My 1st RC Boat Paint Job

[Man Le]

Hi All,

I'm working on my 1st RC Boat paint job and planning to follow instructions from offshoreelectrics dot com, steps below:
Painting:
Krylon Sandable Primer (white or grey)
Krylon Color Paint
Krylon Gloss Clear Coat

Thoughts, suggestions would be appreciated.

Link to full instructions:

How to Spray Paint a Fiberglass or ABS Plastic

 

[Rich Jones]

Consider using Krylon Colormaxx or Fusion paints. I’ve heard of people getting decent results from these. Also the Rustoleum 2x paints work well. I’ve used the Rustoleum. The coverage is good and it applies pretty nicely. The instructions from Offshore Electrics are a good guide. I will say to follow the instructions for the specific paint with regard to recoat times. Spray on a coat. Wait about 10 min. Then do another coat and so on. The cans will likely tell you you can recoat as many times as you like but if like an hour has passed between coats then wait 24 hours before applying more. When you are done with color 1, wait at least a couple days before masking and doing another color. Even if it is the same brand, if you spray fresh paint on paint that hasn’t cured, it can make it wrinkle and lift. So patience is the key here. Once the colors are on and any graphics applied, then do your clear. Wet sand lightly with 600-800 before doing clear. The smoother and flatter the base coats, the better the clear will lay down. Always start your spray before the boat and continue past the end. Don’t stop in the middle. Don’t hang out in one place for long. Make smooth consistent passes. If this is an electric boat then the Krylon or Rustoleum clear is fine. If it is gas or especially nitro, then use a good quality automotive clear. I’ve used the Spraymax 2k Clear Glamour clear over Rustoleum with decent results but please wear a good cartridge respirator when spraying that stuff. It stands up to gas and nitro. The Krylon or Rustoleum won’t. You should allow 5 days for your base to cure before using this or other automotive clear.

The last thing I’ll mention is listen to the advice given in the article regarding not trying to paint out in the elements. If you don’t have a garage, try using a tent. It will, at the very least, block the wind, but also cut down on any dust or bugs. Trying to paint out in even light wind sucks. You can’t even begin to get even coats on the boat with half of your paint blowing away.

Thats about all I can think of. Good luck.

 

[happybradboating]

When I was painting boats I liked the Krylon white primer, color top coat & clear. I did the Top Flight clear after applying Krylon clear. It looks like Top Flight paint has been discontinued on Tower Hobbies & maybe everywhere? If and when the boat gets chipped I like white primer showing, not gray primer. The white primer makes it easier to apply your color coat. I have used Rustoleum before with good results. You can do test runs of your paint combinations by try running a test run on a small piece of wood or plastic. This can help you learn your painting skills on wood or plastic by triggering the can off & on when getting past your painting surface. If you can locate a paint can trigger attachment it will stop you from getting your finger in the way of the spray coming out of the spray can nosal. It is also helpful in triggering the paint can on & off after passing the boat surface by temporarily shutting off the spray before your next pass. I tried locating this device on Tower Hobbies without any luck. The better the clear paint you use the more likely your paint job will hold up!

 

[BruceHartmann]

I've not had good luck with Rustoleum. I've read that different cans have different thinners and propellants. Between the fish eyes and lemon peel, I just bit the bullet and bought an automotive paint sprayer. I use Klass Kote. It smells EXACTLY like K&B Superpoxy.

KLASS KOTE EPOXY PAINTS, CLEAR COATS, MODEL PAINT

 

[Man Le]

Thank you for all the advises, I went to Home Depot, did some shopping and I found Rust-Oleum, looks like only brand they have, see pics.
1/ Primer (wet sandable)
2/ Color coat
3/ Clear coat

What I've learned so far is wet sand between coats (primer, color, clear), will test a couple trial before painting on a boat.

