Not all surfaces are created equal, therefore different surfaces will require a different preparation before spray painting can take place. For example, a timber or fibreglass surface is entirely different to that of a metal finish.
In this post we will be taking a look at how best to prepare an aluminium boat surface for spray painting.
Tips For A Respray
Obviously the first step here will be to remove the old faded and/or flaking paint from the aluminium surface. Dodgy paint can’t be painted over or the end result will not be up to scratch. A chemical paint stripper could be used to soften up the paint, then scraped away with a scraper. This is a slow and tedious process though, not to mention a smelly one.
A better alternative would be to remove the paint by using garnet abrasive blasting. It’s more effective than soda blasting and the garnet comes in a variety of grades. Aluminium can often be quite thin, so you don’t want to blast it with something too coarse and compromise the surface. A finer grade of garnet can get the job done with no damage to the aluminium. Forget sandblasting. The silicon grains are often too coarse for this type of surface.
Also use a wax and grease remover to clean the surface so it’s free of any substances that the new paint won’t adhere to.
Preparing Bare Aluminium
The surface should first be degreased with a suitable solvent and clean cloths. The cloths should be replaced regularly to prevent recontamination. After this, the surface of the aluminium should be blasted with garnet to both remove imperfections and any oxidisation. The end result should be nice shiny, gleaming aluminium.
Because aluminium is affected by the elements so rapidly, the preparation and the application of a primer should be done in the one session. A 2 pack primer is best. Once you’ve got that surface clean and shiny, it will be ruined if left too long before sealing with the primer. Once dry, the primer can be sanded and the boat finished of with the spray painting application of a 2 pack top coat.
Flight Marine – Your Aluminium Spray Painting Specialists
Whether spray painting new aluminium or a respray of an old aluminium boat, we are specialists when it comes to the all-important surface preparation and finish. Based at Yatala on the Gold Coast, come in for a chat and a free quote for all your boat painting needs.
