# Painting the inside of the boat.



## HialeahAngler (Dec 18, 2008)

I thought I'd get some insight from the micro-pros on this one. 

Some time ago I painted the inside of my hull with what was supposed to be a sky blue, but ended up looking smurf blue. I tried knocking it off with the pressure washer yesterday but it's not happening unless I plan on blasting through the fiberglass. So here where my questions and thoughts start.

Spoke to some neighbors that paint cars and such. They told me I didn't have to knock off the blue paint. They said what I should do is wet sand it by hand. They said that if I used my Dremel to sand that it will be too much. Then they suggested that I lay a primer down first, and then paint with whatever color I want. 

Would this work fine for me, and can I use an electric spray gun to do this? You know, the kind that Home Depot sells.

thanks.


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## mark_gardner (Mar 18, 2009)

basically you need to scuff the surface then repaint, shouldnt necessarily need to prime as long as the paints are compatable and the color change isnt very drastic, as for sanding i would think you would want to use something bigger than a dremel unless all you have is time, i use a d.a.sander. are you talking about one of the wagner power sprayers that vibrate your hands off? not sure how the finish would come out using one of those things. when i painted the mud minnow i used a fine nap shed free roller and got real decent result


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## Un-shore (Sep 27, 2007)

Pics would help and what kind of finish are you hoping for?


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## deerfly (Mar 10, 2007)

personally I think they were pulling your leg a bit with the dremel advice.  

But the key to any finish is the prep. As has been said if the paint is compatible, you have less work to do. Lacquer is about the only paint I know of that bites (melts) down into previous coats to form the mechanical bond though. All the new stuff is film based and requires some kind of primer system and coat to coat application time constraints to bond well. 

IME a good decontamination/degreasing, scuffing and a good primer is the minimum to get a finish that will last, especially high wear applications like a boat deck. 

You may even want to consider something like the truck bed liner stuff. Some mfr's offer none textured versions too. Durabak is one that comes to mind and sani-tred is another I think is worth a look. You can coat the sides with quality paint and then do the walking surfaces with the other stuff. Something to consider.


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## HialeahAngler (Dec 18, 2008)

thanks guys. well the paint on there is a marine paint in the blue seen above. the whole deck and the floor is that color. I want it all out. if I can stay away from the primer let me know, but we're going back to a white on the deck. maybe I can add some splashing for looks, but I would need advice on how best to do that too. would I have to wait for base coat to dry? stuff like that.

so we're going from blue to white. do I need the primer? is it really going to make the paint job that much better? what grit sandpaper should I use? I should I wet sand it like the neighbors said? if the best look will be with rollers then I will do it that way. that's how I did it last time. thanks again.


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## Un-shore (Sep 27, 2007)

Wet sanding would take forever and you only need to if you want a showroom finish.

I would go with deerfly's advice.


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## HialeahAngler (Dec 18, 2008)

cool. thanks a lot.


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

I believe Str8 is a painter by trade and I also believe he is in your area. Try sending him a PM.


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## paint it black (Nov 3, 2007)

Dude, hit me up.
I got you.




I think I still have some webbing solution left too.


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## HialeahAngler (Dec 18, 2008)

cool bro. I'll give you a call on your cell later. I can use a little guidance.


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## Lex_Johnson (May 25, 2009)

I just painted my mako, and it came out pretty dammmmmnnn good if you ask me.... 
Scuff up the surface with like 100 grit, and wipe down real good. I used primekote as the first coat, then sanded with 200grit to level it out, and then laid another coat of primekote. That coat was then sanded with 200grit again, and wiped clean. The paint I used was the Brightside 1 part, and the paint looks amazing. I rolled it out with a cheap foam roller from homedepot and "tipped" it out with a quality badger hair. The first coat of brightside was wet sanded with 400grit, and wiped clean of course, then painted again. I only painted the parts of the deck that would be taped off, not where the nonskid would be to keep costs down. Everywhere you plan to roll out the nonskid, I used a product called KiwiGrip. It's out of New Zealand, and used on racing sailboats. Man, best stuff I've ever delat with, and everybody that sees my boat plans to repaint theirs with the same stuff. Product is amazing, google it. Costs about $100 a gallon, and a gallon will be MORE than enought for your skiff. Stuff is like a roll on truck bed liner, but made for marine applications. Durabak and some of the others have been used and the majority of the time you will hear horror stories or unhappy boat owners. The KiwiGrip almost feels like seadeck, sort of rubbery.....


