Rustoleum topside

Rob C.

Member
Those of you who have used this stuff to paint a Sunfish, how long did you have to let the paint to dry before using the boat? I painted some on a scrap of plywood I had in the shop to test it and see what it looked like. That was nearly a week ago and it is still not fully hard yet.

I am thinking about just hitting the fiberglass patches with a rattle can and waiting until next fall to paint it so it can dry all winter.
 
mine was fully cured in about 24 hours.

What's your weather like? temperature and humidity? Also was the wood completely dry?

If you're thinking about hitting it with rattle can, do a test with the topside paint on the fiberglass and see what it does.
 
About 75-80 degrees I am in Eastern VA right on the Chesapeake Bay so it is always pretty humid around here.
 
I did my painting in cooler weather than that. I'd guess humidity is killing you. either that or you got a bad batch of paint.
 
The piece of wood that I tested it on had some white exterior house paint on it...not primer. I haven't started painting the hull yet but I will be priming with the Rustoleum Topside Primer. Did you guys paint it on with a roller, brush, or spray?
 
I didn't prime. I used a foam roller and tipped it with a cheapo foam brush. Came out awesome.

What grit sandpaper did you sand it down with? Did you sand it down between coats? Did any gelcoat cracks show through after you painted?
 
i sprayed it on...was tough to find the right mix proportion of thinner, but once i worked it out it was fine. have one more boat to do - thinking of rolling and tipping the field and spraying the stripes. i did a skunk stripe right down the middle flanked by two pin stripes - came out great!
 
I sanded up to 220 before painting. I very lightly rubbed the 220 over it between coats by hand.

I used fiberglass resin I had laying around to fill most of the spider cracks before sanding and you can't even tell they were there. I think this will be a durable fix for them, but no promises. It's not really how resin is supposed to be used haha. The spider cracks that I didn't fill were not hidden by the paint at all. I wish I had primed just for that reason.

That was all on the bottom of my boat. On the top I rolled on a primer, but didn't tip it and didn't sand it very well (I was in a hurry). The top paint came put very rough because of this. I'm gonna have to sand it smooth and repaint eventually because I want it glossy and good looking like the bottom.
 
i filled the cracks, scratches and gouges on top with a mixture of epoxy and faring filler and sanded the repairs smooth with a palm sander. i did all my in-between sanding with 220 (or maybe it ever-so-lightly with 150 - i cant remember), and then cleaned it with tack cloth and denatured alcohol. i sprayed on a coat of primer, sanded lightly, then a coat of blue. i had the thinning proportion wrong and the setting on my sprayer wrong so the paint came out flat and uneven. so i sanded lightly again and got it right the second time. i sprayed the stripe last - two coats white over blue. makes an old boat look new. The final result is totally dependent upon meticulous surface preparation.
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I want it glossy and good looking like the bottom.

With Rustoleum, I got "glossy" on the bottom of the hull. 'Surprised to see the pattern of the fiberglass mat come up! That can't be good for speed through the water. :confused:

I don't think Rustoeum ever "sets-up", and that's why it's good for keeping rust away on metal surfaces.
 
I used Rustoleum on the deck. After the first coat of primer I waited 24 hours. Temp was in the mid 60's. But I learned to do the coats early in the morning, before it warmed up too much. After the paint was no longer tacky, I set the boat out in the sunshine until sundown. I also tried to keep the coats on the thin side. A power sander between each coat with 220 made the sanding go a lot faster. After one primer coat and two top coats, I was ready to put on the stripes. I used another paint on the bottom, but I prefer the Rustoleum Topcoat - lower price, available at Lowes and seemed easier to use.
 
Did you guys who rolled it on thin it with anything? I did the first coat of Topside over the primer and it did not turn out well at all. The paint went on thick and was hard to spread out with the roller. Tipping didn't seem to improve the situation. end result is not glossy at all. Some areas are so tough it actually looks like nonskid. LOL

Does anyone know if you can paint a polyurethane paint like brightside over it once it is hard or will I need to strip it all off down to bare gelcoat and start over?
 
