Scarab 302 Imron 500S Clearcoat

[Seahorse1]

Finally got it done today, I've been waiting for the right time, no rain, calm morning and a hot day, Started prepairing friday, covered, sanded and cleaned on saturday and sunday morning was the day, One coat of Dupont 222D Adheresion promoter, 2 medium coats and one full wet coat of Imron 500S Clearcoat. At first alittle orange peel, and though the product valve was too opened, closed it a little and increased air psi, by 10 am the sun was coming up and the paint started to stretch, it looks like glass. I've looked at it about 100 times and just got told that I love the boat more than me!!, so we're going out for an ice cream!

Thanks for all your advices, 250 Osprey and Capt. Rick Hoitt.

Nelson

[Capt Rick Hiott]

Man,,,,That thing looks very good!

How about some pictures of it in the water?

[Seahorse1]

Thanks,

When you adviced to use the 222D, I called Dupont and asked for the 500S Tech Sheet to get familiar and do it by the book, the gentelman who answered was very helpful and i mentioned 222d, he said was the way to go if you wanted top quality end results, that a lot of folks, including some manufacturers never even bother with it, but it was the correct way to do it, specialy for recoat.

How long should I let it cure? I was going to give us a week or so to cure, but for sure as soon as she hits the water will take more pics.

thanks again

Nelson

[SCAngler]

Thanks,

When you adviced to use the 222D, I called Dupont and asked for the 500S Tech Sheet to get familiar and do it by the book, the gentelman who answered was very helpful and i mentioned 222d, he said was the way to go if you wanted top quality end results, that a lot of folks, including some manufacturers never even bother with it, but it was the correct way to do it, specialy for recoat.

How long should I let it cure? I was going to give us a week or so to cure, but for sure as soon as she hits the water will take more pics.

thanks again

Nelson

great looking paint job. give us a few more details...what type equipment did you use,how much prep work ,and how long start to finish.

[Capt Rick Hiott]

From what I can remember about Imron, its fully cured at 90 days,,,,But you will be fine after 7 days. Just don't leave it in the water overnight!

[Seahorse1]

Thanks Rick,

I was planning to put in this weekend and out the same day, then I think next month there is an offshore race out of Clearwater, we'll probably stay for that weekend, hope nothing happens to it.

SCAngler, thanks, it took me 2 days to prep and 2 hours to finish, originaly the clearcoat was peeling off on it's own everytime I went out, on the first day I forced to peel as much as possible without damaging the graphics, these graphics were airbrushed at the factory, at first I though it was a big sticker, but no, it is very sensitive to sanding, so once exposed had to be very carefull with it, I used a pressure washer on an angle and about 3 feet away from surface, then washed with 50/50 degreaser both sides (washing is imperative if you hate fisheye on your paint) on the second day before you start sanding, wipe with Clean-Prep Solvent using shop towells(blue shop towells do not leave felp behind), start sanding with an orbital sander 400 grid to even out the old clearcoat that did not come off, but carefull with even the white, it's not the original gelcoat, they applied a pure white base coat to do the graphics on top. Clean-Prep Solvent again, used a pensil and slightly marked (dribled) both sides and followed with 800 sandidng to erase the pensil marks, at this point the surface was very smooth yet rough enough for the clearcoat to adhere, it started raining on me and I used the elements to wash the boat once more to remove sanding dust,etc. it stopped raining and sun came out, it was dried in an hour. I covered the whole boat from the fender up and the trailer, used Homedepot thin plastic film.

Taped were the old clearcoat was with a 3M plastic painters tape, this is not ordinary tape, it is actualy used in custom shops, I used it at Bertram all the time to paint waterlines, etc. then masked/paper and wiped again with Clean-Prep Solvent the end of my day was about 9pm. Sunday morning(6am) bled my 3hp compressor, installed a 12" Binks air filter, I have run an air hose by the attic of my house so it's about 80 feet of hose(the further away you are from the compressor, the less chance you have for moist/water contamination to your spray), outside by the boat installed another pressure reg/ filter bough at harbour freight(cheap) but works. I used a Binks HVLP spray gun (HVLP= high volume low pressure) means less air, better flow and lower overspray than syphon conventional gun, but very careful not to run it. The beauty about HVLP and clearcoat is that clears are very sensitive when it comes to over spray and these system actualy uses between 40 to 60 PSI allowing you to see and put the right amount of paint were you need it.

The morning was calm, not windy and on the hot side, I put a coat of Dupont 222D Adheresion Promoter, flashed for 15 min. came with the first med-light clear coat (Imron 500S) flashed for 20 min, came with second coat trying to get my high gloss and didn't because my air was too high and product valve too closed, it was too late to come back so I continued on to cover the hole boat, flashed 20 min, I had a little less than half a gallon and this was it, it had to come out wright, adjusted my gun lower air and a little more product, tested on a piece of cardboard and was just what I needed, went ahead with my third and last full gloss coat, started and did not stop till I got to the other side of the hull, and that's what you see in the pictures. Mid day or so as the sun came out it looked like the paint was strectching out, went out to get a bite to eat, came back removed the tape/papers, I've been taking pictures since.

Degreaser

Clean-Per Solvent and Blue shop towells.

400 grit dry orbital sander

800 grit dry

Clean-Prep Solvent

1 Qt. Dupont 222D

1 Gal. Dupont Imron 500S Clearcoat

1 Qt. Dupont 192S Activator

+3 HP Air Compressor

A good Air filter/water separator. an air dryer would be ideal but expensive, harbour freight has one that uses silica for $40. will look into that.

HVLP Spray gun (I recommend Binks or DevilBiss)

Good mask respirator, face hood, and long sleeve painter's suit (The activator is odorless, but extremetely TOXIC) will cause permanent asthsma.

AND, a good calm windless, hot, dry morning.

[Capt Rick Hiott]

You will be fine,,,,,just dont leave it in the water over night.

[Seahorse1]

Thanks Rick,

Will see about that Clearwater race, don't know if you follow or heard that the Miss Geico boat cough on fire and it'll be out of service for a while, this boats came to Sarasota every year, I always gathered some friends and family, went out in the gulf and watch the race, a true shame what happened.

Rick, changing the subject,, do you have any experience or ever had on your boats a depht sounder? , the ones that look like a gauge and mounts on the dash, Hummingbird claims that it reads depth up to 60 or 70 mph, they also offer two sending units, one that installs outside the transom and a puck that glues to the inside of the hull and reads thru the fiberglass! I have a GPS and a Dual Probe Fish Finder that it does give me depth but it reads up to10 mph, ones I go on plane the depth disapears, so far I'm saved by my GPS with the map card tells me the latest bottom contours(depth sounds) in the area, but have been considering getting one of those gauges and haven't heard much about them, hate to open a hole in the console that's not going to help much, any comments on that are appreciated.

thanks again,

Nelson

[Capt Rick Hiott]

I wouldn't buy anything with the "Hummingbird" name on it......................

If you can adjust the transducer,,lower it just a little bit.

[team oldschool]

The boat looks awesome. Still have my old 302 and still enjoy her every once in a while. She is a 1979 and my avatar is her. Once again, it looks great!!!