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## HialeahAngler (Dec 18, 2008)

pretty cool info, thanks dude. did you put a layer of primer on or not?


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## Gramps (Nov 1, 2007)

Hialeah PrimeKote is a primer http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=122


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## paint it black (Nov 3, 2007)

Hey Jorge, have you figured out what brand paint your father bought?


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## paint it black (Nov 3, 2007)

> Hialeah PrimeKote is a primer http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=122


That Primekote looks pretty good.
I might buy a quart to use on my skiff.
Good thing is that it's white and the white paint would be a breeze to get good coverage.


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## Lex_Johnson (May 25, 2009)

Yeah man.....primekote is a primer and fills in all the little inperfections really good. Stuff stinks though, so wear a charcoal mask or something similar. Sands down very easily too. Match it up with Brightside top coat and it will look like you had it sprayed with Awlgrip...

Since you guys are in Miami, hit up River Marine....They're the cheapest around by far


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## HialeahAngler (Dec 18, 2008)

my old man already got the paint but i don't know what kind it is. I'll try to get it from him tomorrow and let you guys know what it is. then you can tell me what you think. thanks.


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## HialeahAngler (Dec 18, 2008)

need some more help fellas. so yesterday I start sanding with one of those square sanders that you have to cut the sandpaper and cinch it down with the clips. forgot what they're called. anyway, after sanding a little I noticed that my entire boat has thousands of small valleys where the blue paint stays in. So now the piece I sanded is half white and half blue. I don't want to sand way down just to get to the blue so here are my questions. 

Is there a paint remover that I can use that won't harm the fiberglass/boat? If there is not, should I not worry about the blue and just make the area rough enough to paint over? Maybe sand it by hand? Now remember, the boat was not sanded prior to the blue being added, and that a primer will be used.


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## firecat1981 (Nov 27, 2007)

The primer should just about hide anything, I wouldn't go to far down and I wouldn't worry to much about it.


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## HialeahAngler (Dec 18, 2008)

that's what I was thinking, thanks.


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## Frank_Sebastian (Oct 15, 2007)

If it is too white you may not like the glare. I use a light green or gray on the inside bottom of my boats. The sides (on the inside) are dark so as not to reflect as much sun.

With the light green you can see the outline of a fish in order to not step on one.

Best regards,
Frank_S


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## HialeahAngler (Dec 18, 2008)

finished getting the second coat of primer on today. the decks are ready to paint. I've decided that I'm going to paint the floor with gelcoat, and then add Seadek to the floor, and both platforms. That way I won't have to worry about dulling the white. pics to come soon.


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## Lex_Johnson (May 25, 2009)

If you're going to gelcoat, you better start restripping everything now. Gelcoat is a two part epoxy, and I bet the primer you used is only a one part. The old blue paint is also a one part, so you're wasting your time gelcoating unless you strip the surface down to bare fiberglass. Whoever ya getting ya advice from is steering ya down the wrong creek meng


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## Lex_Johnson (May 25, 2009)

> The primer should just about hide anything, I wouldn't go to far down and I wouldn't worry to much about it.


Thats why most backyard paintjobs barely last a season.....preparation is everything! If the surface isn't roughed up in the valleys or if there is any residue, whatever you top coat it with will not bond and flake off easily. And primer doesn't hide much, it is used to fill in MINOR imperfections, not sloppy prep work


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## HialeahAngler (Dec 18, 2008)

I actually haven't primed the floor so I'm ok. you're saying I would need a different primer, or no primer? sand down to the fiber? definitely not wanting to do that. if that's the case I will use the regular paint.


