- Joined
- Feb 14, 2018
- Messages
- 713
- Location
- United States
- Vessel Name
- Wanderlust
- Vessel Make
- 1999 Jefferson Rivanna 52'
Many of you will probably say that's no big deal but I was, nonetheless, pleased.
Our new-to-us boat came with a Rendova center console dinghy that was in need of a little TLC. It starts and runs great but was a bit dirty and the fiberglass hull was a blotchy, multi-colored eyesore.
I decided to experiment with prepping and painting the transom using the roll and tip method. This is something I had never done before but, hey, YouTube videos, right? The outcome would determine if I went any further with the rest of the hull. Since the we rarely leave the dinghy in the water overnight, we weren't terribly concerned about applying any kind of antifouling paint.
After sanding the transom, cleaning up, masking with blue tape, and wiping it down with Acetone, I followed internet directions to mix the base color, the converter, and the reducer. That turned out to be a mistake. I'm going to assume the ratios and the reducer were for spray application. The mix was so runny that it didn't stick and I ended up wiping off the first coat.
The second batch was base coat and converter only and I let it sit for 15 minutes so the catalyst process could do it's thing. That coat and two additional coats went on much better. I had enough left over to do the end of the hard top and put a coat on the radar housing, both of which had been prepped and taped, and both of which turned out great.
In the photo below, you can see the old surface of the dinghy hull in the lower right, under the tube. The next morning, the AwlGrip was smooth and shiny and improved the appearance a bunch. After peeling off the blue tape, I could see a couple of spots that were missed. We also scrubbed the tubes and they look a ton better, too. It's coming together.
John
Our new-to-us boat came with a Rendova center console dinghy that was in need of a little TLC. It starts and runs great but was a bit dirty and the fiberglass hull was a blotchy, multi-colored eyesore.
I decided to experiment with prepping and painting the transom using the roll and tip method. This is something I had never done before but, hey, YouTube videos, right? The outcome would determine if I went any further with the rest of the hull. Since the we rarely leave the dinghy in the water overnight, we weren't terribly concerned about applying any kind of antifouling paint.
After sanding the transom, cleaning up, masking with blue tape, and wiping it down with Acetone, I followed internet directions to mix the base color, the converter, and the reducer. That turned out to be a mistake. I'm going to assume the ratios and the reducer were for spray application. The mix was so runny that it didn't stick and I ended up wiping off the first coat.
The second batch was base coat and converter only and I let it sit for 15 minutes so the catalyst process could do it's thing. That coat and two additional coats went on much better. I had enough left over to do the end of the hard top and put a coat on the radar housing, both of which had been prepped and taped, and both of which turned out great.
In the photo below, you can see the old surface of the dinghy hull in the lower right, under the tube. The next morning, the AwlGrip was smooth and shiny and improved the appearance a bunch. After peeling off the blue tape, I could see a couple of spots that were missed. We also scrubbed the tubes and they look a ton better, too. It's coming together.
John