Action Tiger

This paint is ten years old. The scratches are from granite rocks. They are fresh, and due to be touched up... Peace, Robert

You know it's going to be REALLY hard to make a coaming look better, right? You are too close, because you can only see every change you'd make. It's nice work, Brother. You, know, the skin will wear out if you use it too much, so, by the time you replace this skin, you'll have made enough other boats that you'll be experienced, and the coaming will be "better" than this one. And you'll still only see every change you'd make. Peace, Robert

Sorry, bud. Not at all trying to be vague. I really have no preference. I don't do big box, but I do hardware store and paint store. The last few batches of paint I've gotten were from the hardware store, and they were Valspar. I've used Glidden, SW, Pittsburgh... With a little floetrol, the Valspar flowed nicely. There is no need to prime with these modern paints, I don't think, for any reason other than color saturation. Easier to get a better color quicker with a tinted undercoat. Also primer allows you to fill and fair a bit more before the final coat. I primed my Frolic mostly for the ability to continue to fair without wasting topcoat. Some crazy people on this board have suggested Killz primer, but I am not that savage. I use Bullseye. Really. Water clean up paints need more cure time to really "harden" but they hold tenaciously when cured, in my experience. Shoot, I had some stick to silicone(!) on the blue pirogue for almost two years. For a little boat what will get dinged regular, I feel easier to repair and retouch paint is better. Water clean up clears are all inferior, in my experience. Peace, Robert P.S. I always paint with a brush. Can't stand rollers, and hope to never have to spray anything again. Or chase after the spray with a roller or brush... I have about 10 brushes, and rotate regularly. I think brushes need to be kept clean and fluid, or they mar the finish by adding slightly cured paint to the mix. I paint from a small pot, and change brushes with every pot.

Chick, I've used several brands over the years. I don't notice a real difference. I've never had any problem getting water clean up paint to stick to cured epoxy. Regular primer, then paint. Peace, Robert

Chick, Several manufacturers now make water clean up polyurethane fortified porch and floor enamels, whatever that means. It means the gloss is really hard, for one thing, and I kind of suspect the snazzy polyurethane technology is spreading into other places. I hope. The stuff I have is more than a year old, and seems to be wearing better than the old fashioned porch and floor. I've been water clean up for more than a dozen years on everything I use. Your canoe looks awesome. Don't forget to build to plan and fill her on the inside to the waterline! Peace, Robert

I've never used anything but porch and floor on my boats. Well, for the painted bits. I've never had one problem. When there has been damage, it has been easy as pie to repair. Porch and floor is formulated to walk on. It ain't interior wall paint. Would I use it on a moored boat? No. A drysailed camp cruiser? Yes. In a very obnoxious orange, too. A little pirogue or canoe? Sure. Yellow, with green trim... Peace, Robert

Thanks, Ken. You make me laugh. Here's the next step. A little slimming and shaping. These are an experiment I'm trying because I've made several paddles the same way, and they all worked well. We shall see what we shall see. Now, where did I put that wood eraser? Peace, Robert

Just so. Also why you hand joint boards back to back. Any anomalies match. Peace, Robert

I'm drawing a blank, what oar these supposed to be again? Peace, Robert

I always understood the Third Coast to be the Gulf Coast, being as it is a fairly long, uninterrupted stretch of land abutting a gulf. I am often wrong. Peace, Robert

Oh, no coastal cruising out here, no. This is aimed at the Bay and Delta. Especially getting "lost" up in the Delta. And occasional forays to lakes for sailing and camping. I do plan to do some coasting along the Third Coast, one day. Probably around 200 miles worth. There have been rumblings concerning a keelboat being built, though, just for cruising our coastline. I'm thinking I might need a snug little yawl, and I recently acquired some plans for a doozy... Peace, Robert

Lovely picture! Peace, Robert

These sticks will pop out the holes in the coaming and make bubbles in the water when the sails get empty. I am trying something here. In an effort to equalize tension and "feel" of the laminated oars, I'm using an equal number of parts cut from each of two boards. This is either brilliant, or idiotic. Spar stock is being scarfed and layed out, too. And the foils, Take Two. I'll get a few pics of the leeboard after I finish this business. Think it looks pretty good. Peace, Robert

