roller or sprayer? for painting a boat

[wiler55]

i am pretty good with painting but never used a sprayer. do you use the same sprayer on a boat as you would use on a car or house. for example a gravity fed gun connected to a compressor or is it more complicated than that? the other question is if i have never painted a boat with a sprayer on a level of 1 to 10 how difficult is it. the new roller application for boat painting made by interlux called perfection looks simple but if i needed to do the inside and outside of the boat i am thinking about investing in a sprayer and a compressor. can anyone help me with the pros and cons. and if this is a good idea or not.

[RickK]

I painted the hull sides of my 170 with Imron and used a gun similiar to this - was a piece of cake.  I don't know what it takes to paint with the Interlux you mentioned - maybe an airless is best?  Search their website for the answers.

[JimCt]

I like roll & tip mostly because that's what I'm used to.

[Shine]

We roll and tip.  

Less set up, less risk of wasting paint, also much less of a safety/health hazard.  I'd bet 90% of amateur painters are going to get better results from rolling and tipping compared to spraying.

[MJB]

Roll & tip -- understand the roll part but what does "tip" mean??

[JimCt]

http://www.boatus.com/boattech/TipRollingTipping.htm

[Shine]

our you tube clip...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTVVjzbA72U

[rsh19904]

Hey Rick,

I was thinking about painting the sides of my boat too and wanted to spray, how many coats did you use?

[RickK]

Hey Rick,

I was thinking about painting the sides of my boat too and wanted to spray, how many coats did you use?

Initially, just one.
Imron is very light paint and I applied it outside and per the directions given at the paint shop and it was beautiful.  Like a mirror - could see the house next door with all details in it.  
Then I went into my shop to put the gun away and came back out to admire it - that's when I saw that the paint had "sagged" down the side in a couple places.  :x It wasn't running, just slowly sagging down the side. I guess I put it on just a tad too heavy :cry:
Long story short, I let it dry, sanded it back out and put a light coat back on, now being afraid of too much paint. Never got that mirror finish back but still looks nice.  If I ever get the urge to try again, I hope that I remember my mistakes.
So I guess the answer is 2 coats but one would have been enough.

[rsh19904]

i used to do the same thing when I painted and loved the mirrored look but was a touchy thing not getting the sag and no orange peel..

is there any problems anyone knows of with the imron and the orange peel look?

[RickK]

I do have a little orange peel in the paint but oh well.....
I have heard that Imron is VERY dangerous though in an enclosed place - gotta wear a GOOD mask.  I did mine outside - took about 5 minutes.

[88' 222]

Use a gravity feed gun, an airless is for house painting.
Here's several pictures of mine. Painted thehull sides and the inside with AWLGRIP. Rolled the flat area under the windshield and it didn't look so good, I didn't reduce the paint enough.Prime with 545 primer, Paint the first coat then wait twenty minutes then spray the next one , I think I remember three coats. Sags can be sanded out with 1000 grit the buffed with polishing compound, you can even tell.
http://rides.webshots.com/album/264511869pWaFDe

   Good luck, Jerry

[John Jones]

I do have a little orange peel in the paint but oh well.....
I have heard that Imron is VERY dangerous though in an enclosed place - gotta wear a GOOD mask.  I did mine outside - took about 5 minutes.

Actually a mask is not recommended.  A full suit with an outside air supply is what's recommended.  That's why I look so old is painting Imron indoors with only a mask...

[Bygracealone]

our you tube clip...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTVVjzbA72U

Are foam rollers and foam brush the best way to do this?  

This thread is very helpful, thanks guys.

[S554]

Spray is the way to go , I have sprayed many boats. The prep is very important  step, ,dust free,and climate control are a must
and multi prime coats are very important , A high quality automotive spray gun with a moisture filter is a must ,Chraftsman make s a very good gun for about $90.00.