bertram31.com

Anyone had any luck painting the rub rail ? The awl grip system bubbled in a year. Sanded,cleaned,etched,545primer & topcoat. We use this product all the time with no problems. 1974 Bertram 31

SC31,
I have had pretty good luck with using automotive trim paint in the rattle can. I sanded down the rub rail to bare metal, filled the scratches and dings with epoxy, two coats of grey auto primer and two coats of black automotive trim paint(flat Black). It was on the boat for 15 years with only small bubbles in two or three places. If your rub rail is the original and the boat is more than 30 years old I would remove it from the boat completely, I removed mine a few years ago after a screw let go midship at one of the joints and the bow section actually popped away from the hull, you wouldn't believe how few screws were actually holding it on to the boat( 50 year old express cruiser). I refastened the entire rail with 1/4 x 20 flat head stainless steel thru bolts and tefgel coating on all screws nuts and fender washers, I also caulked the holes from the inside with black silicon to prevent water from getting inside around the bolt holes. Don't forget to fill in all the old screw holes at the hull to deck joint flange. Most of the old # 12 screws were rotted away and there are only five or six thru bolts at the bow(inside the anchor locker and a few at the transom corners). It's a bear doing it yourself but with 2 people it is a one or two day job. There are only four pieces of rub rail, large curved section at bow, straight pieces along the sides and a bent section that does the entire transom up a foot or so along the hull sides. The original aluminum is really heavy duty stuff and it is a shame to throw it out and put vinyl on if it's still in good condition.
Peter Fallon

I concur -- I shot the bow piece (that was the only section I didn't replace as my fabricator didn't think he could do as good a bend), with rattle can - but I used fake aluminum color --- didn't blister at all over the next 7 years I had the boat. We sanded it, acetoned it, filled and grinded, then prepped with Awlgrip and then the really inexpensive stuff I got at NAPA.

Tom

On my previous B31 I stripped the blistered paint off, and was going to repaint. Instead, I sanded the rubrail with progressively finer grit--getting to 1000 or so wet/dry. I then got one of those aluminum polishing kits, that was a couple of sticks of something and a couple of wheels for a drill, and polished the rail. It came out pretty well. I always meant to repolish it every year, but I really didn't have to, and never did. I'm going to do the same thing with Crows Nest. Just an idea.

Mine was painted with Awlgrip 12 years before I bought boat. I hated the color matching the hull. A few spots started to blister, which I'd sand down and touch up each year. I finally decided to buy a new rubrail, but instead of me removing I found myself grinding off the Awlgrip, sanding, filling and priming the rail then shot with Flat Black using Aerosol cans. Figured I'd get a year or two out of it...think it's been quite a few more then that...although I have given a light scuff and and repainted as color faded...but no blisters and cheap...not even sure I went with "Krylon" or just used the Home Cheapo Specials.

A few years ago I rattle can spray painted the covers of my bow chock/light assembly as the original chrome finish was all but gone leaving instead a green copper like patina.

Primed the covers with zinc chromate after a very light sanding then sprayed them with several thin coats of chrome coloured spray paint.

Several years on the spray paint job has held up enough that the covers are now an 'antique' looking chrome which comply with my 3 foot rule........

Were it not for this I'd be shaking my head at the thought of off the shelf box store rattle can spray paint lasting for more than a few weeks or even looking ok after several years.

For our rub rails I wish some bright spark would come up with a generic type snap on Vinyl overlay which could be fitted directly over the entire existing OEM aluminum rub rail without all the fastening drama.
The overlay could, if wanted, be custom painted by the user prior and a stainless steel rub rail fixed to it or installed inserted into the overlay itself if the overlay had an insert option. I'd offer myself up for Beta testing.....

Its a very difficult thing to successfully coat aluminum in a marine environment.
Even after chemically etching it, alodine app, epoxy primer, and urethane topcoat its a crapshoot. Sometimes it works out, often times it doesn't.
Id juxtapose the projected labor time & the materials costs -vs- rub rail replacement, and weigh that out.
Replacement is a pretty attractive option, especially after doing the coating process and having areas fail within a short time frame… thats no bueno.

Heres a rubrail replacement I just did on my skiff project. I know, I'm a glutton for punishment, but I sure do like the look.
And the maintenance is going to be less than that of a aluminum rail.







