exterior restoration of old glass mh

[Jimb636]

Has anyone done a home paint job on a fibreglass mh? I am not a spray painter but feel I can do the roll and tip method they use on glass boats. Looking for any help or advice available. thanks

[ahicks]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jimb636 Has anyone done a home paint job on a fibreglass mh? I am not a spray painter but feel I can do the roll and tip method they use on glass boats. Looking for any help or advice available. thanks

I was faced with some badly faded paint on my HR when I bought it. The lower 1/3 of the coach from front to rear was pretty bad. I do have spray equipment and ended up spraying it outside. If it were not for that, I would have gone the roll and tip process without hesitation.

You'll need to perfect the process, so I would suggest you start with a smaller section of the coach to experiment on. Something you can sand down easily if you screw it up? I started with a storage door, sanding it down several times.... FWIW

[Senior Chief]

We just repainted our '89 Southwind with Interlux Brightside paint using the roll and tip method (see our restoration pix on this thread).

It was pretty easy once I got the hang of the two-handed style of it, and we were very pleased with the results. The unpainted and very oxidized portion of the fiberglass were treated with Red Max Pro #3 (see this thread for more discussion) and it all shines like new.

We are thrilled with how our old girl looks now, and the labor to do it was fairly modest and well within our skill level.

[Jimb636]

Thanks for the tips, what primer do you use and if possible what paint do you suggest? thanks

[Jimb636]

You did a superior job on your mh and it really came out shiny! any tips on brand of primer and paint you used? thanks

[Senior Chief]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jimb636 Thanks for the tips, what primer do you use and if possible what paint do you suggest? thanks

We used Interlux Brightside marine paint from Jamestown Distributors. Primer is Interlux Pre-Kote. Its used extensively by backyard restorers, as well as the boating crowd.

Apply it by roller and tip method thinned by Interlux Brushing Fluid #333 (9 parts paint to 1 part 333).

[timmer594]

$38 a quart? Doesnt that add up quickly? Wonder what it would cost do aint my 30footer. Of course I'd want something sporty painted on there.

[Senior Chief]

Quote:

Originally Posted by timmer594 $38 a quart? Doesnt that add up quickly? Wonder what it would cost do aint my 30footer. Of course I'd want something sporty painted on there.

Compare with a good quality automotive paint; none of the good stuff is cheap.

For an inexpensive paint job, you can do the roll-and-tip method with Rustoleum thinned 50/50, and it does a nice job.

[Jimb636]

Thanks guys for the experienced response. I also reviewed Interlux and wondered about the expense. I am leaning toward a cheaper fix and the rustoleum is a contender. Sooo, I am going to research the cheepy a little more. Thanks for all your help. Jim

[Senior Chief]

Check out $50 Paint Job for more info on the Rustoleum

[Jimb636]

I cant imagine me putting 7 coats of paint on my 69 Glastron! so much for rustoleum. I will probably look at interlux again and once again thanks for the research on this product. Jim

[Senior Chief]

Just so you know how much (yes, muy expensive) paint we used; if you look at the extent of the paint coverage in the exterior pix of our rig, we used 1 full qt plus a tiny bit of the Sapphire Blue paint, and mixed the charcoal color by mixing one quart each of black and Steel Gray; used about 1 1/2qts of the mix.

Two coats was plenty as far as color coverage; you might need to wet-sand and recoat more depending on your drying conditions.

If buying from Jamestown Distributors (best price I found on the Interlux) use coupon code EASY for free shipping til Wednesday.

[Jimb636]

Sr. Chief, Wow that adds some perspective to it! My education continues. thanks for the help. Jim