Matching touch up paint

[holtcl]

I'm prepped and getting ready to prime and paint a number of small areas where the paint has popped off.

Assuming I have a handle on matching (reasonably) the shade of white paint, what can I do to match the aging issue- some of the paint, especially near the bow that gets sun exposure, I am betting will be more faded, not as shiny. Is there where you would consider a "flattening agent" to town down the gloss of the new paint to look more like the old? I'll likely be using Interlux Brightsides for some of it and Awlgrip in other areas, to get the color match.

Cheryl
Cinderella
1971 53 MY

 

[dave1985]

If using Brightside, I got good advice from Interlux. I got the "old" Hatteras off white for my 85. They told me to lighten it by adding White Brightsides to it starting with 1 part white to 10 parts off white and try a test spot. If still too dark add more white. I ended up at 5 parts off white to 1 part white as a great match. Using the white as a lightening agent maintains the paint integrity.

 

[MikeP]

Dave's advice sounds good - just keep at it until you get an acceptable match. The flattening agent you mentioned might be VERY helpful...

I JUST went through this over the past several days so be aware that if you are not careful, you might end up like I did:

I had some spots where the deck paint had lifted on the starboard side deck near the back deck door so I decided to touch up those spots, figuring that the deck paint wasn't that old and would be easy to match. I painted but then could see the difference - not in the texturing or color so much but the fact that there was a more gloss to the new paint. So I decided to paint a larger area and feather it into areas with less exposure wear. I thought it might work if I painted forward to the side door entrance, where we keep a floor mat, thinking the change in paint would be under the mat and not noticeable. Well, that looked pretty good but I discovered that depending on the angle of the light, and which direction it was viewed from the gloss difference WAS noticeable SO I expanded the area of new paint a bit more trying to find the spot where it would feather in unnoticeably I was now to the point on the deck where the galley curves down to the deck. I thought that with the deck box there the rather narrow area would lend itself to an unnoticeable "seam."

You can probably figure where this is going... I repainted the entire lower deck plus the top of the Galley. I didn't have to re-do any texturing, just added paint over the existing texture but my one hour project took 4 days.

Be Careful!!!! And consider that flattening agent, it might make the difference between a touchup and a complete repaint. But I have to admit the new deck paint looks great!

 

[johnjen50]

Cheryl, any issues with compatibility between the awlgrip and bright side? Will laying the bright side over whatever is already there be ok or will it peel after a season or two? Mike, what did you use for paint on the decks! Bright side or awlgrip or iron? Reason Im asking is I will be doing this project sometime in the near future and am looking for tips. Thanks.

 

[holtcl]

Thanks for the information.

I'm not sure what the previous paint was- the boat seems to have "5 different colors of white" on it, from previous paint jobs though it's decent looking enough, I am probably the only one who notices the subtleties between them.

My flybridge repairs had the best match with Awlgrip Oyster White, with a touch of whitening agent to lighten it just a bit for a nice match.

The areas around the rub rail were a closest match with Interlux White (I don't have the number with me at the moment) BUT I had to add a tiny bit of black to it AND a sprinkle of Hatteras Off White to darken it to just the right color. I made a record of my "recipe" for future paint repairs.

I used 2 coats of primer each for the Awlgrip and for the Interlux areas. I put on the first coat of paint yesterday but noticed it was too thick and showed more brush marks than I'm happy with.

I'm headed to the boat now to sand, and my plan is to apply 2 more coats STRINED (which I forgot to last time) and that are THINNED this time.

I may indeed try the flattening agent as the new paint is more shiny than the old.

OR I thought maybe if I wet sanded like with 800 or 1000 grit, that may just knock enough shine out of the new areas and "blend" them with the old ???

That's my report for now... more later.

Cheryl
Cinderella
1971 53 MY

 

[MikeP]

I used Interlux Brightside 4218 Hatteras Off White 1990. I didn't have to re-texture, I just applied the paint over the existing texture, which I felt was a bit too heavy (rough) anyway. SO the added paint looks good AND "corrected" the feel of the texture.

HOWEVER, It's important to realize that the one-part paint is much LESS durable than Imron or Awlgrip. OTOH, it's much easier to work with and re-painting isn't much of a hassle. I'd give the Brightside a 3-4 year life looking good as opposed to 15 years with the Imron.

 

[bobk]

You may not be happy with flattening agents as they tend to leave a non-uniform finish, especially if rolled or brushed. You might take the gloss off with rotten stone or pumice. I like that much better.