It also ties in visually with the other brightwork, which I dig. A bit "out of the box" in my thinking, but thats me…

I hope you guys notice the attention to detail on Buju's flats skiff. The twin garboard drains, the inner rail to keep the fly line onboard, the custom rocket launchers and custom helm station, the half drunk beer warming in the sun... This boat is truly a work of art where form and function intersect.

Very cool little skiff would love to see more.

That beer warming in the sun ruins the vision of perfection. Put it on ice and then it is perfect.

I like it. Its the perfect Corona ad to me. Working on a cool boat in the sun, Corona in hand....perfect

Thank you Rocket… Rocket has inside info.
Here ya go Peter, the rebuild thread ( http://forums.floridasportsman.com/show ... estoration" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; )
In my defense, that beer was straight out the cooler… had to let it breath a little, like a fine bordeaux..

Sorry for the hijack SC31… Did you alodine the rail after etching and before epoxy priming? Makes a big diff.

That skiff is dropdead gorgeous -- rivals some of the best I've ever seen, and they were in the $$$$ price range! What are you going to power it with?

BTW, I checked with the new owner and some of the Dupli Color is finally wearing off -- after 11 seasons.

So I took the time to review your link and all the work that went into the skiff -- you are a master craftsmen - and a glutten for punishment -- I did observe somewhere in the rebuild process you switched from Newcastle to Corona!

Tom

Buju,

Very nicely done, that link kind of killed productivity this morning for me but man very nicely done.

Pete

Buju,, action craft hull? Be back at yacht harbor in December with redone 38. Stop by.

NIce, very nice. That is one sweet ride.

Thanks guys. Means a lot coming from this sandbox.
A good amount of things I did on the skiff was possible because of info shared on this site.
Someday either the B20 or B25 will get their turn. Lately Ive just been too busy trying to keep my head above water to even work on the skiff- which is hard when its that close to completion.

Bill- Action Craft? Come on sir, thats like asking if someones 31 is a Luhrs…
She's a Sidewinder, which is the hull that Shipoke and Dolphin cloned on their 18's. Has a long illustrious history. Was owned by Cheeca Lodge owner, ran by Capt George Hommel (and others), fished Presidents (Bush Sr.) celebrities, etc… I figured I owed her a little TLC.
B38? WHat happened to Sea Chele?

Hey Buju ,

we should team up together !!!

Nice job !! , If you ever want to move to a cold and wet country , Youve got a job !!

Gert

SC31 wrote:Anyone had any luck painting the rub rail ? The awl grip system bubbled in a year. Sanded,cleaned,etched,545primer & topcoat. We use this product all the time with no problems. 1974 Bertram 31

The only way to go in my modest opinion.......buy new at High Tide !

Good luck !

Gert

Helped a buddy redo his similar rubrail , after sanding, used an abrasive called shell nuts and nut blasted into all the holes and edges, followed the awl grip recommendations, put the fasteners back in with tefgel to keep the tightening rotation from galling the chamfered holes, 6 months later corrosion leached out of the screw holes and joints

Buju, many apologies, meant dolphin, :-( Seachele went to a venezuelan to tow behind his 110ft. Westport as his billfish boat, price was right. Moving Seachele II to yacht harbor mid December. Stop by, old 38,450 cummins

So, its the old style B38 "wide body" you have?
Is it the one that was sitting for sale up on the stretch @ Manatee Bay Marina?
Very cool vessel.

Gert-
OK, lets do it... But we'll need to open a Keys branch of your business. Ive already worked for the competition, so I have a good idea of what we're up against.
Although, I mentioned your comment to my wife, and she immediately began researching nursing career opportunities in the Netherlands.
Thank you for the compliment.

Buju, no ,not a wide body,, 1979 Napier hull,450 c cummins, 300 hrs.

Buju wrote:Gert-
OK, lets do it... But we'll need to open a Keys branch of your business. Ive already worked for the competition, so I have a good idea of what we're up against.
Although, I mentioned your comment to my wife, and she immediately began researching nursing career opportunities in the Netherlands.
Thank you for the compliment.

Give me a call when you start builing the MAN CAVE ...

Gert van Leest wrote:Give me a call when you start builing the MAN CAVE ...

I put my man cave in what used to be the living room :-)

Full wet bar, as a TV I use an HD projector… The screen is 100" wide :-)

My Admiral is a true trooper :-)

My US business partner is going to make use of the guest unit next month… Anybody for Christmas in Nazareth?!… Free lodging!...