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## Lex_Johnson (May 25, 2009)

Gelcoat is a 2 part system.......meaning only a 2 part compatible primer can be used with it. And whatever is underneath it must be 2 part as well. I'm sure the blue paint you used was a 1 part enamel, so to do it properly and make it last more than a season or two you would have to strip it down to bare material....that being fiberglass. Me and my buddy just did this with our boats. I went the 1 part way.....(lazy), and he did it gelcoat. Both of us took almost a year, as the prep work itself is more than a weekend adventure. Stick with a one part enamel like Brightside, it will give you good results and will save alot of the headache.  
If you want a durable non skid on the floors, look into the product i told you called KiwiGrip. Best stuff on the market. 
http://www.pachena.com/


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## paint it black (Nov 3, 2007)

> I actually haven't primed the floor so I'm ok. you're saying I would need a different primer, or no primer? sand down to the fiber? definitely not wanting to do that. if that's the case I will use the regular paint.


We're going to do the bottom of my buddy's robalo now in gel coat.

Since I've never messed with gelcoat we asked the guys over at Marine Express.
They said there cannot be any paint on the surface.
We must sand all the paint off till it's either gelcoat, or fiberglass.

I just picked up a 15' Johnsen skiff.

It reminds me of your boat.
The whole inside is blue.
I plan on painting it as well.


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## Lex_Johnson (May 25, 2009)

If you know anyone that is looking for a Johnson skiff my buddy has one for sale. He's located in Miami too


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## paint it black (Nov 3, 2007)

> If you know anyone that is looking for a Johnson skiff my buddy has one for sale. He's located in Miami too


Cool.
How much does he want?

I got this one in Pinecrest.
From Forum member RipNLipMiami.


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## Lex_Johnson (May 25, 2009)

Never mind then.......that's my boy Pauls boat. I should have pulled the poling platform off before it went :'(


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## paint it black (Nov 3, 2007)

> Never mind then.......that's my boy Pauls boat. I should have pulled the poling platform off before it went :'(



lol.

The platform is what made the sale for me.
No platform, I wouldn't have bought it. lol


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## Lex_Johnson (May 25, 2009)

Then you got lucky bro......I was suppose to pull the platform off for my skiff awhile back. I have been putting it off because my 25hp Yammie needs a carb job and I recently finished painting my Mako so i haven't been using the skiff 
I did snag the push pole though


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## paint it black (Nov 3, 2007)

> Then you got lucky bro......I was suppose to pull the platform off for my skiff awhile back. I have been putting it off because my 25hp Yammie needs a carb job and I recently finished painting my Mako.
> I did snag the push pole though



Lol, you want to let me have the push pole? 


I went to clean it out some and got rushed by wasp....lol I made the dash inside the house just in time.


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## Lex_Johnson (May 25, 2009)

That boat has been sitting for awhile...he bought a 23ft mako and we been fishing out of that for almost a year. 

As for da push pole..........it's spoke for


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## HialeahAngler (Dec 18, 2008)

thanks guys. so eric, you got something new? let me see!


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## paint it black (Nov 3, 2007)

> thanks guys. so eric, you got something new? let me see!



Go look on the "here's my skiff" thread in the bragging spot section.


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## HialeahAngler (Dec 18, 2008)

I saw it dude. very cool man. with how busy I've been, and you getting another skiff, you probably won't need me to take you to flamingo. lmao!


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## paint it black (Nov 3, 2007)

> I saw it dude. very cool man. with how busy I've been, and you getting another skiff, you probably won't need me to take you to flamingo. lmao!


lol

These wont be done for a while though!

I'm trying to get the trihull done soon!
I need some fall white water reds.


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## HialeahAngler (Dec 18, 2008)

cool dude. let's see if we make it out there soon.


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## HialeahAngler (Dec 18, 2008)

got one coat of paint on the boat. It looks good so far but some areas have small pieces of debris that flew on to it after painting and are stuck in the paint, (very small.) Now as I remember you guys saying, I should now give it a light sanding with 320, and give it a second coat, correct?


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## paint it black (Nov 3, 2007)

> got one coat of paint on the boat. It looks good so far but some areas have small pieces of debris that flew on to it after painting and are stuck in the paint, (very small.) Now as I remember you guys saying, I should now give it a light sanding with 320, and give it a second coat, correct?



depends on how many coats you're doing.
I'd probably go with 220 grit then a second coat, then 320 and a third. 
It depends on the paint you're using though.


