Painting Bilge & Engine compartments

[JohnV8r]

Would I be better off using my compressor with auto paint style sprayer or rolling and tipping to paint the engine compartments and bilge area prior to installing new engines?

Thanks in advance.

[CaptPatrick]

John,

Brush and roller will be easier, no over spray to contend with, and yield a thicker coat of paint with less waste. The engine spaces aren't as cosmetically critical as the external hull...

[JohnV8r]

Thanks Patrick!

[Rawleigh]

I brushed mine and it looks good.

[JohnV8r]

Thanks Rawleigh. I think I am going to roll/brush Awlgrip 545 primer and then an Awlgrip top coat like Capt. Patrick did on Buddy Boy engine installation.

[Rawleigh]

I used POR 15 Whitecoat with no primer and it has held up great. It is slick like a sheet of glass.

http://www.por15.com/WHITECOTE/productinfo/WCG/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[JohnV8r]

That stuff sounds awesome. My only concern is that if I can't find a dealer/distributor in Northern CA, I have to correctly order exactly what I need. With Awlgrip, I can run down the street from the boat and pick up another quart.

We'll see.

[Joe E]

John, I just did mine, brushed it with dura tech self leveling bilge coat. Tough as nails and they are in CA. I think awl grip is over priced for a bilge as small as the Bertram 31.

I also use alot of POR15 products. I order directly from them and have never had any problems.

Joe

[wmachovina]

Seems to me I used a water based awlgrip urethane. Brushed/rolled dried nice and smooth and hard .great product for bilges,has held up very well. Forget the actual product name but I'll research it.

[Tony Meola]

I used Bilge Coat, but first I put down two coats of Interprotect in white.

[Rawleigh]

A couple of quarts should do you. Go three if you want to be on the safe side. I really liked the way it turned out. I had used Bilgecoat 12 years ago and was not happy with it. The POR 15 stuff is waterproof and will not blister or peal if left under water in a bilge.

[JohnV8r]

Rawleigh, I'm going to give the POR 15 a try. I had the same issue with Bilge Coat in the regularly wet areas of my bilge. You think it's about a quart per engine compartment? I'm just going to order more than I need and order it in quarts so any unused paint remains sealed until I find something to do with it.

[ianupton]

John - have a look at Sherwin Williams. I think the name is Tile Clad. It is an epoxy used for tank linings.

I used it on my 20 and it looked great.

Ian.

[Rawleigh]

John: That is correct. Be sure and read the instruction sheet which is on the website. I cleaned the fiberglass with their Marine Clean first and then lightly sanded it as best I could with all of the woven roving dimples. marine Clean is a very good alkaline cleaner that I strongly recommend. Used straight with bronze wool it will clean the corrosion off of chromed brass and aluminum, but you have to clean very well afterwards to keep it from corroding again.