot of gelcoat on the console but the first coat was pure white, shot through the dump gun and it was 20 mils at least. 

Hey, I'm ok with learning as long as it doesn't cost too much money to do so.  I'll lay it on thicker the next time - that is the key to having working thickness.
Here is a link to the jitterbug I bought - it's heavy and works well (maybe too well)
http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?q=jitterbug

[CLM65]

Bummer on the gelcoat, Rick.  But at least it's correctable.  Are you using straight water?  I read somewhere (maybe here?) to use water with a little soap mixed in.  Put it in a spray bottle and just spray the area before sanding.  Don't know if that would help any....

[RickK]

Not sure of the soap but I think I've heard of this also.  I had the table tilted just a tad and then kept squeezing the sponge (it's a big sponge) to flood the area.  Actually worked too good.  I'm thinking maybe next time using sanding blocks instead of the jitterbug.  The console is not a huge area, so it's not going to kill me but it will give me a little more control and I'll squeegee off the water to see where I'm at frequently.

What are you going to do for your gelcoat Craig?  Straight gelcoat or use duratec?  I think I would use straight gelcoat for the first layer or two to get some gelcoat on her and work it smooth to maybe 220. Then color it up for the final shot/color and maybe use duratec so it'll lay down (just lay it on heavy so you can sand it a bit).

[CLM65]

I'm going with gelcoat with the Duratec additive.  However, since I don't have the tools, facilities, or experience, I'm going to have the hull sprayed by Robb at Young Boats.  Since I am still trying to minimize costs (not too well I might add), I am doing the prep work, and I will be doing the wet sanding and polishing.  I'm not sure of his process (Duratec in final coat or every coat), but I'll leave that up to him.

[HawgLeg]

WOW Rick! You've done an awesome job! Feels like I've been studying for finals all the reading I've been doing.  Still cleaning out the spot in the shop where my FB is gonna go then hopefully I can get started on the transom in a week or so.

[RickK]

Thanks HL. Need a nice weekend (this weekend hopefully) to get the bottom done and then there will be some curing time before I can prime the hullsides and paint them too. There is 3 days of cure time between the prime and the topcoat so a couple more weeks I guess.

[RickK]

Wind wouldn't lay down today so I had to go to plan B which was rolling the VC on.  Not my first choice but mother nature is making me.
Taped off where I think the waterline will be - I will topcoat the VC with the paint I'll use for the hullsides.  The EMC should be fine under the waterline for a couple days max and the VC will water proof the hull bottom.




I read everything I could find on how to apply it and on the Interlux forum the same guy (employee of Interlux) said two different things (actually three) about how to apply with a roller. 1) he said to use a 3/8" nap roller, not a foam roller sleeve 2) he said to use a 3/16" nap roller (which I couldn't find) and 3) he said "the little 4" foam rollers work real well" - so I was confused and bought the foam sleeves and 1/4" nap roller sleeves.
First coat rolled on with the foam sleeve.  And it came out like it was rolled on with a foam roller.   Ended painting around 1245P.




You can see how it didn't really lay down because there was not enough material to lay down.  I mixed a total qt and had enough to go around the bottom 1.5 times (didn't want to waste what I had left in the pan).  Note to self - don't do that again. It was starting to tack up as I started the second coat in places it started lifting or leaving trails.




They say to wait 5 hrs before re-coating it (at 70F) and it's every bit of 90F so I will wait until 6 pm even though I think it is ready now at 430P and this time I'll mix up the last qt, use the 1/4" nap roller and try to lay it on thick enough so I don't have any left in the tray when I finish this one coat.  I think it then will have enough material on it from the 1/4" nap to lay down.  We'll see.  Stay tuned.

[CLM65]

Looks great Rick, and the bottom looks very fair.  Good job

Hopefully the final coat comes out perfect!

[RickK]

It's starting to rain now 

I only have like 21 hours until I have to start sanding - like I need to recoat no later than 9AM - hope this quits in the next few minutes - I need an hour to recoat (you mix the stuff together and it has to sit for 30 mins before you use it).

[RickK]

It ain't stopping so it looks like it's going to be a rush in the AM.
In the heat here I wonder if the sanding time is still max 24hrs total or is it less? I don't have much on it to sand anyway but would prefer to not sand.
I may need to plan on getting more material for more coats - they say 3-4 coats and a 2 qt kit does my boat with 2 coats.
Maybe I'll order some thinner too and plan on spraying it again for the last two coats.

[RickK]

It stopped 

I wiped the little bit of water off the boat from leaks in the tarp and mixed the next batch.  I have until to 745 to watch out for any rogue storms to build up.  Keeping my fingers crossed.  My wife says "just do it in the morning" - they just don't understand some things....

[CLM65]

Women .  Good luck!

[RickK]

Yeah 

So I avoided rain - yay
Used the 1/4" nap roller sleeve and laid it on thick, I thought, and still had some left when I went around the boat.  It now looks like I rolled it on with a 1/4" nap roller   
Much thicker but didn't lay down much so far.  It'll have a cooler temp to do it's thing (it's still over 80 here at 845P) and I guess I'll see in the morning but I expect it'll look the same - seemed to already be dry to the touch after 30 mins, not 2 hrs like they say.
Looks like I have some wet sanding in my future this weekend - sometime before 5pm tomorrow.
Not much difference in pics from before - have to "be there" I guess.




I'm really liking the pads I added for a transducer, even though I fish in water mostly under 6 ft