Painting - coachlines

[kiffsmiff]

Afternoon all. I'm finally going to get around to painting my boat this year. After changing our minds time and time again, we've finally chosen the colours. I'm pretty ok at wielding a roller and brush, not really fearful of giving it a go, know what paints, what brushes, what technique that I plan to employ, but there's one thing I'm just not sure on.... how on earth do I tackle the coachlines??

 

My boat's currently in undercoat, I just need to apply the topcoats now. I plan on having the sides: black with grey inserts and cream coachlines. So, do I: 1. masking tape (I understand that a good tape in key...) the coachline areas, paint the grey and black and then remove the tape. Then wait for the grey & black to dry, masking tape outside of the coachlines and paint the cream, then repeat. 2. paint all the black, then paint all the grey not worrying about masking, then mask over the (fully dried) grey and black and then apply the cream, and repeat, 3. or do I mask the coachlines, do the grey and black twice, then remove the tape, re-tape outside the lines and paint the cream??, or 4. A N other route! One problem that I have is that I'll be doing this online, so I'm at the will of the weather, my time outside of work, any days when they're strimming the grass etc! If there's a great deal of time in between coats one and two, I don't really want to leave the masking tape on for long periods, as I've had this remove all layers of paint before....

 

I think you can see, I'm in a bit of a tizz with this one!

 

Any advice would be greatly received. Although I don't think I could cope with anything other than agreement on the colours I've chosen, changing my mind one more time might just mean she stays in undercoat!! :lol:

 

Thank you

 

p.s. intermittent internet access only, so if I don't show my appreciation straight away, know that I do appreciate any useful advice I get!

[Mike Jordan]

Ive had great results using sign writers low tack tape. This looks like 12mm wide red cellotape and can usually only be obtained at a motor factors or large paint suppliers. You need a reasonably calm day to stick the tape onto the finished gloss and then use a single coat of a dense colour (I used sign writers colours)then peeled off the tape while the paint was still wet.I made twin lines one about 4mm wide and one 8mm wide using three lengths of tape and leaving two gaps. If you press it down well the tape gives razor sharp edges that look very professional! Its the most enjoyable bit of the job!!

Best of luck with the project.

Mike Jordan

[Higgs]

Do all of the main cabinside paintwork first. Leave it for a couple of days to cure. Too soon and you will leave tape marks in your work.

 

Use a good quality, medium tack tape - 3M's blue. Setting up the tape. Don't follow too closely the handrail. Mark off at intervals of say 6'or so and gently pull slack out of the tape between marks. Don't press to stick tape along full length at this stage, do that when you're happy that it takes a fairly straight line.

 

The same at the gunnels. You can use this first set-up to mark off your inch gap to lay the inside tape.

 

Cut down a 4" gloss roller wider than gap. You can use the same gloss paint type as cabin side paint. I would thin it down slightly to ease roller work. At least two coats will be needed.

 

When doing the top line, have a piece of ploythene or something that can be taped to the top lower tape. Move this along as you paint. It's purpose is to avoid any flicking of paint on cabin side.

 

Work top and bottom at the same time if you want. Roll a 4' stretch and lay off with a two inch or slightly larger brush. I prefer to lay off in line with cabin side paintwork. Usually vertical.

 

Don't take your tape off, when you've finished, until the following day. This to allow you to clean any softer paint that may have bled under the tape. This will not have fully cured and can be removed to give you a clean edge to your finish.

Edited April 15, 2012 by Higgs

[twbm]

No expert, but: Consider painting the area where the coachlines are going to be with their colour, feathering the edge so you don't get an obvious line, then use masking tape to create the coachlines, painting the black and grey up to either side. Leave the coach line paint alone as long as you can after application and take the tape off as soon as you can after the other colours are applied. Expect to have to touch in no matter how good the tape and how careful you are - the bonus being you'll have a paint edge to work to.

 

It's also worth considering setting yourself up to do as much of one colour all over as you can, to save waiting a whole week just for small area to dry on one panel. We did all the cream, then all the red then all the green on our boats, that being the order of what would best cover the last colour applied so we could lose the mistakes as we went.

[ChrisPy]

use coach line self adhesive vinyl (e.g. from SAC Boatnames). If done carefully the edge is almost indistinguishable, and it will not fall off.

