I learned to AwlGrip this weekend

[JohnEasley]

Many of you will probably say that's no big deal but I was, nonetheless, pleased.

Our new-to-us boat came with a Rendova center console dinghy that was in need of a little TLC. It starts and runs great but was a bit dirty and the fiberglass hull was a blotchy, multi-colored eyesore.

I decided to experiment with prepping and painting the transom using the roll and tip method. This is something I had never done before but, hey, YouTube videos, right? The outcome would determine if I went any further with the rest of the hull. Since the we rarely leave the dinghy in the water overnight, we weren't terribly concerned about applying any kind of antifouling paint.

After sanding the transom, cleaning up, masking with blue tape, and wiping it down with Acetone, I followed internet directions to mix the base color, the converter, and the reducer. That turned out to be a mistake. I'm going to assume the ratios and the reducer were for spray application. The mix was so runny that it didn't stick and I ended up wiping off the first coat.

The second batch was base coat and converter only and I let it sit for 15 minutes so the catalyst process could do it's thing. That coat and two additional coats went on much better. I had enough left over to do the end of the hard top and put a coat on the radar housing, both of which had been prepped and taped, and both of which turned out great.

In the photo below, you can see the old surface of the dinghy hull in the lower right, under the tube. The next morning, the AwlGrip was smooth and shiny and improved the appearance a bunch. After peeling off the blue tape, I could see a couple of spots that were missed. We also scrubbed the tubes and they look a ton better, too. It's coming together.

John

 

[STB]

Out of curiosity, which converter and which reducer did you use the 1st time? What was the weather like?

Ive only done small bits with AwlGrip but had a pro do my whole last boat roll and tip. He always used a little reducer and so did I. It was really thin, almost like water, but flowed out to a perfect strokeless, but very thin, film, even in summer.

 

[wkearney99]

Keep up apprised and post finished pix!

 

[ben2go]

Nice. There's paint available for the soft tubes. You need to know what they are made of though to get the proper paint, or so I've read.

 

[JohnEasley]

Out of curiosity, which converter and which reducer did you use the 1st time? What was the weather like?

Ive only done small bits with AwlGrip but had a pro do my whole last boat roll and tip. He always used a little reducer and so did I. It was really thin, almost like water, but flowed out to a perfect strokeless, but very thin, film, even in summer.

The weather was beautiful. Sunny, Florida, upper 80s to low 90s, moderate humidity and a mild breeze. No rain.

Unfortunately, I don't have the AwlGrip parts numbers in front of me at the moment so I can't tell you exactly which converter and reducer. I'll look again this weekend. Considering doing the starboard side of the dinghy hull this weekend... or cleaning the engine room. Like so many things in boating, it's weather-dependent.

John

 

[Gordon J]

I don’t know the ratios you used, but when rolling, the paint should be almost as thin as water. The idea is to squeeze out of the roller nearly all the paint and then roll. The paint should be thin enough to flow and still nor sag. I use a quarter inch nap mohair roller from Benjamin Moore. Usually don't even have to tip for a spray-like finish.

 

[JohnEasley]

Nice. There's paint available for the soft tubes. You need to know what they are made of though to get the proper paint, or so I've read.

I had heard about that. It's an interesting idea but some Simple Green and a scrub brush did a pretty nice job on the tubes. The photo above was taken before cleaning them. I don't have one of them after the cleaning.

John

 

[JohnEasley]

I don’t know the ratios you used, but when rolling, the paint should be almost as thin as water. The idea is to squeeze out of the roller nearly all the paint and then roll. The paint should be thin enough to flow and still nor sag. I use a quarter inch nap mohair roller from Benjamin Moore. Usually don't even have to tip for a spray-like finish.

Interesting tip about the roller. Thanks.

I did squeeze the roller out before rolling. The first batch was so thin it dripped and sagged rapidly. That batch just didn't work out. The second batch was thin like water but I also let it stand for 15 minutes for the activator to work. That batch flowed on much better without sagging. Ended up with a nearly spray-like finish. It'll be in the water, anyway, or up on top of the aft deck in the cradle so not many people are going to see it up close.

John

 

[JohnEasley]

I don’t know the ratios you used, but when rolling, the paint should be almost as thin as water. The idea is to squeeze out of the roller nearly all the paint and then roll. The paint should be thin enough to flow and still nor sag. I use a quarter inch nap mohair roller from Benjamin Moore. Usually don't even have to tip for a spray-like finish.

Gordon,

Do you recall which converter you used and what mix ratio?

Thanks.

John

 

[ben2go]

I had heard about that. It's an interesting idea but some Simple Green and a scrub brush did a pretty nice job on the tubes. The photo above was taken before cleaning them. I don't have one of them after the cleaning.

John

 

[STB]

Hi John,

Thanks so much! And, it does look great!

 

[sean9c]

Mix the topcoat and brushing converter (H3002) at 2 parts paint to one part converter. Stir and let sit for 30 minutes and then add brushing thinner (T0031), about 15% if you are just going to roll and not brush, about 25% to as high as 40% (depends on the color) if you'e going to roll and brush.

 

[JohnEasley]

Mix the topcoat and brushing converter (H3002) at 2 parts paint to one part converter. Stir and let sit for 30 minutes and then add brushing thinner (T0031), about 15% if you are just going to roll and not brush, about 25% to as high as 40% (depends on the color) if you'e going to roll and brush.

Ah-ha! Thanks, Sean. There is where I made my original mistake. Still learning. Can’t wait to try it again.

John

 

[sbu22]

Appreciate you bringing this up, John. Sean brought the discussion down to meat and potatoes with part numbers! I've got a list of small touchup areas that I want to do myself. Hard to find road tested info on rolling AwlGrip.

 

[JohnEasley]

Mix the topcoat and brushing converter (H3002) at 2 parts paint to one part converter. Stir and let sit for 30 minutes and then add brushing thinner (T0031), about 15% if you are just going to roll and not brush, about 25% to as high as 40% (depends on the color) if you'e going to roll and brush.

Resurrecting this thread. It took months to get back to this job and finish it up. The sanding and prep work is nasty, gritty work. The painting part was actually pretty easy and made much better by following your recommendations, Sean. Thank you, thank you for the guidance. Rolled on two coats, three in some spots. I’m pleased with how it turned out.