Hull Side Panels | Masking Off & Primer

With the painting of the bottom panels finally complete to my satisfaction it was time to tackle the sides.

I masked off the sides and the transom, like this.

I used this old wallpaper roller to burnish the blue tape, to get a really good seal against the hull.

Weapons of choice for the application of paint are a 4" nylon roller, as here.

And a 4" foam brush for tipping out, and good bristle brush for the edges. Like this.

The sides will be dark blue so require a light grey primer. I applied three coats over as many days and it turned out quite nice, as here.

I found that part of the secret to a good finish is to only roll out a small area at a time, so it can be tipped out while the paint is still fluid. It starts to dry as soon as it hits the surface, so you have to be quick.

The other trick is to only pour a small quantity of paint into the tray, for the same reason. As long as it flows freely I can keep the wet edge.

I also think that I am getting better at rolling and tipping, having now had plenty of practice ...

I am going to leave that to harden off for a couple of days before sanding it ready for paint.

Exciting times!

Hull Bottom Panels | Final Coat of Gloss?

When the test panels on the hull were dry I compared the finishes. Foam and bristle brushes both produced good results but the foam achieved a thinner coat, so that was the way ahead.

The bottom panels were then carefully sanded with P220 and then P280 grit to obtain a good, smooth surface. This is what they looked like.

I washed the panels and allowed them to dry before applying what I hoped would be the seventh and final coat of gloss.

I added 10% paint conditioner to the gloss to minimise brush marks, based on previous experiments. Here is the result.

It did not look too bad at all! There are some minute marks and dust particles which I will polish out later, but on the whole I think that it turned out OK.

So I summoned up the courage to peel off the masking tape. I was a bit worried that it would tear the paint and leave a jagged edge, but it came off beautifully.

Like this.

Leaving a perfectly clean and sharp edge. It's great stuff, this 3M tape!

This is what the bottom of the hull looks like now.

We're definitely getting there!

Festive Spirit!

Christmas and New Year came and went, and predictably boatbuilding stopped for the holiday.

Instead we ate and drank too much, as always.

Including this bottle of delicious Boatyard Gin, courtesy of my son.

A close look reveals that it is nearly empty ... cheers Nick!