Did you guys who rolled it on thin it with anything? I did the first coat of Topside over the primer and it did not turn out well at all. The paint went on thick and was hard to spread out with the roller. Tipping didn't seem to improve the situation. end result is not glossy at all. Some areas are so tough it actually looks like nonskid. LOL

Does anyone know if you can paint a polyurethane paint like brightside over it once it is hard or will I need to strip it all off down to bare gelcoat and start over?


I had that problem with spraying to the point my first coat of primer came out like a splotchy 'orange peel' drywall finish due to lack of appropriate thinning - i was discouraged but eventually sanded it down mechanically a week later after my wounded ego was repaired and my ambition was back.

I think i ultimately found that 25% to 30% thinning with xylene worked the best for my sprayer, but you have to test test test your mixture to make sure its not too runny. i'm sure that a lower percentage would work with a roller - the can says something like 15% - i'd start there. and i cannot stress enough that paint will reveal any imperfections in your substrate, so faring and sanding make all the difference before you apply paint. i can say from experience that you can sand down what you messed up so far - i used a $14 el-cheapo palm sander and successively finer grades of sandpaper until i fixed my screw up. oh, and use a mask.

the end result when you get rustoleum right is shiny but not super shiny, but it gets real reflective and beads beautifully when wet - i'll see if i can dig up a picture - you'll love it if you take the time.
 
I had that problem with spraying to the point my first coat of primer came out like a splotchy 'orange peel' drywall finish due to lack of appropriate thinning - i was discouraged but eventually sanded it down mechanically a week later after my wounded ego was repaired and my ambition was back.

I think i ultimately found that 25% to 30% thinning with xylene worked the best for my sprayer, but you have to test test test your mixture to make sure its not too runny. i'm sure that a lower percentage would work with a roller - the can says something like 15% - i'd start there. and i cannot stress enough that paint will reveal any imperfections in your substrate, so faring and sanding make all the difference before you apply paint. i can say from experience that you can sand down what you messed up so far - i used a $14 el-cheapo palm sander and successively finer grades of sandpaper until i fixed my screw up. oh, and use a mask.

the end result when you get rustoleum right is shiny but not super shiny, but it gets real reflective and beads beautifully when wet - i'll see if i can dig up a picture - you'll love it if you take the time.
 
Try Interlux 2333n as a thinner, works very well. Little less than an ounce per 16 oz of paint. 1/2 quart should put one full coat with a little left over on the hull, 14 oz on the deck not including foot well. Expoxy paint is a slow drier like enamel is and take about 24 hour to hardern. The rustoleum paint will give you that same shine as 2 part Interlux perfection, but not as tough as Interlux. A primer is a very good idea, it will hide lots of small imperfections missed by the sander and the dreaded pin holes. Lowes will tint the white gloss to the shade you like, no promise how it will hold up in sunlight.
 
I used Rustoleum on the deck. After the first coat of primer I waited 24 hours. Temp was in the mid 60's. But I learned to do the coats early in the morning, before it warmed up too much. After the paint was no longer tacky, I set the boat out in the sunshine until sundown. I also tried to keep the coats on the thin side. A power sander between each coat with 220 made the sanding go a lot faster. After one primer coat and two top coats, I was ready to put on the stripes. I used another paint on the bottom, but I prefer the Rustoleum Topcoat - lower price, available at Lowes and seemed easier to use.

I was wrong! I used Interlux on the deck.... and the
Bottom 2.JPG
Rustoleum was what I used on the bottom of the hull.... I guess I'm getting old!
 
I decided to give up on the Rustoleum Topside. IMO this paint might be good for the deck of a work boat, but if you want a smooth yachtlike finish it is just not up to the job. I ended up with the same orange peel deal the finish has no shine whatsoever. When it dries I am going to try hitting it with some rubbing compound but I am not going to waste time putting another coat of paint on it.