[OldGoldy]

No expert, but: Consider painting the area where the coachlines are going to be with their colour, say, for approx 2-3 times the finished width, feathering the edge so you don't get an obvious line, then use masking tape to create the coachlines, painting the black and grey up to either side. Leave the coach line paint alone as long as you can after application and take the tape off as soon as you can after the other colours are applied. Expect to have to touch in no matter how good the tape and how careful you are - the bonus being you'll have a paint edge to work to.

 

It's also worth considering setting yourself up to do as much of one colour all over as you can, to save waiting a whole week just for small area to dry on one panel. We did all the cream, then all the red then all the green on our boats, that being the order of what would best cover the last colour applied so we could lose the mistakes as we went.

 

~my blue text addition above~

 

No expert either, the above is how I did mine - paint thus xxxxx then add tape xxxxx then your black and grey, move tape leaving -----

[Higgs]

Vinyl, but not the cheap stuff. Shrinks, leaves an adhesive mark, goes brittle.

 

 

You can paint your coachline colour first. It cuts the time of the work down, but it is inferior to leaving coachline till end. IMHO

[Burgiesburnin]

Ive had great results using sign writers low tack tape. This looks like 12mm wide red cellotape and can usually only be obtained at a motor factors or large paint suppliers. You need a reasonably calm day to stick the tape onto the finished gloss and then use a single coat of a dense colour (I used sign writers colours)then peeled off the tape while the paint was still wet.I made twin lines one about 4mm wide and one 8mm wide using three lengths of tape and leaving two gaps. If you press it down well the tape gives razor sharp edges that look very professional! Its the most enjoyable bit of the job!!

Best of luck with the project.

Mike Jordan

 

 

Peel the tape off pulling towards the centre of the pinstripe, gets a really sharp edge.

[Higgs]

Sign writers use tape in different ways to the coach painter. The skinny red tape, for instance, is for short periods of time, used with their quick drying sign paint.

 

Oil based enamel will soften the adhesive and leave an edge of adhesive to be cleaned off. The bond that the paint edge has on the edge of the tape is stronger that that of the adhesive to the back of the tape.

 

If you have built up a skin of paint, over the tape, while applying the colour for your coachline, do not pull the tape off towards the coachline. It will pull and peel off the paint, into your coachline.

 

In this case, pull the tape off at a slight angle and away from the coachline. The tape should be doubled back on itself and used to cleanly seperate at the edge. It kind of cuts as it is peeled away.

 

Skinning is one reason I prefer applying in at least two goes, avoiding skinning between the tape and the coachline, to a degree that would make tape removal a problem.

 

If you want to pull the tape off soon after the paint has settled - pull off into the coachline to avoid any strings of paint being left on the main paintwork, outside the coachline area.

 

Skinning is not such a problem while the paint is soft. However, if you have areas that have bled, you will not be able to touch these until the coachline is dry. These bled areas will be a problem if you pull the coachline tape off while the paint was soft, and partly cured when you can tackle them

Edited April 15, 2012 by Higgs

[Wild Is The Wind]

~my blue text addition above~

 

No expert either, the above is how I did mine - paint thus xxxxx then add tape xxxxx then your black and grey, move tape leaving -----

 

Mine was done like this too and i'm happy with the results.

[Wild Is The Wind]

~my blue text addition above~

 

No expert either, the above is how I did mine - paint thus xxxxx then add tape xxxxx then your black and grey, move tape leaving -----

 

Mine was done like this too and i'm happy with the results.

[Higgs]

If you do want to paint your coachline colour on first: Cut down the amount of feathering. The coachline is not that far from the handrail, the gunnels or the front and rear bulkhead ends.

 

Instead of painting a line 3 or 4 widths of the coachline - take the outside edge all the way to the extremities; up to the top (handrail), down to the bottom (gunnels), and to the end edges (bulkhead ends). This will leave you with just the inside edge to feather.

 

Enjoy.

 

 

If you are painting a coachline plus a different coloured pinstripe and scollops - forget it. It's going to be a dogs dinner. Having said that, even for someone that paints for a living, it's going to be a rarity.

 

The coachline is just an embelishment, and something to be considered at the end of a job, for me. My first boss always wanted me to put the coachline on first, but he didn't care that much about the painting. He never got his way. He paid the wages, but the customer pays for the paint job.

Edited April 16, 2012 by Higgs

[designerstuart]

it sounds a bit mental but if you are super picky about getting a crisp line you can paint the background colour along the tape edge first, which removes any leaching under the tape.

