Tanzer 16 Painting project continues -- there comes a point

Tanzer 16 Painting project continues -- there comes a point -- March 18, 2016  Sometimes you just need to stop!  There comes a point in every project where you just need to quit messing.  You are at the place where it is not going to get any better.  If you keep going, you will only screw it up.  That's where we are on the hull painting.  It has two coats of primer and three or four coats of blue (Largo Blue).  I have actually lost count of the coats.  There is a tiny bit of orange peel on the bottom--about a square foot. I would love to get it perfect, but.....

This part of the project is at that that point.  In the next week, Tony will come over and we will turn the boat back over, set it in a cradle, and start working on the deck, seats, and floor.

It is now obvious that I should have used the roll and tip method that Interlux recommends. (Several great U-Tube videos) This paint, Brightside is much harder to use than automotive paint.  Auto paints rely on color build up--many coats--and then polishing at the end. That's not an option with this paint. Interlux does not want you to polish at the end; it kills the shine.

So--it looks pretty good--way better than before--not perfect, and I will have to live with that.  I am sorely tempted to sand it one more time.  But years of experience in several visual trades (printing, screen printing, interior painting) tell me it's time to be done.  Dang it!

The biggest problem with spraying this paint is that you have to apply the right amount of paint--too little and it leaves orange peel.  Too much and it sags.  You have to have the gun close--but not too close.  You have to move slowly, but not too slowly.  You have to overlap, but not too much.  The sweet spot is extremely narrow. I actually had a lot better luck spaying Perfection, but then it comes with reducer.  With Brightside I have a suspicion that if you used 8% regular thinner and 7% brushing thinner the paint might be a little more forgiving.  But we won't be finding out about that on this project.

Here is where we are so far.  The tarp looks far more blue in the picture than it is in reality.  The HVLP gun did a nice job of reducing overspray.

Spraying conditions in the garage were almost perfect;
60 - 70 degrees F.  About 45% humidity. Outside 40 - 50
degrees, and 85% humidity.

The spray barrier worked pretty well.  We are closed in on three sides and
I open the main bay door just during time I am spraying.  Of course I also
used a $300 respirator, a head covering (sock) safety glasses and rubber
gloves.

Coming up in future posts.  The trailer is spiffed up.  The new roller furling Genoa and the the retrieval sock are on their way here from Florida.

Cliche to live by:  The only that worse than quitting too soon is hanging on too long.  

Bonus cliche:  Excessive moderation is not a virtue.