More high-build primer

In my last post I said that the starboard float was ready for finish primer, and the port float nearly so. I was being honest (honest) but in reality it all depends on the definition of "ready" (sounding like a politician here). As I looked both floats over again yesterday afternoon, I noticed a lot more pinholes, tiny non-fair areas, etc, that still needed fixing. Some I noticed by sight, others by touch -- with the primer coats sanded down, I've noticed that it's much easier to feel defects than it is to see them ("...use the Force, Jay...er, Luke..."). Anyway, I almost talked myself into throwing on the first coats of finish primer, but a nagging voice in my head talked me right back out of it. So with a great sigh of resignation, I decided to do two more coats of high-build primer on each float, and sand them back down again by hand. Guess I just love sanding or something. Actually, I have a suspicion that the finish primer wouldn't have done all that great a job of filling in the remaining defects. And I don't want to even think about staring at these defects for the next ten years, not when I have the chance to fix them right now with a little more work.

My wife thought I was crazy to do this. Example, after looking at a small defect I pointed out to her: "That?!? No-one's ever going to notice that tiny thing!!!" I told her that that's exactly the type of thing other folks will notice. Especially my male in-laws, when they come over to critique my work (Larry, you listening?).

Anyway, after all of that long-winded pontificating, preserved here for nobody but myself (no-one else will care :), here's a few pictures of my floats after re-applying two coats each of high-build primer. I won't be posting for the next few days - but rest assured I'll be out there sanding away. Let's hope the extra work pays off.

Here's the port float, yesterday evening (notice the two big high-spots on the starboard float to the right):

Port float again (I'm also re-using the large access hatch cutout scraps, as test pieces for the paint, you can see part of them on top of the starboard float to the left):

And one more of the port float:

Now, here's a few of the starboard float after tonight's work:

And:

And:

I am getting better about using the Alexseal high-build primer. From experimentation, it takes me ~38oz of mixed (base+converter) high-build primer to do one coat on one float, and it only needs reducing by ~8% (3oz reducer). The primer rolls out very nicely. Alexseal does make an accelerator for their primer (and for their topcoat) - but the local Fisheries Supply seems to only keep a minimal amount of product in stock, i.e. they run out a lot, i.e. I've so far been unable to buy any. To compensate for this I've been pre-mixing my batches, so they have at least 30 minutes of "induction time". This seems to help them cure a bit faster.

I'll note that many bugs have given their lives during this process, flailing futilely as they festoon the floats with festive flourishes. (I'll need to rig up some sort of plastic tent, when I get to the topcoat.)

One last thing: after almost going blind staring at the paint chips on the color card, and driving my wife nuts with "which one do you think is better" questions, I've finally settled on "Matterhorn White" as the boat's color. It's a basic off-white color, nothing fancy, and shouldn't be too glaring on the eyes. (The runner-up choice was "Snow White", in case you're wondering.) I'll save the Farrier Yellow for my next boat, if I ever build one -- though that sure is one pretty yellow, that Ian likes for his boats.