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Hi All:
I have been churning this idea over in my big head for a while and thought I would do well to take a poll: I am think about painting the top side of my BellBoy red - bright red. I like John Kelly's scheme with his BellBoy 404, one year older than mine (pic of his and mine shown below). The gel coat on the topside is in need of refinishing. It owes me nothing, being 49 years old and counting. It held up magnificently all those years. There are so many nick repairs and equipment removal "scars" and general fading that no amount of sanding and buffing seems to restore that I feel its time. Gel coat matching has been a joke, mainly because I have so many "shades" in the the original gelcoat that no matter what I do, I see the work after. So. Should I go off white top and bottom like the original or off white for the hull and Pettit easypoxy red for the top? The red would include the splashwell which would look great, I think.
Unless someone thinks I am doing this sequence wrong - and please tell me if you think so! - I plan to proceed like this:
1). Buy a lifting ring and screw ontot he flywheel of my Merc 1350, rent a cherry picker and lift the engine off the transom and lay in the garage.
2). Remove all the hardware and fittings from the topside.
3). Apply wax remover and clean the entire top.
4). Repair all fiberglass flaws with fiberglass bondo
5). Sand entire area with 220 grit on my little mouse finishing sander.
6). Brush on Pettit easypoxy primer.
7). Let dry and sand with 220 again.
8). Fill any imperfections that remain with more bondo, sand and reapply primer over the re-bondo'ed areas.
9). Sand and check everything for smooth and seamless surface.
10) Roll and tip 2-3 coats of Pettit Easypoxy red, sanding lightly with 400 grit inbetween.
11). Re-attach all equipment and hardware.
Have I missed anything?
What do YOU all think?
Thanks,
Bob
I have been churning this idea over in my big head for a while and thought I would do well to take a poll: I am think about painting the top side of my BellBoy red - bright red. I like John Kelly's scheme with his BellBoy 404, one year older than mine (pic of his and mine shown below). The gel coat on the topside is in need of refinishing. It owes me nothing, being 49 years old and counting. It held up magnificently all those years. There are so many nick repairs and equipment removal "scars" and general fading that no amount of sanding and buffing seems to restore that I feel its time. Gel coat matching has been a joke, mainly because I have so many "shades" in the the original gelcoat that no matter what I do, I see the work after. So. Should I go off white top and bottom like the original or off white for the hull and Pettit easypoxy red for the top? The red would include the splashwell which would look great, I think.
Unless someone thinks I am doing this sequence wrong - and please tell me if you think so! - I plan to proceed like this:
1). Buy a lifting ring and screw ontot he flywheel of my Merc 1350, rent a cherry picker and lift the engine off the transom and lay in the garage.
2). Remove all the hardware and fittings from the topside.
3). Apply wax remover and clean the entire top.
4). Repair all fiberglass flaws with fiberglass bondo
5). Sand entire area with 220 grit on my little mouse finishing sander.
6). Brush on Pettit easypoxy primer.
7). Let dry and sand with 220 again.
8). Fill any imperfections that remain with more bondo, sand and reapply primer over the re-bondo'ed areas.
9). Sand and check everything for smooth and seamless surface.
10) Roll and tip 2-3 coats of Pettit Easypoxy red, sanding lightly with 400 grit inbetween.
11). Re-attach all equipment and hardware.
Have I missed anything?
What do YOU all think?
Thanks,
Bob
B
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