 

[Man Le]

Consider using Krylon Colormaxx or Fusion paints. I’ve heard of people getting decent results from these. Also the Rustoleum 2x paints work well. I’ve used the Rustoleum. The coverage is good and it applies pretty nicely. The instructions from Offshore Electrics are a good guide. I will say to follow the instructions for the specific paint with regard to recoat times. Spray on a coat. Wait about 10 min. Then do another coat and so on. The cans will likely tell you you can recoat as many times as you like but if like an hour has passed between coats then wait 24 hours before applying more. When you are done with color 1, wait at least a couple days before masking and doing another color. Even if it is the same brand, if you spray fresh paint on paint that hasn’t cured, it can make it wrinkle and lift. So patience is the key here. Once the colors are on and any graphics applied, then do your clear. Wet sand lightly with 600-800 before doing clear. The smoother and flatter the base coats, the better the clear will lay down. Always start your spray before the boat and continue past the end. Don’t stop in the middle. Don’t hang out in one place for long. Make smooth consistent passes. If this is an electric boat then the Krylon or Rustoleum clear is fine. If it is gas or especially nitro, then use a good quality automotive clear. I’ve used the Spraymax 2k Clear Glamour clear over Rustoleum with decent results but please wear a good cartridge respirator when spraying that stuff. It stands up to gas and nitro. The Krylon or Rustoleum won’t. You should allow 5 days for your base to cure before using this or other automotive clear.

The last thing I’ll mention is listen to the advice given in the article regarding not trying to paint out in the elements. If you don’t have a garage, try using a tent. It will, at the very least, block the wind, but also cut down on any dust or bugs. Trying to paint out in even light wind sucks. You can’t even begin to get even coats on the boat with half of your paint blowing away.

Thats about all I can think of. Good luck.

Thank you for all the details and mentioning about a tent and yes, I'll get a tent, I do have a garage but don't want to clean up the mess, I know I'm a beginner painter so one way or the other, it'll be a mess so I'd rather mess a tent than the garage.

 

[Rich Jones]

It’s an electric boat isn’t it? So no fuel concerns. You can try that Rustoleum and it’ll probably be ok. I’m surprised they didn’t have the 2x Rustoleum.

 

[Man Le]

It’s an electric boat isn’t it? So no fuel concerns. You can try that Rustoleum and it’ll probably be ok. I’m surprised they didn’t have the 2x Rustoleum.

Good catch, it's a gas boat, I'll try to find 2x Rustoleum or Krylon Colormaxx and Spraymax 2K Clear Glamour, saw it on Amazon, thank you.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CJYRY3D/ref=syn_sd_onsite_desktop_140?psc=1&pd_rd_plhdr=t&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzNzFBT0Y0UFlaNllRJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNzk0OTQ1MzdDV0NJVlU5M1g1NiZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwOTc2NDI3MTNMSVo3NFVYRVRXUCZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNkX29uc2l0ZV9kZXNrdG9wJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

 

[Man Le]

When I was painting boats I liked the Krylon white primer, color top coat & clear. I did the Top Flight clear after applying Krylon clear. It looks like Top Flight paint has been discontinued on Tower Hobbies & maybe everywhere? If and when the boat gets chipped I like white primer showing, not gray primer. The white primer makes it easier to apply your color coat. I have used Rustoleum before with good results. You can do test runs of your paint combinations by try running a test run on a small piece of wood or plastic. This can help you learn your painting skills on wood or plastic by triggering the can off & on when getting past your painting surface. If you can locate a paint can trigger attachment it will stop you from getting your finger in the way of the spray coming out of the spray can nosal. It is also helpful in triggering the paint can on & off after passing the boat surface by temporarily shutting off the spray before your next pass. I tried locating this device on Tower Hobbies without any luck. The better the clear paint you use the more likely your paint job will hold up!

Thank you for the paint techniques, will try on a piece of wood for sure.....

 

[Man Le]

I've not had good luck with Rustoleum. I've read that different cans have different thinners and propellants. Between the fish eyes and lemon peel, I just bit the bullet and bought an automotive paint sprayer. I use Klass Kote. It smells EXACTLY like K&B Superpoxy.

KLASS KOTE EPOXY PAINTS, CLEAR COATS, MODEL PAINT

Thank you for sharing the experience about Rustoleum, I glanced on Klass Kote website and doesn't look like they has spray cans.

 

[Rich Jones]

If you want to use automotive paint, my local paint store was able to match exact automotive colors and put them in cans. They use the Spraymax System and you get whatever color you want in cans and good urethane paint. You may have a shop locally that does this. It’s a lot pricier but the quality is better and then you would use the Spraymax clear over that. Either way would work. If you use the 2x let it cure for a few days before clear. If your gas boat is 40 plus inches, you’ll easily use 4 cans of the clear.

