Roll and tipping

A friend told me of a painter, name unknown, who painted a friend's entire boat using a roll and tip method. He claims the finished job looked as good as any spray job, and cost a fraction of the spray price. The painters were in the Lauderdale area.

Does anyone know of painters like this in the Lauderdale area?

Thanks
Gordon

My son was telling me about someone he has used (for a customer) in that area. He said the result was as good as a spray job. He is with HMY in the Miami office, if interested give that office a call. Not shilling for him but as we are in VA I did not pay attention to the name. PM me if interested, I can give you his cell.

The cost of a paint job is mostly in the preparation. The actual paint application is a small part of a job. A roll and tip paint job might cost a bit less than a spray job because the equipment and space charges will be less. Spraying paint requires a spray booth and personal safety gear for the painter (external air supply, etc.). There is also considerably more masking to do for spraying versus roll and tip. A roll and tip job can be done anywhere with only masking tape for masking. Equipment is a roller pan, rollers and tipping brushes. That said, most of the labor is in the sanding, filling and fairing, priming and sanding before the actual top coat goes on.

While a roll and tip paint job can look very good, the ones I have seen are 4' jobs. A good spray job done in an enclosure with proper prep will look good at 1'


David

If you are a foot away from my boat, you're too close.

Here is a link to the archive on the topic:

http://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s32/painting-topsides-3097-2.html

My experience with roll and tipping is mentioned in post #27. The paint job is now closing in on 8 or 9 seasons and still looks fab.

Yes I would appreciate a quick reply with this phone number name, and I will give him a call. thanks again

Gordon

Sure, yeah a proper roll and tip brush application "can" look as good as a spray job, but rarely is. The downside of applying by brush is you need to sand between coats and typically 3 or 4 or even more coats are necessary. When spraying, these coats can be applied in the same day. When sanding, you will achieve one coat a day. So almost an entire week for the topcoat. A skilled painter can charge $80+/hr, so I fail to see where the savings are. As stated before, all the work is in sanding, filling, and fairing the surface. I'm not even sure why they call it "painting" a boat. They should call it "prepping".

A buddy of mine anchors out in the bay to shoot topcoat if conditions allow it. Cheaper than hauling and renting a tent in a yard! I'm in the process of bringing back a GS36 MK2 and I'll be doing the same.

Anchoring out and spraying would seem to be a major pollution concern.

ulysses said:

Anchoring out and spraying would seem to be a major pollution concern.

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Hah. You absolutely positively have to be kidding me.

ulysses said:

Anchoring out and spraying would seem to be a major pollution concern.

Click to expand...

Yes it would.

It's hard to imagine how someone could spray paint a boat while it's in the water and have it look like a professional job. Maybe if it was anchored in a pond or something.

I can see a small touch up but it would be easier in a slip than anchored out somewhere.


That's another one for my upcoming book "101 Stupid Boating Tricks".

Why would a peaceful anchorage be any worse than a slip?


No dipshi* to start washing the boat next to you while you are trying to paint like my last day painting.


If the conditions are right...other than pollution...why not?


In fact, most anchorages would be preferable to my slip with wind and wave/wake action.


I have often thought of doing the same thing...just doing it in bite size pieces....and no I don't think it will be a perfect job but neither is my rolling and tipping.

WesK said:

Yes it would.

It's hard to imagine how someone could spray paint a boat while it's in the water and have it look like a professional job. Maybe if it was anchored in a pond or something.

I can see a small touch up but it would be easier in a slip than anchored out somewhere.


That's another one for my upcoming book "101 Stupid Boating Tricks".

Click to expand...

Easy to imagine once you see the results. Works great for everything topside. In a slip or anchored it makes no difference, at all.

When we were in New Zealand we saw this done regularly. All the prep is done at the dock. The boat is taken out when the weather is right, a final wipe down and on goes the paint. No over spray on adjoining boats and/or dust to deal with. SOP where we were.

Overspray probably kills more profit margin than anything...thus an anchorage always sounded better to me.


My favorite was when the USCG in Charleston years ago was spray painting red buoys just upwind from the Nat. Guards's nice, pretty yellow green emergency vehicles. The Nat Guard got all huffy about having kinda pink looking vehicles...geeez. Made the USCG repaint them.

I have rolled and tipped the whole boat several times. However I do a section area at a time each year. Two years ago while out did the entire hull from water line to the rub rail. Took 3 quart of gloss top paint. The secret to roll and tip is the prep and primer coating which is the real protection, and the thin top coat is to, make it shine and pretty.

Also the texture thickness of the top coat should be the same as finger nail polish so it comes on smooth and flattens. The top coat is just enough to cover. If first time get a female to do the tipping as most at least have an idea. The roll is just to get enough paint on the hull to cover the area. The tipping most important is to spead evenly and feather so it blends.

If there are runs streaks just sand down and re paint the area. Do over.

Several of the boats beside me were roll & tip painted by the local pro, I would bet my boat that "no one" no matter how close they looked could tell it was not sprayed. Expensive though, 35 to 40K for a 50 footer in average condition.