After the sailing season I plan to Awlgrip my Hobie 18. Anyone out there run into any problems or pitfalls they would like to share with this project?
You mean OTHER than the price? I priced out some Awlgrip for touching up my mast - $75/qt! YIKES!
endura l.p.
I had a hobie 18 that I painted with Imron and the most important thing is the prep. work.Before sanding use a wax remover. Fill any chips,sand the boat with the coarsest sand paper that the paint will cover.I used 280 as the final grit with the imron and I could not see the sanding scratches when I was done. Get some tack rags to wipe the hulls down right before painting. I completely dismantled the boat except for the cross beams. Those I loosend until there was a gap between them and hull.I taped those off and then hung the boat buy the beams from some roof beams and sprayed it like that. The decks are going to need some sort of non-skid applyed if your painting them.I actually ground almost all of the factory non-skid off.I painted the smooth parts of the deck the same color as the hull and when that dryed carefully taped off the old non-skid areas, I added a non-skid paint additive to the paint and painted them a contrasting color. Make sure if your spraying awlgrip to protect eyes.lungs,etc. If I rember right thats epoxy paint. If they offer a fish eye additive for the paint get it and use it. Theres nothing worse than doing all that work and spending the money and winding up with fish eyes all over the paint. Have fun! Don't rush.
Since Greg Scace hasn't jumped in yet, I might as well do so... Imron is a long strand polymer that is very damaging to your lungs. DO NOT PAINT WITHOUT A SUPPLIED AIR RESPIRATOR. This stuff will attach itself to the oxygen receiving parts of your lung and prevent absorption. My father had to go into the hospital and receive oxygen after entering my paint booth almost an hour after spraying a car and he was wearing a new charcoal respirator.
That said, Imron is abosolutely a great paint if you can get it. The 1946 Ford I painted in 1980 is still in perfect condition. Not a single rock chip or scratch that has damaged the paint. The metal may rust away behind the paint but I will probably be left with a lifesize paint model of my car.