Bobk

 

[Angela]

Cheryl, any issues with compatibility between the awlgrip and bright side? Will laying the bright side over whatever is already there be ok or will it peel after a season or two? Mike, what did you use for paint on the decks! Bright side or awlgrip or iron? Reason Im asking is I will be doing this project sometime in the near future and am looking for tips. Thanks.

You can paint single part paints over two-part paints, but not the other way around. The two-part paint will soften the single part paint and make your new paint job lift. Brightside, a single part paint, won't last all that long. I painted the flybridge deck where I did some repairs under the tender with Brightside. I'm glad I didn't do the whole flybridge deck with that.

Today, I took the pulpit railing down and am painting that with Interlux Perfection (two-part) in Oyster white. We painted the tender with that and it was an awesome match to the Hatteras white and it has held up very, very nicely. It was easy to work with, too.

 

[dsharp]

You can use a flattening agent. See what they rec. for semi-gloss and start with about 1/2 of that. A little goes a long way. If you mask off an area leave the leading edge of the tape off the surface so it doesn't make a hard line.

 

[MikeP]

"You can paint single part paints over two-part paints, but not the other way around. The two-part paint will soften the single part paint and make your new paint job lift."

I can't say about specific compatibility but we used to commonly shoot clear Imron over acrylic lacquer on cars/motorcycles and it worked very well, providing Imron's toughness over the huge color palette that was available in lacquer. I don't recall ever shooting Imron over acrylic enamel so that might react quite differently, as Ang suggested.

The major disadvantage of the two part paints is that they can easily put you in the hospital if you do not have proper respiratory equipment. Obviously spraying is far more hazardous than brushing/rolling but the hazards still exist. I had a friend who spent almost a week in a hospital after attempting to spray Imron at home with nothing but a dust mask - which provides absolutely NO protection against the toxins in the paint. He figured that since he was outside and there was a slight breeze, if he stayed upwind it wouldn't be an issue. He was wrong. OTOH, I know others who have done the same thing with no apparent ill affects. As they say, your mileage may vary...

 

[holtcl]

Well I went back over yesterday to do the second coat. In the afternoon light I am a little embarrassed to say that my so-called "match" on the rub rail was a bit too white, so I added some more Hatteras Off White and that did better, but we'll see when I go over after work today where I stand.

After painting with both Awlgrip and Interlux Brightsides, right now I don't think I'm going to put another drop of Brightsides on the boat. It shows too many brush strokes even when I thinned it, and Awlgrip is just SOOOO much nicer to work with, and covers much better, sands out nicer, etc. I used the Brightsides because I had it, but I'm not happy with it.

When I go over today I plan to sand lightly and apply another, thinner, coat of Interlux. The Awlgrip areas are done, covered with a single coat but I put on two, and it looks great, no brush strokes.

I'm done with Brightsides after this.

Cheryl
Cinderella
1971 53 MY

 

[MikeP]

I have seen Ken Jordan roll/tip Brightside to look like glass with absolutely no other work (sanding, etc) needed so I know it's possible though I have never managed to achieve that myself. Then, of course, there is always the creature problem. Several small spiders are now part of my non-skid. It doesn't matter for nonskid because you can't see them anyway due to the texture but they wouldn't look to good entombed on the side of the hull!

The hardest aspect re color matching is when you have to feather it into or adjacent to old paint on the same plane of the surface of whatever you are painting. If you can run the new paint to where there is a change in the plane, it is much more difficult for the eye to pick up any color difference. There can be quite a difference in actual color that won't be noticeable.

 

[holtcl]

I think I just didn't thin it enough. Still though, the Awlgrip is so much nicer to work with.


Will try thinning more, but now we have rain in the forecast

Cheryl

 

[johnjen50]

To Mikes point, with the Awlgrip, did you wear a full face mask or just a half mask? And which respirator? I still in the research phase, but didn't think the Awlgrip site was very helpful regarding what to use for respirators.

 

[holtcl]

Honestly, I didn't wear one. I was doing 2 very small repair areas on my F/B, done with the tiniest "pot" of Awlgrip. The rest I did with Interlux due to the color being a better match. I was working outside and not spraying.

I know... I should invest in a respirator and when I do any more with Awlgrip I will. Thanks for the reminder!

Cheryl
Cinderella
1971 53 MY