I sanded the first coat down and followed the instructions on the can for thinning it and still did not end up with a decent finish. I finally said f--- it, I am going to sail the boat this summer and this fall I am going to strip it and and take it to the boatyard guy across the river from me and have him either re-gelcoat it, or paint with Awlgrip or Interlux perfection.
 
Does anyone know if you can paint a polyurethane paint like brightside over it once it is hard or will I need to strip it all off down to bare gelcoat and start over?

I just had a long conversation with my local boat service department on painting. Brightside polyurethane was actually recommended for Sunfish. I plan to lightly sand, prime, and two coats of polyurethane. He recommended 5% - 10% thinning for rolling or brushing. I will not be spraying. I also purchased an additive (flattener) that will be used on the splash guard so it won't be so shiny. Be careful on the Brightside, at $53 per QUART (I think it's cheaper on e-bay) it adds up quick. All said, I've got $185 invested in painting my Sunfish. :confused:
 
All this has me re-thinking whether or not to paint my Phantom. I only paid $125 for the boat and the trailer. I put new tires and lights on the trailer, new sail, halyard and main sheet and rachet block (the block was free). This year I have a daggerboard that was actually made for a Phantom (thanks to sailcraftri). I had to make some repairs, so not counting my time, I have less than $450 invested. Before and after pictures, no paint involved.Phantom before.jpgphantom after.jpg
 
IMHO paint can be more trouble than it is worth. It looks good when fresh,but can scratch, and it does not look so good. Also, if you do paint, I strongly suggest painting the deck a lighter shade. That darker blue boat with the white stripe further up this chain looks great, but on a sunny day, that deck is going to be HOT, HOT, HOT!!
 
IMHO paint can be more trouble than it is worth. It looks good when fresh,but can scratch, and it does not look so good. Also, if you do paint, I strongly suggest painting the deck a lighter shade. That darker blue boat with the white stripe further up this chain looks great, but on a sunny day, that deck is going to be HOT, HOT, HOT!!


would seem to be so, beldar, but we've got a pretty darn strong sun where i'm at and deck heat has not been a problem at all.
 
Here is the final result with the Rustoleum Topside. It looks OK, but not very shiny. At least I can't tell where the hole in the side of it that I patched used to be.
 

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Those of you who have used this stuff to paint a Sunfish, how long did you have to let the paint to dry before using the boat? I painted some on a scrap of plywood I had in the shop to test it and see what it looked like. That was nearly a week ago and it is still not fully hard yet.

I am thinking about just hitting the fiberglass patches with a rattle can and waiting until next fall to paint it so it can dry all winter.
Too thick. I learned my lesson. Thin one quart with 5 oz zylene and using an hvlp gun with 30# at the gun lay on thin coats ,24 hrs between and I use 320 by hand between coats, then 800, 1200, 2000 and mcGuires 105 on a random,orbital to finish. Perfection.
 
All this has me re-thinking whether or not to paint my Phantom. I only paid $125 for the boat and the trailer. I put new tires and lights on the trailer, new sail, halyard and main sheet and rachet block (the block was free). This year I have a daggerboard that was actually made for a Phantom (thanks to sailcraftri). I had to make some repairs, so not counting my time, I have less than $450 invested. Before and after pictures, no paint involved.View attachment 9392View attachment 9393
I wouldn’t paint the Phantom- looks like it cleaned up nicely!
 
For those of you who want a deep rich shine with a cheap paint, I found it. Majic Tractor paint is amazing when thinned 5% with xylene and rolled with a tight grained foam enamel roller or brushed. I used the bright red for a waterline stripe on my Flying Scot and it was better to work with than the Interlux 2000E I used for the hull. Stripes can be brushed straight from the can without thinning. I noticed yesterday that a catalyst was also available for this specific paint. I did mine as single stage because I knew I had 2 weeks before it would see water. The best part for me was it's $14 a quart @Tractor Supply. The $8 oil paint is NOT the same, it is more like Rustoleum Professional. Spend the $14, you won't regret it.
 
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