 

so if you are doing a cream line on black, paint the black first and apply the tape to the edge of where you want the cream. then paint a small line of black along the tape (black on black), before painting the cream line after. when you peel off the tape, any paint that leached under the tape will have been black, not cream, and therefore won't show on the black background.

 

like i said, mental, i know.

[Higgs]

it sounds a bit mental but if you are super picky about getting a crisp line you can paint the background colour along the tape edge first, which removes any leaching under the tape.

 

so if you are doing a cream line on black, paint the black first and apply the tape to the edge of where you want the cream. then paint a small line of black along the tape (black on black), before painting the cream line after. when you peel off the tape, any paint that leached under the tape will have been black, not cream, and therefore won't show on the black background.

 

like i said, mental, i know.

 

It's not a question of being super picky - getting a crisp line is what I imagine most people would want. Bleeding doesn't have to be a problem. Good quality tape, a good paint surface, and as dust free as possible, should help avoid bleeding. Dust can get trapped at the edge of the tape.

[talisman]

I paint the whole cabin side in the main panel colour. Then tape up and paint the whole border in the coachline colour.Finally remove the tape and re-apply at the colour join line and paint the border colour.

[Ex- Member]

We have this beugler line painting device, paints lines up to 12.8 mm wide and as long as you like, can get wheel heads for double lining. No masking no messing about, use a magnetic strip guide fill the device with paint and run it along the guide, perfect lines in minutes with little effort.

 

http://www.beugler.com/how2.html

 

Shop around if you want one, prices vary, it's an American gadget but sold a lot here.

 

 

Edited April 16, 2012 by Julynian

[Higgs]

I paint the whole cabin side in the main panel colour. Then tape up and paint the whole border in the coachline colour.Finally remove the tape and re-apply at the colour join line and paint the border colour.

 

Ok. And you won't get any striping at a tape edge.

Edited April 16, 2012 by Higgs

[designerstuart]

We have this beugler line painting device

sounds good

Edited April 17, 2012 by designerstuart

[kiffsmiff]

Great - thanks for all the advice. Looks like it depends how clean & crisp I want it, how much time I have, and what tools I use.

 

I'd love to think that I'm going to want a perfect crisp line and will still have that desire after painting the whole boat twice to still stick to that!

 

I'll re-read all the advice, take it on board, and hopefully in a few months will post photos of the end result!

 

Thank you all - especially Higgs for so much advice.

[Higgs]

Great - thanks for all the advice. Looks like it depends how clean & crisp I want it, how much time I have, and what tools I use.

 

I'd love to think that I'm going to want a perfect crisp line and will still have that desire after painting the whole boat twice to still stick to that!

 

I'll re-read all the advice, take it on board, and hopefully in a few months will post photos of the end result!

 

Thank you all - especially Higgs for so much advice.

 

Good luck.

 

If you ever get any runs on your main paintwork and it isn't on your final coat - always brush them out, even though it spoils part of the paintwork.

 

Runs will skin over, won't dry properly, and won't flat. Get rid at every opportunity.

[Ex- Member]

Good luck.

 

If you ever get any runs on your main paintwork and it isn't on your final coat - always brush them out, even though it spoils part of the paintwork.

 

Runs will skin over, won't dry properly, and won't flat. Get rid at every opportunity.

 

They don't run, they apply an even coat of paint that covers in one application.

 

If you make a mistake you just wipe off immediately, simples!

 

 

Edited April 19, 2012 by Julynian

[Higgs]

They don't run, they apply an even coat of paint that covers in one application.

 

If you make a mistake you just wipe off immediately, simples!

 

Are you talking about a lining tool? If you are, we're talking about different things.

 

My last post was a brief note on the main body of paintwork. I think you're talking about coachlining.

[Ex- Member]

Are you talking about a lining tool? If you are, we're talking about different things.

 

My last post was a brief note on the main body of paintwork. I think you're talking about coachlining.

 

Hi Higgs

 

Apologies, got the wrong end of the stick thingy I should have read back a few more posts.

 

 

[Higgs]

Hi Higgs

 

Apologies, got the wrong end of the stick thingy I should have read back a few more posts.

 

 

I've just read the post of mine that you were replying to and my post wasn't clear. So no probs.

 

It's a tricky thing, writing on forums.

Edited April 19, 2012 by Higgs

[Teddy Bear]

Nice choice of colours, have a look at this.