board PAINT advice? (after footsrap insert install mod)

swchandler · Joined: 08 Nov 1993 Posts: 10588

As far as removing contact cement, I would recommend scraping it off using a single edge razor blade. It might be a little time consuming, but it's effective, and you can finish the job off by sanding with 220 grit wet and dry sandpaper.

DanWeiss · Joined: 24 Jun 2008 Posts: 2296 Location: Connecticut, USA

thombiz · Joined: 25 Jun 2007 Posts: 799 Location: Corpus Christi

First, when painting a board, the paint can easily weigh 1 to 2 pounds for a 120 liter board. keep in mind it will never weigh more than the weight of the wet paint in its container.

You can remove hardened contact cement with Mineral Spirits! I say Mineral Spirits because that is what Gulftech used for years to remove old Boom Grips in preparation for a new grip. They had a tank where they would soak the boom overnight, next morning the grip and glue were easy to get off using rags. For this work on boards, use paper towels, moisten the paper towel with mineral spirits, then put them on the board where the glue exists. spread the moistened paper towel, then cover them with a plastic sheet, like a plastic shopping bag or plastic garbage bag, and tape to the board surface. Let stand for about an hour, pull the plastic and paper towel up and you should be able to use your hand to rub the area with your hand and roll up/remove the old contact cement. Repeat if necessary. Just leave longer if needed for stubborn areas before you try to rub it off. Mineral Spirits is great because it all evaporates leaving no residue behind.

When faced with similar painting issues, as those being discussed, I've used two different paints with great success. The two paints are chosen because they do not seem to yellow as they age and this is important when it comes to white paint. The first paint in IMRON. It is incredible stuff. Great for extreme conditions like fire truck paint, airplanes, etc. It is pricey and it must be sprayed. It covers well without showing substrates below when primer step is skipped. It must be sprayed. Ten year old painted boards still look good.

The second paint is more DIY related. It is Awlgrip polyester based urethane boat paint. Be sure to get the "polyester" based urethane. Again, it does not tend to yellow as it ages. It can be sprayed and it can be rolled on and tipped with a brush. The second method is popular with DIY boat paint projects. If you do the "roll on followed with tipping with a brush " you can Google some hints to help you get professional results. Like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLJOXD9fiBs One tip is use a foam roller you can get at most marine stores who stock West Systems Epoxies. Tipping is done using the tip of the brush with a light touch. Once the paint cures, it is time for wet sanding to get rid of any orange peel texture. This is followed by buffing out with Meguiare's Ultimate Compound available from Autozone or similar car parts stores.

Now, nonskid. I use acrylic dust nonskid "FINE" grade which I get from www.fiberglasshawaii.com in California. I mask off the area to receive nonskid, then lightly dry sand it with 280 or so wet/dry sandpaper to remove the gloss. Then I use a foam roller available from West Systems Epoxies to roll on the urethane paint, the same paint I painted the board with. I roll on 3 light coats of Imron or Awlgrip, and right behind the 3rd coat, I have someone sprinkle on the non-skid by putting the nonskid in a salt shaker. I have the shaker shake the dust from a height of about 18" above the board and shake it on until the gloss is gone from the new Imron or Awlgrip. As soon as the sprinkling is finished, I remove the masking tape and let the nonskid application cure for 3 days minimum.

grayson · Joined: 09 May 2003 Posts: 92 Location: Burlington, VT

Just circling back to this old thread to close the loop, say "THANKS!", and let y'all know where I landed. I ended up heeding your collective words of caution about the weight of paint, and ONLY painted the areas I positively had to (nose and tail). All the other repair/mod areas were covered in my new deck pad. For simplicity (and local availability) I went with swchandler's suggestion and just used white Krylon Epoxy Paint. Quite happy with the result. Smile

I just posted a new thread more about the mod itself and its results. Bottom line: I absolutely couldn't be happier. Can't believe what a difference it made to move the straps. See the new thread for some details...

foil-board-mod -- moving the straps on an old formula board

boardsurfr · Joined: 23 Aug 2001 Posts: 1266

thombiz · Joined: 25 Jun 2007 Posts: 799 Location: Corpus Christi

As with polyester based urethanes, a "fresh air" supplied face mask should be used when you spray it.....if you use the paint on a regular basis, like shooting some every week. As for me, I may shoot a board maybe once a year so I opt for lots of ventilation and a dust mask. For rolling and tipping with a brush, just plenty of ventilation.

I'm not suggesting you downplay the manufacturers recommendations , just suggesting some common sense can be applied. Breathing the airborne paint particles is where caution should be used. Also, following the manufacturers mix instructions very closely is very important for the best results.