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## Lex_Johnson (May 25, 2009)

> > got one coat of paint on the boat. It looks good so far but some areas have small pieces of debris that flew on to it after painting and are stuck in the paint, (very small.) Now as I remember you guys saying, I should now give it a light sanding with 320, and give it a second coat, correct?
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I agree.... I wet sanded between coats with a 400 grit just to even it out, and get the shine.  You'll be suprised how much paint comes off with the 400 grit. What paint did you end up going with?


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## HialeahAngler (Dec 18, 2008)

truthfully, I haven't even looked at the name on the can of paint. lmao! I'll get you guys some info, and pics by this weekend. I don't plan on doing more than 2 coats.


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## Lil_Tate (Dec 18, 2006)

is it smurf blue again?
just f'in with ya'

MSN timeline? ;D


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## HialeahAngler (Dec 18, 2008)

:'(


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## Lex_Johnson (May 25, 2009)

Two coats will be fine....Just use a foam roller from Home Depot, you'll be suprised how smooth you can get it to lay down. The wet sanding between coats really helps, just don't sand off too much paint!!!


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## HialeahAngler (Dec 18, 2008)

forget wet sanding. I don't have that much time meng! Fishing this Sunday. Speaking of fishing this Sunday, is 1 day enough time for the paint to dry.  Or should I wait until after I fish, and then do the second coat? gracias mi *****.


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## mark_gardner (Mar 18, 2009)

i dont know "meng"  your going to be pushing it if you paint saturday then fish sunday, i used the brightside stuff on the mud minnow and while it appeared to be fairly dry within' 24 hours i dont think it was fully cured :-? or just go ahead and paint it now then let us know how it goes, if it messes up you can always re do it LOL


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## HialeahAngler (Dec 18, 2008)

um, I guess I'll fish Saturday then and paint Sunday. andale andale arriba!


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## HialeahAngler (Dec 18, 2008)

oye Mogan, should I thin the second layer with some panit thinner, and roll it with the foam roller instead of the regular one? I'm just thinking that maybe it won't be a good idea to put another thick layer on. 

Change of plans. No fishing this weekend. Wind is out of the west and the boat needs to be completed before splashing again. Thanks again fellas. Hasta luego.


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## paint it black (Nov 3, 2007)

> oye Mogan, should I thin the second layer with some panit thinner, and roll it with the foam roller instead of the regular one? I'm just thinking that maybe it won't be a good idea to put another thick layer on.
> 
> Change of plans. No fishing this weekend. Wind is out of the west and the boat needs to be completed before splashing again. Thanks again fellas. Hasta luego.


Definitely need a thick layer of paint fool.

lol

If you wanted to do it right, you'd do two thick layers, then a third layer thinned good with special thinner so that it'll get that shine.
First two thick layers for coverage and protection, last layer for shine and finish.

That's how I did the bottom of my skiff, and it looks like a mirror. 
It's just really dirty right now.

Pass by my house one of these days and check out the finish on the bottom of my skiff.
You'd be surprised.
Better than a lot of brand new skiffs, and I used Easypoxy.


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## HialeahAngler (Dec 18, 2008)

I would love to redo the gelcoat on my skiff, but I ain't ready to take the engine off and strip the hull down. No way Jose. do you have the tools/supports to do the hull without flipping it? that's the only way I would go for it.


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## paint it black (Nov 3, 2007)

> I would love to redo the gelcoat on my skiff, but I ain't ready to take the engine off and strip the hull down. No way Jose. do you have the tools/supports to do the hull without flipping it? that's the only way I would go for it.



I should pass by your house and check out your gelcoat.
I can prolly buff it out for you and leave it looking brand new.
unless it's all chipped up.

I wet sanded the gel coat on my skiff before I started the rebuild and buffed it out.
It looked brand new.


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## HialeahAngler (Dec 18, 2008)

cool bro. let me know then.


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## paint it black (Nov 3, 2007)

> cool bro. let me know then.


Let me know whenever.
I'll swing through and check it out.
Or you can bring it by the shop.

