One Builder's Unconventional Approach To A Durable, High-gloss Finish

摘要

If you were to ask 10 boat painters what type of paint they use, you would likely receive 10 different answers. Likewise, if you ask these same 10 builders to share their painting technique, you'll again hear 10 different opinions. There is, in fact, no correct answer, but I bet all would agree that the key to a great paint job is great prep work. In my 37 years of building wooden boats, I've never tired of the challenge. It's tremendously satisfying to start with a drawing and a pile of lumber to create a unique boat for a specific (or not) purpose. It never seems to get old. Still, when the woodworking is done, I'm tired of looking at wood grain and joinery, and eager to paint. The paint job is a very important part of building a boat. It is not only what you see over all of those carefully fitted joints, but it also protects the wood from the elements. Over the years, I've developed my own opinions and techniques for prepping for and applying paint, and some of them are quite different from conventional approaches. The most common question I'm asked when exhibiting boats at a show is, "How do you get that finish?" Here's how it's done.