Team creamsicle. Just primer. The real color is creamier. Whee! Peace, Robert

Haha. Both! I have been hit so hard by life during this build. For me, though, the whole shebang is the hobby. The building time is as therapeutic to me as the drifting, erm sailing, time. I have missed every artificial deadline I've made already, so at this point I don't care. She looks nice, and I'll have a long while to enjoy her while I build the others. I hope.., Peace, Robert

Hey, Presto! This is 4oz glass. The edges will be covered by the fillets that will go around the edges. This is for the house sides and coamings. Two more coats of paint to go on the hull, then once cured, she can be flipped and finished off. This is getting serious, now. Oh, the white in the upper right of the glass picture is glare. I swear. Peace, Robert

Oh, man, Chick. You are just my type of guy. This is funny.:) I just CANNOT wait to meet youse guys in person. Stupid enormously wide country. I wish we lived in a long skinny one, sometimes. Of course, my luck is I'd live South and y'all would live North. One day, we'll get the campfire on, and let the bad jokes fly! Me and Don will accompany on uke and banjo. Peace, Robert

If you feel like splurging, spring for the Porch and Floor paint. It's generally a bit more durable than wall paint (just my experience). It's what's on my shiny orange boat... Post pictures of the painted boat, eh. Peace, Robert

Thanks, Don. Gosh, this has been a project beset by "life".:) For example, it's pouring rain. Again. Which is fine, really, unless,you want to paint your boat. I'm ready for the next few coats, but not the weather. Ah well. That's not even counting the real events that have prevented me from having as much time on the boat as I'd like. I need to retire. It is getting warm, despite the rain, so I can glass some, anyway. I'm getting close, but no way are we making the mess. Dang it! I've been working hard on my uke, too, so we could campfire. I will make a much more concerted effort next year to get over there. I'm scared I might like it so well I want to stay, though. Well, I'll go out and sail my canoe that weekend, at least. Simpatico sailing. Peace, Robert

Hehe. I wanted yellow, but SHE picked this orange. I am pretty excited to be halfway done with the outside. I'm going to put some 4 oz glass on the cabin sides and coamings while the hull paint dries. I will stick them down with some plastic sheet cum peel ply on them so I won't have to sand and fair like mad. The little fiddly narrow bits aft on the coaming might be a bit tricky.:) I really am going to put on 4 more thin coats of paint before I flip her. The drying time is the limiting factor, now. Two weeks, maybe three until I can flip her. I'll finish the spars, foils (almost ready to glass), oars, and pump while I wait for the paint. Getting closer... Whee! Peace, Robert

Orange ya glad I didn't say I'm still fairing? Two down, probably four to go. Lotta red in this orange. Peace, Robert

I would use a single edged razor blade as a scraper and scrape the drips off, then lightly scuff sand everything before the second coat. Peace, Robert

Oh, I meant that black/white crosshatch picture. The picture you described making would add a TON of information. Peace, Robert

Dude, that would be a KILLER addition to your tips and tricks page. This is just such a tedious process. Nothing at all hard. I really, really think I'm done. I mean, it ain't glass (ha), but I'm farting around with dime and quarter sized micro dimples and some little, tiny waves. The house sides I am sheathing in 4 Oz glass, and I'm going to stick down those sections with plastic over them, so there won't be any darn filling and fairing. Hehe. Oh, yeah. I just learned that plastic sheet is like peel ply, but better, I think. Live and learn... Peace, Robert

The pouncing and rattle can are what I know. I usually use the remnants of rattle cans, and I soak the cans in warm water before I use them, or set them in the sun for a few to heat up the innards and help atomize the paint better. I also use different tips to provide a "foggier" spray pattern. Putting pigment in alcohol is new to me, though. Cool trick. Another trick, one I was using last night, is very oblique light. In a dim room, a directional light (a little flashlight is good) held just off the surface and roughly parallel to it, will highlight the tiniest imperfections, even on a monchromatic surface, and especially a matte one like primer. Peace, Robert