Painting fresh glass

[Bill Savoie]

I've finished the glassing of the cover I've made for my Carsten Canvasback. I want to paint it, any recommendations for prepping? Should the surface be lightly sanded? Wiped with acetone? I have some Parker's green that I was going to put on it. How long should the glass cure before it's painted?

Be glad when the fumes are all gone. Thanks much for any advice

 

[tod osier]

I've finished the glassing of the cover I've made for my Carsten Canvasback. I want to paint it, any recommendations for prepping? Should the surface be lightly sanded? Wiped with acetone? I have some Parker's green that I was going to put on it. How long should the glass cure before it's painted?

Be glad when the fumes are all gone. Thanks much for any advice

Sand and wipe down. If the epoxy is fresh, Parker green will take a long time to cure in the temps in a basement or garage. On the order of 2-3-4 weeks before it is toughened up. So, you may want to wait until it gets warmer (and the epoxy will be more cured too).

T

 

[Gray Giesfeldt]

If it's epoxy wipe it down with ammonia water. That will remove the amine blush. Then sand. Start with 80 grit and work up to 220. You might want to consider a lacquer based primer. That will give you a good barrier under the color coat.

 

[tod osier]

If it's epoxy wipe it down with ammonia water. That will remove the amine blush. Then sand. Start with 80 grit and work up to 220. You might want to consider a lacquer based primer. That will give you a good barrier under the color coat.

220 on a duck boat?!?!?

 

[Matt_n_Barb]

I would take Tod's advice and let it cure several weeks unless you have a rush.... funny thing about finish work,,,,hurry, hurry, hurry, seems we want it done at that stage, yet most of the time a more measured approach will give better results

 

[Gray Giesfeldt]

If it's epoxy wipe it down with ammonia water. That will remove the amine blush. Then sand. Start with 80 grit and work up to 220. You might want to consider a lacquer based primer. That will give you a good barrier under the color coat.

220 on a duck boat?!?!?

If your using a Ditzler lacquer based primer 220 is about the coursest you'd go. It's a brown primer that will etch into the epoxy. It's ridiculouly durable because of that so if you cut throught the topcoat all you get is brown.

As for letting the epoxy cure for several weeks. No need. West system is fully cured in 7 days at 70 degrees. 2 days is sufficient to prep and paint in lower temps.

Now if we're talking details, make sure the weave pattern is full before you sand. You don't want to cut into the glass when you start sanding. Give it a light sand with 80 grit and see if you have any low spots. If you do use a bondo spreader to put on another thin layer of resin then sand again. Laquer based spot putty will work fine for minor imperfection and pin holes. Then prime and paint.

 

[tod osier]

If it's epoxy wipe it down with ammonia water. That will remove the amine blush. Then sand. Start with 80 grit and work up to 220. You might want to consider a lacquer based primer. That will give you a good barrier under the color coat.

220 on a duck boat?!?!?

If your using a Ditzler lacquer based primer 220 is about the coursest you'd go. It's a brown primer that will etch into the epoxy. It's ridiculouly durable because of that so if you cut throught the topcoat all you get is brown.

As for letting the epoxy cure for several weeks. No need. West system is fully cured in 7 days at 70 degrees. 2 days is sufficient to prep and paint in lower temps.

Now if we're talking details, make sure the weave pattern is full before you sand. You don't want to cut into the glass when you start sanding. Give it a light sand with 80 grit and see if you have any low spots. If you do use a bondo spreader to put on another thin layer of resin then sand again. Laquer based spot putty will work fine for minor imperfection and pin holes. Then prime and paint.

Lets be realistic, first of all this is a cockpit cover. A cockpit cover for a Carsten Canvasback, which as a boat is not exactly know for finish quality, so 220 is a little extreme and so is an expensive primer. 80 grit sanded on the cover would make the boat look bad and Parker paint adheres exceedingly well to epoxy once the epoxy is cured - no need to buy a primer.

You say 7 days at 70, for "fully cured". Bill can tell us how close to 70 his work area is. Given his latitude and our temps, my guess was that 70 is a little high. Cure rate decreases dramatically at temps under 70. As far as your, statement: "As for letting the epoxy cure for several weeks. No need". How many times have you painted Parker paint over fresh epoxy as Bill's post asks about? I've done it dozens of times all across the temperature spectrum and I'll tell you that "cured" or not, a paint like Parker or FME reacts with new epoxy takes a long time to cure on fresh "fully cured" epoxy.

 

[Ron Schuna]

Bill,

Don't paint it. Call Carsten's and order a pint of their tinted gel coat. Same as what is on your canvasback. I had my pintail in for some factory fixes to the previous owners try at glass repair and I was able to pick up a can with hardener already tinted to match the boat. Give them a call, nice folks.

Ron

 

[Bill Savoie]

Gents, thanks for the advice, I will try to retain it for when I build a boat worthy of this level of finish. The top is primarily meant to keep prying eyes out of the boat when I travel, so I can leave some gear in it overnight. This project is more of a 'down and dirty' solution, the only reason I was thinking about the Parker paint was that I have a can of it.

My garage is insulated and stays about 50 degrees. When I'm working out there I fire off a kerosene torpedo heater to bring the garage up to around 70. That gives me time to work with fume-producing products for a few hours without blowing myself up. It also gives me something to do until all this white mess has melted.

 

[tod osier]

Gents, thanks for the advice, I will try to retain it for when I build a boat worthy of this level of finish. The top is primarily meant to keep prying eyes out of the boat when I travel, so I can leave some gear in it overnight. This project is more of a 'down and dirty' solution, the only reason I was thinking about the Parker paint was that I have a can of it.

My garage is insulated and stays about 50 degrees. When I'm working out there I fire off a kerosene torpedo heater to bring the garage up to around 70. That gives me time to work with fume-producing products for a few hours without blowing myself up. It also gives me something to do until all this white mess has melted.

Sounds great! I understand what you are looking for in your project and I was thinking down and dirty. Thanks for confirming your garage temps, my advice was based on the expectation of those conditions. You can paint any time, but expect it to take weeks to cure under those conditions (cool/cold temps and new epoxy).

You may not think it is much of a project, but post some pictures up to give people ideas for themselves. I don't consider a duckboat much of a duckboat unless it has covers to keep prying eyes out as you say.

T

 

[Bill Savoie]

Thanks Tod. I may just go with the Krylon camo spray paint since I have other things that need to happen in the garage and don't see spring on the horizon just yet. I posted some pictures in an earlier post that was in response to some specific Canvasback questions. I picked this boat up at a garage sale last fall; easier to hunt with alone that the TDB. I plan to take it out and give it a hunt test when crow season opens in mid-March. If it can fool a crow, even a black duck will be in trouble.