 

[Man Le]

If you want to use automotive paint, my local paint store was able to match exact automotive colors and put them in cans. They use the Spraymax System and you get whatever color you want in cans and good urethane paint. You may have a shop locally that does this. It’s a lot pricier but the quality is better and then you would use the Spraymax clear over that. Either way would work. If you use the 2x let it cure for a few days before clear. If your gas boat is 40 plus inches, you’ll easily use 4 cans of the clear.

Thank you for the insight, automotive colors in cans from local paint store, I'll look into this option, more options is always better.
Yes, my gas boat is 48" and it's a SLR Missile Thunderboat so I'm sure it does need lots paint, wow, 4 cans of Spraymax....is adding up, I can see paints getting expensive now, anyway, it's a hobby and fun and always come with a price.....
I checked at the Ace hardware store, they do have the 2x Rust-Oleum, will get them and try out....

 

[Rich Jones]

Thank you for the insight, automotive colors in cans from local paint store, I'll look into this option, more options is always better.
Yes, my gas boat is 48" and it's a SLR Missile Thunderboat so I'm sure it does need lots paint, wow, 4 cans of Spraymax....is adding up, I can see paints getting expensive now, anyway, it's a hobby and fun and always come with a price.....
I checked at the Ace hardware store, they do have the 2x Rust-Oleum, will get them and try out....

If you look on Amazon they have multi can deals on the spraymax. You can get 6 cans for like 105.00. That’s like 17.50 a can. You can’t do much better than that on the stuff. And yes easy to spend 200.00 or more on painting and most don’t figure that in. I know I didn’t at first.

 

[Man Le]

If you look on Amazon they have multi can deals on the spraymax. You can get 6 cans for like 105.00. That’s like 17.50 a can. You can’t do much better than that on the stuff. And yes easy to spend 200.00 or more on painting and most don’t figure that in. I know I didn’t at first.

Did some shopping and found Krylon Colormaxx from Lowes, found primer and and color, the question is the primer can does not mention about sandable, do you have experience with this Krylon primer and if it's sandable or wet sandable ?

 

[Rich Jones]

I don’t know for sure but my guess would be yes. The colormaxx product I believe is similar to the Rustoleum 2x. I used their primer and it was sandable. I wet sanded it. Use the correct paper. Make sure it says wet or dry or you’ll wind up with bits of abrasive everywhere on your boat.

 

[Mark Anderson]

For primer, try an automotive paint store. Many carry U-Pol brand in a spray can. Dries faster and much better build than Krylon or Rustoleum. U-Pol also has an excellent spray can clear.

 

[Man Le]

After 2 months of prep and finally, I got to paint my 1st project, lots of learning as my 1st paint job, thank you for all the advices, special thanks to Rich Jones, gave me all the detail advices, I took all the details and apply to my 1st paint job, there's always something else to learn and can be improved for my next project.

I used Krylon Colormaxx Primer and Fusion for colors then Spraymax 2K for clear.

Applied base color on Wednesday, hopefully, I can apply 2nd color this Sunday then wait for a couple days, apply decals and the clear coat Tuesday next week, I'm in the mid-west and fall temp starts dropping rapidly, taking advantage some of last days of 60's, looks like my last chance is Saturday next week.

 

[Rich Jones]

Looking good so far! Glad I could help. Looking forward to the finished product!

 

[Man Le]

Looking good so far! Glad I could help. Looking forward to the finished product!

Thank you, could have done better but there's always something called the 1st time......no matter how much I'm prepared for.

My biggest challenge I had to deal with was the wood grain and paper thin gaps between joints, this could have covered by the epoxy but when I applied the epoxy, I think I wiped the epoxy too quickly and so cleaned, accidentally removed most of the access epoxy, some of the areas had the wood gain covered and some did not.......I had to cover with putty filler and primer, was even thinking of getting the Krylon 2 in 1 primer and filler but not sure how it works after I already applied Krylon Colormaxx Primer so I just keep sanding then using putty filler and primer until all the surfaces were smooth, no visible joints, wood grains.....ended up used 10 cans of primer, hopefully it's not too thick and causing issues down the road...........

 

[Rich Jones]

Sounds like a lot of primer but whatever, just make sure it’s all smooth. I’d let it cure a few days and give it a wet sand with 400 lightly. The wood grain is a pain for sure. You think it’s filled and well you know the rest. It sounds like you at least got the wood sealed with the epoxy. And you’re right, it’ll take a boat or two before you figure out a system. I am still learning myself.