TOPIC: Fiberglass/paint questions

I am starting the paint prep on a Span America that I plan to paint myself.
The jelcoat was originally terquois on the deck, and white on the hull.
Somewhere along the line, someone painted the deck sky blue, and then metalic purple! (I'd like to get my hands on THAT guy's throat).
I plan to remove all of the aftermarket paint, and then apply primer and marine paint over the jelcoat.
My dilema though is that there are hairline cracks in the paint. As I sand through the layers, I am finding that some (many) of these small cracks are actually in the jelcoat.
Is there a reasonably easy way to remedy this?
Tho it's a great little boat, I know that it's never going to the Smithsonian. I want it to be "right", but can't spend huge dollars in it's restoration.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
I will try to attach an example of a crack before sanding and another on of after the paint is removed.

TIA
Mike

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Well Mike now you feel my pain as I hate guys that don't restore boats the right way with gelcoat. I know its expencive but worth every penny because it lasts. Auto paint was never designed for the kind of flexing that fiberglass does thus sometimes cracks and will always crack over a gelcoat crack. My suggestion is to use paint stripper to remove all the paint and that will expose all the gelcoat cracks, from there you have to start grinding through the gelcoat and do the repairs to the fiberglass first. I will suggest using a gelcoat primer to cover the repaired glass atleast, that way they will stay fixed this time and not come back in a year or the first big wave you hit. After that PPG Delfleet polyurathane is the best choice if your using auto paint, it flexs really good on fiberglass and sticks really good. Glad your using a spray gun too, Rollers and paint brushes are made for houses NOT boats. I have a Larson Thunderhawk that has about 10 coats of lucite house paint on it that was brushed on and that will be a pain to strip. I dont even want to get started on the Restored glass craft I bought that was brush painted and I have to strip and redo. Mike if you need more help you have my number just give me a call and I will guide you. Just a word of advice spend the money to do it right now or plan on redoing it in a couple of years and paying far more. Like the old STP ad,"You can pay me now or pay me later" Thus do it right the first time.
Cowboy

I've been doing some reading. I was thinking about using Interlux epoxy primer and Interlux Brightside polyurethane paint.
Other than the nasty fumes, they have very good reviews.
Before deciding tho, I'll check reviews for the Delfleet product mentioned in this thread.

Cowboy, you referred to "repairing the glass, after grinding-down the gelcoat".
After sanding through the gelcoat, I don't think that I can even see any cracking of the glass surface. It's certainly not a structural issue.
After stripping off all the paint, is it sufficient to sand through the gelcoat only where cracked, re-prime the areas of exposed glass, then use the epoxy primer on the entire surface?

Mike

My boat had cracks in the gel really bad, i sanded all the gel coat off and im going to spray the same amout of gel back on. I figured if i did it this way there would be no reason for the cracks to come back. It'll be just like original.... I hope..

I hate to tell ya that the cracks are in the Glass under the Gelcoat but you can't see them as easy. I have come up with a test to see if you have got them all before you spray gel. Thin Laquer paint 200% (use White) spray a light coat and they will show up. Paint will not bridge cracks in fiberglass. You can use this method to check for cracks after the gelcoat is removed. MOST of the time the glass cracked first then the gelcoat gives way. BUT its possible its just the Gelcoat. Now if you find the cracks in the Glass you have to grind down and put a layer of glass mat over the damaged area. Use angel hair and NOT woven mat. Angel hair is the best for repairs. Now if you think you can bridge the cracks in the glass with Gelcoat you will be really bumbed when you do all that work and they come back in a year or the first big wave. I have restored boats for 25+ years and I have seen guys do shortcuts that just don't work. I am the guy that has to fix what they fixed or should I say didn't fix but thought they did. The worst was the corvettes that came in the shop with a back yard paint job.
Regarding Interlux paint I have heard guys having good luck with it but I don't use it so I really can't say much pro or con. I use PPG products and some Dupont, Sikkens and house of color for auto paint. We are getting set up with Gelcoats with a new company and as I learn about this system more I will share my success.
Cowboy

I used the interlux system on a 65 G3,red. Its lasted 6 years so far. I sprayed the primer,but I used a 4" roller for the top coat, The hull turnd out pretty nice,6 coats with wet sanding after each coat, it was in the upper 70s,by the time I got to the top it had warmed up into the low to mid 90s and it didnt level out as well but it still looks good, also the primer was 24.00 and the red was 28.95, thinner 22.00, so for 75.00 I got 6 years of heavy use out of it.

hull pic

#2

what we did is sanded out the smaller cracks them Dremeled the larger ones. This leaves grooves where you've Dremeled, you fill these in with Cab O Sill ( sp? ). Worked really well !! It's 3 years later and still no signs of anything coming through the paint.

Ponyboy, what grit(s) did you wet sand with?

Frank

If I remember correctltly it was 800 grit, I waited 24 hrs between coats, 1 more thing, the paint "moved" for at least 2 weeks , yes Moved, it looked different every day for some time,it kept getting a little more level every day, its hard as a rock today though. It has started to fade on the upper side of the gunwales and the front deck, I bought more paint and will at some time repaint the deck. Red Is a hard color to keep red.