The shop is on 80th right off 24th ave.
By "El Palacio de Los Jugos". lol


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## HialeahAngler (Dec 18, 2008)

lol. a friend of mine and his family own that place. you can swing by the crib.


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## Lex_Johnson (May 25, 2009)

I didn't thin anything out, I just did a couple coats of Brightside with a foam roller and wet sanded between coats. My boat looks pretty good, and shines more than my buddies who sprayed his with gelcoat. The wet sanding doesn't really take alot of time. You aren't trying to remove material, just smooth it out. I didn't even roll the paint out thick, as thats when you get bubbles and cure problems. Sometimes with the one part paints if you roll it too thick it will stay somewhat tacky. You definately want to let it dry for a couple days BEFORE fishing on it meng!!! 

Hey Str8, I'm interested in how you buffed out the hull. You saying that you wet sanded the gelcoat, then what, just waxed it? My Mako need s a good waxing, but I don't want to seal in the stains and water marks. The gelcoat is in really good shape, just needs some TLC if you know what i mean. :'( I don't want to break out the rubbing compound and strip it down, I know that stuff is pretty harsh and can cause alot of damge if you don't know what you're doing. Does the wet sanding get the stains out, or is it just for oxidation? Mine isn't oxidized, it just needs cleaned.


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## paint it black (Nov 3, 2007)

> I didn't thin anything out, I just did a couple coats of Brightside with a foam roller and wet sanded between coats. My boat looks pretty good, and shines more than my buddies who sprayed his with gelcoat. The wet sanding doesn't really take alot of time. You aren't trying to remove material, just smooth it out. I didn't even roll the paint out thick, as thats when you get bubbles and cure problems. Sometimes with the one part paints if you roll it too thick it will stay somewhat tacky. You definately want to let it dry for a couple days BEFORE fishing on it meng!!!
> 
> Hey Str8, I'm interested in how you buffed out the hull. You saying that you wet sanded the gelcoat, then what, just waxed it? My Mako need s a good waxing, but I don't want to seal in the stains and water marks. The gelcoat is in really good shape, just needs some TLC if you know what i mean. :'( I don't want to break out the rubbing compound and strip it down, I know that stuff is pretty harsh and can cause alot of damge if you don't know what you're doing. Does the wet sanding get the stains out, or is it just for oxidation? Mine isn't oxidized, it just needs cleaned.



The wet sanding will remove any contaminant on the surface.
oxidized, stains anything.
I buff it out with a high speed buffer and rubbing compound.
I then seal it with a glaze on the buffer too. 

Just need to be a little careful on edges, but I buff cars all the time and automotive paint is much more fragile than gelcoat or boat paint.


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## Lex_Johnson (May 25, 2009)

I might just have to get into it this weekend 
I know you're probably using professional compounds and glaze, but you think I'll get the same results with off the shelf stuff?


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## paint it black (Nov 3, 2007)

> I might just have to get into it this weekend
> I know you're probably using professional compounds and glaze, but you think I'll get the same results with off the shelf stuff?



You know I picked up some Meguiars Ultra Cut Compound and it works great.
I really like it.
I got it at a paint distributor.

Are you down here in Miami?
You would be best off going to any automotive paint supplier and picking it up there.
Cheaper and better than any stores.
Especially cheaper than marine stores.

It's hilarious the mixing pails they sell on these websites and stores for around 8 bucks a bucket, go for under a buck or around a buck at any automotive paint supplier.


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## HialeahAngler (Dec 18, 2008)

I used the foam rollers but I noticed that it would leave bubbles in the paint and I would have to brush afterward to remove the bubbles. what gives?


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## pmalanos (Oct 30, 2009)

That is a normal problem that you ran into. When painting with a roller you end up with bubbles often.  You also almost always end up with a little dimpling in the paint. Tipping it afterwards with a brush is a recommended procedure. I hate to direct you away from microskiff, but you might want to check out the forums over at bateau.com. They really know what they are talking about when it comese to boat repair and maintenance and also sell these products.

Are you happy with the results you got? If not tell us why and what you are looking for and I'm sure everyone here will be happy to try and help you out.


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