Ok guys Im a cheap ass and I was wondering what paint to use on the SJ. Should I use anti fouling on the bottom or just use single stage. What have people had luck with . I (of course) have to be as cheap as possible before Hitler (aka wifey) finds out. Im not looking to have a perfect paint job but something decent that I can live with for a year or so. I thought about spraying rustoleum but dont what it would turn out like.

GT, Does speed fouling I mean antifouling paint drag that much? HHMMM never knew that. It has been painted over the original gel (1974) It seems to be enamel. The bottom is actually in really good shape but the topside and deck has some rough spots.

Have you ever used PETTIT MARINE COATINGS before?? It seems like it would be a nice product, or DUPLICOLOR pre mixed stuff?

I will be the first to admit I dont know chit about paint,  I am stumbling through painting my truck right know. I still have some time before season but I want to get everything now so I can start as soon as the temp gets above 50.

Yeah, the problem you will have with the anti fouling paint is that it is really designed for use on boats that spend most of their timer in the water. The stuff is pretty rough and I have seen losses of up to 5 MPH on a buds cruiser that he kept in the lake at Shasta...

Rustolium is tough to remove, very solvent resistant, I have a bud that owns a paint shop locally, I will get his recommendations and let you know what he says, the problem with paint is the products change so rapidly to keep Mr. Gore happy 

HVLP is the only way to go IMHO..tips can be changed out and are cheap.

GT

I'll echo what Glenn said and add that single stage urethane is the shiznit!  That 1.4 should spray that great, it holds up fantastic (assuming proper prep) and looks great. 

having sprayed alot of single stage and now switching to base clear urethane for me its hands down base clear.I have found it much more forgiving for mistakes and sprays like a dream just a little more cost up front but for a beginner I think more forgiving and easier to get a gloss.You can get your paint laid down and sand in between coats if you have any issuess.Then you can put on the clear and if your not happy after the reccomended 3 coats of clear then you can sand with 1000 or 1500 grit wet paper then buff to a gloss. While it is possible to sand and buff single stage I think it is much harder to do  I think for HVLP (the only way to go ) your compressor is too small I would rent a larger one spray with a 1.3 tip 27 psi at the gun gives you 9 psi at the tip. Check out my project thread under boat showcase to see what base clear can look like,my first attempt at it  also check out TCP Global for paint I found the paint and service top notch and free shipping on orders over $150.00 just my .02 I could be wrong

having sprayed alot of single stage and now switching to base clear urethane for me its hands down base clear.I have found it much more forgiving for mistakes and sprays like a dream just a little more cost up front but for a beginner I think more forgiving and easier to get a gloss.You can get your paint laid down and sand in between coats if you have any issuess.Then you can put on the clear and if your not happy after the reccomended 3 coats of clear then you can sand with 1000 or 1500 grit wet paper then buff to a gloss. While it is possible to sand and buff single stage I think it is much harder to do  I think for HVLP (the only way to go ) your compressor is too small I would rent a larger one spray with a 1.3 tip 27 psi at the gun gives you 9 psi at the tip. Check out my project thread under boat showcase to see what base clear can look like,my first attempt at it  also check out TCP Global for paint I found the paint and service top notch and free shipping on orders over $150.00 just my .02 I could be wrong

While I somewhat agree with the forgiveness of a BC,CC, single stage is less work and cheaper, I would recommend investing in a good polisher and color sand a rub out any imperfections, the single stage is quite a bit more scratch resistant than a clear, we ran the tunnel (aluminum) up the bank at about 70 MPH after losing the tiller arm and the aluminum was caved in but the paint was barely harmed, it was crazy...

BTW Farmer, that boat of yours is coming out badass..

GT

I am absolutely a rookie so tkeep that in mind when you read any of my "advice". When I think back to when I was spraying the Single Stage, it turned out so nice and shiny, is durable as hell and was so easy I got a false sense of security for when I went to BC/CC.

That stuff was much more touchy and while in the end it turned out great, I gained a few more grey hairs in the process.


Of course, I now have to repaint some of the blue due to a couple of boat bumps I got on the rail and worst of all a ignorant fool with a buffer (that would be me) that should have stopped about 2.1 seconds sooner than he did...   

Jrork, somehow I dont beleive that was your first rodeo if you know what I mean.

As far as my projects go I am a broke a$$ right now and I just want to get back on the water so Im going the single stage route. I even thought about using the paint that I use on my heavy equipment. That stuff is tuff and cheap. I found a deal on a 33 gallon compressor that is rated at 8.3 cfm @ 40psi and 6  cfm @ 90 psi which is a little more than what my hvlp gun calls for.

As soon as the damn temp comes up around here I will paint the truck and pull in the boat. Should be a couple of weeks, cant wait.

Farmer, I have a good friend that is a prof. detailer I can ask him for a few tips. He's doin mine when done.

thanks have never done it but not afraid to try maybe too stupid to know if I shouldnt, compressor sounds like just the ticket you can never have too much air. invest in an air dryer before trying too paint i have a fairly inexpensive one that takes dessicant crystal works great and an absolute must have

You don't really need an air drier if you have some bare ground near the compressor....

Get a piece of over sized pipe (mine is a 4" piece of copper about 3' long) and braze caps on the ends, then braze a fitting in the bottom (horizontally) and two in the top. The air enters in from the top and leaves from the top, the bottom goes to a blow down fitting that I drain every two weeks or so, mine is buried in the ground behind the shed at about 20" under the surface with PVC tape over the whole thing to slow down corrosion...Works like a champ, never had water or condensation problems...The problem with refrigerated air driers is the air ends up being really cold, which also makes it more dense, the newer driers reheat the air and work more efficiently. Your desiccant set up sounds killer, to regenerate the desiccant, just put it on a baking sheet or pan and put it in the oven at like 275* for about an hour....Done...

GT