picking your brain on painting vaneer in cabin

[bertram 20]

Was wandering if any one has painted the vaneer wood inside of the cabin ?what did you use and how does it hold up ?Thanks for any input

[Buju]

You talking about the wood grain formica?
Or actual wood veneer?

[John F.]

I painted the woodgrain Formica interior in my B31. Filled the holes, sanded, primed and rolled and tipped with Toplac (a one part paint). It looked nice and held up well. The Formica stuff is about the easiest stuff I've painted over.

[TailhookTom]

I did similar to John except I used Brightside, in God forbid, Hatteras White. The only hard part was not leaning into wet parts while I was painting new areas. It looked great 4 years later and cleaned up easily.

Tom

[bertram 20]

John that does look good i may try that and yes talking about formica

[Buju]

It's very important to sand and solvent clean the formica before priming.
John and Tom both used single component Interlux silicone/alkyd/urethane products, so I'm assuming they primed with Interlux PreKote.
This is normally a great system, and they both report good results, but formica can be a real bitch when it comes to proper adhesion.
I've seen guys paint it in their cabin with the same procedures and products and it looks fine, but then with only light abrasion, it scratches down to bare formica...I'm talking drag a fingernail on it and it peels away.
They most likely did not do a thorough job with the sanding and solvent cleaning prior to primer application, but for this reason, I'd step up the first coat of primer to a bonding primer to ensure adequate adhesion... then it can be topcoated with the PreKote if your looking to get the hi-build aspect of the added microspheres to aid in creating a nice easily sanded, gloss ready surface.
My favorite bonding primer is XIM 400 white.

It sticks, I mean- really sticks to difficult substrates. It is nasty to work with (xylene & naphtha based) but I think the adhesion it creates is well worth it.
I'd do the following:

Sand your formica down with 120
vacuum clean
solvent wipe the formic surface with xylene dampened rags (use new rags as they soil- or use a wet rag on/dry rag off technique) do not get xylene elsewhere in the boat.
Apply 1 coat of XIM 400 primer (brush, roll and tip, etc... make sure rollers are hot solvent safe ie: phenolic core)
Apply 1 coat of your next primer (you can use strictly XIM- but it's got no hi-build properties)
Sand primed surface lightly with 220
Vacuum clean
Solvent clean (appropriate solvent for your topcoat)
Apply your topcoat(s)
Go fishing

[PeterPalmieri]

It's very important to sand and solvent clean the formica before priming.
John and Tom both used single component Interlux silicone/alkyd/urethane products, so I'm assuming they primed with Interlux PreKote.
This is normally a great system, and they both report good results, but formica can be a real bitch when it comes to proper adhesion.
I've seen guys paint it in their cabin with the same procedures and products and it looks fine, but then with only light abrasion, it scratches down to bare formica...I'm talking drag a fingernail on it and it peels away.
They most likely did not do a thorough job with the sanding and solvent cleaning prior to primer application, but for this reason, I'd step up the first coat of primer to a bonding primer to ensure adequate adhesion... then it can be topcoated with the PreKote if your looking to get the hi-build aspect of the added microspheres to aid in creating a nice easily sanded, gloss ready surface.
My favorite bonding primer is XIM 400 white.

It sticks, I mean- really sticks to difficult substrates. It is nasty to work with (xylene & naphtha based) but I think the adhesion it creates is well worth it.
I'd do the following:

Sand your formica down with 120
vacuum clean
solvent wipe the formic surface with xylene dampened rags (use new rags as they soil- or use a wet rag on/dry rag off technique) do not get xylene elsewhere in the boat.
Apply 1 coat of XIM 400 primer (brush, roll and tip, etc... make sure rollers are hot solvent safe ie: phenolic core)
Apply 1 coat of your next primer (you can use strictly XIM- but it's got no hi-build properties)
Sand primed surface lightly with 220
Vacuum clean
Solvent clean (appropriate solvent for your topcoat)
Apply your topcoat(s)
Go fishing

This is such a thorough post, plan on doing the dinette and galley. What is the best product to use to fill holes and deep grooves? The gap where the edge band meet the front laminate ( the corners) does that need to be filled as well?

[thuddddddd]

I used Brightside, in God forbid, Hatteras White.
Tom[/quote]

Dick... ..... at least part of the RLDT has some class ... (LOL)

[PeterPalmieri]

When filling holes in the cabin veneer that I plan on painting. Can I use regular wood filler? Should I use epoxy or something else?

[CamB25]

I would use Evercoat or bondo for small holes/dings. For large rot or holes, I have had very good luck with epoxy fillers like Sculpt Wood or the Jamestown product. They are two part molding clay-type products. I have successfully used them for wood rot repairs on doors and frames. Good paint adhesion.

Cam

[PeterPalmieri]

Thanks Cam, it's just screw holes and dings. Will give evercoat a shot

[John F.]

Pete

For screw holes, I used a countersink bit to give more surface area, primed with West, then filled with West and colloidal silica once the straight west got tacky.

John

[Stephan]

Pete

For screw holes, I used a countersink bit to give more surface area, primed with West, then filled with West and colloidal silica once the straight west got tacky.

John

+1
I have had the experience where the holes had to be primed and reprimed with West straight eopxy as the wood was dry and sucking it in. If the holes are not well primed there is a risk of the resin leeching out of the filler and getting cracks in the future.
The colodial silica is great and I believe a good bonding agent as well. I have used West low density filler which is somewhat less expensive cuts/fairs very quickly and even clean sawdust just to bulk the epoxy up.
Good luck!

[Seamcdog]

My veneer was all cloudy with white blotches. Looked moldy. Tried everything to get cleaned. No luck. Then tried re staining it.... Looks great now.

[Rawleigh]

Penetrol will clean it up too.