Refinishing

I have done four refinishing jobs on Lindsay 50's. I don't think you will find any disagreement over what to do for the base coat:

1. Remove all the old finish.
2. If you have splitting veneer, cover those areas with a 4oz cloth. This will keep it from splitting again.
3. Apply two coats of epoxy, I use West 207 hardener (uv, uv, uv) You can do both coats at once or sand between them. Just be careful not to "pull" the resin. If you pull it, it will turn white. The object is the saturate the veneer and end with a smooth flat surface. My last sanding is a 320 grit wet sand. This ensures I have a smooth and clean (very important) surface.

Now its time for a top coat. This is where the agreement breaks down, and unfortunately this is the most important step. Most people will agree that you should use a UV protected urethane. There are several brands and I have used three: Pettit(sp), USPaint (Awgrip), System3 water based urethane, and West 1000. Here's my experience with these products:

1. Pettit and Awgrip These are similar products. Both were relatively easy to get a good brushed finish. Both lasted about 3 seasons. The boat was keep outside under covers or in a garage.
2. System3 This stuff was great because you did not need a respirator and you can clean up with water! Unfortunately, you can't brush it (I tried). I don't know how long this stuff lasts. I put it on the tanks of the boat I sold after keeping it the garage. So far, its seen one season and its stored outside under covers.
3. West 1000 I've refinished my current boat with this stuff back in '91. Most people that see the boat thinks its a new finish. I think that maybe I will have to re-finish in the next few years. This boat has been garage kept for all but one season.

I have notice a big difference in the hardness of the Pettit/USpaint as compared to the West 1000. The Pettit/USPaint finishes dry to a very hard and brittle finish. (The stuff that dries in the bottom of the bucket is like glass.) The West 1000 stuff dries hard but is not brittle (The left over stuff is pliable). I think this is very important on wood surfaces. What generally happens is that you get dings in your finish that water gets into. Next you have the finish delaminating. The wood is softer than the finish. The West stuff doesn't ding. It dimples but doesn't crack; i.e. there is a better match between the wood and its finish.

Needless to say I am impressed with the West product.

I hope this helps

Send mail to Kenny Elliott

US 7092

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