TOPIC: Painting project questions

I have 3 totally different materials that need the same paint color. One is the cowls, mid, lower end; I had them blasted and will use materials provided by NY Marine. The others are more of a problem. I have never painted stainless. What is the process for painting Stainless? Then there is the face plate. It looks like a piece of tin foil. That will be a fun one as only the valleys need paint, how the heck am I going to do that, and what kind of paint/process do I need. What do you pros use for Phantom Black?
Thanks,
Thom

I would use self etching primer on all the metal parts and then use single stage hardened enamel or a 2stge urethane.
I use both on everything I do and you can go to any NAPA paint store and get the stuff off the shelf.
As for the cowl I would get some fine line tape, tape off the shiny parts and shoot it, pull the tape and ya got stripes. Simple.

Ditto on what Cosmic said about the self etching primer but I would do the cowl different. In the past I would take a small artist brush and paint letting the material flow into the lower parts. I've also sprayed the entire cowl and then after a few minutes when the paint sets but not hardened take a clean rag moistened with lacquer thinner or whatever agent you use and gently wipe off the high areas.

I was an engraver for quite a few years. To do sunken stripes and lettering: by hand or small brush put on just enough paint to fill the sunken areas. If you want to you can use your bare finger to get excess off now, wiping your finger on a thinner moistened rag. Try to leave as little as possible on the raised shiny areas, but some does not matter. When the paint in the sunken areas has dried enough not to sag or flow, moisten the pages of an old phone book with the type of thinner you are using so it soaks a few pages down. You can then wipe the part on the upper page, softening the paint and removing it on the high spots, but not dragging a rag into them as you might if you did this with one wrapped around your finger. (Though that works too if done carefully on non flat areas. When the page gets enough paint that it is smearing, just turn the page, re-wet with thinner if necessary and continue until the high spots are clean. If a slight film is left, it can be carefully removed with a cloth by polishing later after complete drying. Old high thread count cotton bed sheets that have a hard finish and no lint work best for this.

I know some may say not to use solvents on your hands, so you can skip that part if you wish, but I did it for years and some days I can even remember my name.

Rob...errr..Ron

NEAT! Never thought of the phone book system. Learn something new everyday I guess.
Way back in the early '60's after school afternoons I worked at a car dealership prepping showroom stuff and used vehicles. At the end of the day we would wash up with acetone to get the grease, paint etc. off our hands. Bought the stuff in 50 gallon steel barrels. I'm 71 now and still in control of my faculties or is that facilities?? (don't ask the admiral though

wish I had heard of the phone book thing years ago....40+ years in a body shop, washed my hands with lacquer thinner several times daily....except for this boat think, not to awful crazy yet....

oh man, that is genius...I had never thought of that. I am a designer and artist and can hold a brush pretty good. The flooding of the low parts, combined with the phone book idea should do the trick.

Thank you so much for the input.

Pick up a couple rattle cans of Moeller Zinc Chromate Primer for use on Aluminum and Galvanized Steel.

I would think the Cowl is Galvanized and not Stainless Steel.

For the Black Moeller Mercury Phantom Black.

Karsten

Thanks so much to oldhaven for the great suggestion. It worked like a charm. It took a little practice. I found out that the best method was to concentrate on one spot with a folded set of pages. Keep it real wet with lacquer thinner and trade out pages often. Don't get too picky, you can clean off the extra with 0000 Steel Wool.
Thanks for all the opinions and pro short cuts from oldhaven!
Thom

Nice job, looks great !!!!

Excellent!

Bob