Cheap paint advice?

[Wile E. Coyote]

Hi,

I had some supplies left over after building a spindrift, so I've built a small kayak for my kids. The thing is going to get thrashed pretty hard so I don't want to spend lots of time or money painting it. I actually want to let my son choose colours and paint it. 

 

So can anyone recommend some type of paint to use?  Can I use automotive spray paint?  Construction is stitch and glue using West system epoxy. 

 

Thanks,

Matt

[PAR]

Spray paint is fine, though a lot more costly than just using plain old house acrylic paint. Pick up a quart of your favorite color, at the local hardware store and call it a day.

[Wile E. Coyote]

House paint!  Good idea, thanks.  No reason it shouldn't go on cured, sanded epoxy.  I can take the boy in and he can choose whatever colour he likes. 

[Action Tiger]

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

[Don Silsbe]

Where did I just read (this week for sure) someone complaining about stripping off latex paint from a boat.  They said never use it, because it's a pain to refinish.  Sure wish I could remember...

[PAR]

The acrylics workfine overcured epoxy, but some alkyds can cause trouble without primer.

[Chick Ludwig]

And some enamels won't dry properly over epoxy. I used some Sherwin Williams industrial enamel on Turtler. First coat stayed tacky. Second coat finally dried but was very dull.

[Don Silsbe]

For me at least, I will only use one or two-part polyurethanes on my boats.  They are tough as nails, and a joy to work with.  Last year, I bought a quart of Kirby marine paint, mainly because of the color.  I am pleased with the color, but it is simply not as tough as my go-to paint, Brightside.  The extra $20 spent on a quart of paint is worth it.

[Hirilonde]

7 minutes ago, Thrillsbe said:

For me at least, I will only use one or two-part polyurethanes on my boats.  They are tough as nails, and a joy to work with. 

I agree with the tough part but I have never found them a joy to work with.

 

As to Kirby, I find it the best paint available for wooden boats without epoxy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Don Silsbe]

It's fun to brush on--  it's a fine, low-tech paint. By calling it a joy, I mean that if you thin it, and use it properly, it gives you a high gloss durable finish.  Kirby gives you neither.  My plan is to show y'all a photo of my bottom (canoe), once I'm capable of downloading it (the photo).  The forum app doesn't like photos taken and attached from my phone camera.

[Hirilonde]

Kirby doesn't even pretend it is a high gloss paint or hard paint.  It is for classic boats that want to look classic.  It is soft, which means it will deal with expansion and contraction.  Hard paints crack in such applications. Kirby will tell you it is gloss and really looks more like a semi-gloss which is what was available when classic boats were first built a lot more forgiving of scratches.  I'm not trying to sell anyone on it, just don't put down what you don't understand.

[PAR]

Kerby makes tradisional oil (alkyd) paint, with good quality solvents, pigments, etc. I don't know if these will react with epoxy, but primer will solve the issue.

[greendane]

@Thrillsbe I've been taking latex off mine in spots and it is terrible. I don't know how other paint types compare, but it's laborious. Thus I'm only doing the parts I was going to fix, will scratch it up good and put down primer and some more coats of the same stuff. 

 

[Don Silsbe]

My feelings on this subject are pretty strong.  If you spend all that time and money on building a boat, why would you want to use cheap paint in the last step?  What are you saving-- $20?

[Don Silsbe]

I recently learned that Rustoleum's topside marine paint was polurethane "fortified".  (Whatever that means.)  Since my local Benjamin Moore dealer carries it, and will custom mix colors, I might try it on my next small boat project.  But to me, Brightsides feels like formica on a boat, whereas the Kirby feels as soft as vinyl.

[Don Silsbe]

So, what did you end up using, and how is it performing?

[PAR]

Kerby's is a real straight alkyd and for all practical purposes, so is Rustoleum, though it does have a few things added, nothing that can make it much more than a straight alkyd. It's most important additive is a flow promoter/hardener which helps it "lay down" and maintain a wet edge longer. Brightsides is a modified polyurethane, though similar chemically in some respects to alkyds, certainly a distinctly different formulation. The single part polyurethanes are the second toughest paints available, only bettered by the 2 part LPU's. Both of these are significantly harder than the alkyds.

[Hirilonde]

The only boats I use Kirby on are classic plank on frame boats.  It sticks very well to wood that will become soggy and is soft enough to handle the expansion a traditional boat goes through in it's first couple days in the water each year.  Even if you got a 2 part LPU to stick, it will likely crack as it is so hard and doesn't like expanding wood.  It also works very well in paying out seems.  If I am doing a modern construction boat with thin candy shell of epoxy I go with modern plastic paints.

 

[Chick Ludwig]

Hey Don, is  Rustoleum's topside marine paint a line that is carried by, or available to, all Benjamin Moore stores? Where is the "local store" that you can get it at?

[Don Silsbe]

Williams Paint in Landrum.  They also carry Valspar's "latex fortified" (water-based) porch paint.  And they'll mix you whatever color you can dream up.  Come down, and I'll introduce you to Tom.