In Consideration of Trim, Finish Work, and Inexpensive Paint

Once the project has been designed, the pattern made, the wood cut and faired, the pieces fit and glued, what was once a vision is now a reality. The fact is, once started - the hard part is over. A progression of processes has taken place - a momentum has begun - and the next thing you know you are admiring your work!

It may be possible at this juncture to finish the piece with paint or varnish before installing. Finish work is far easier to accomplish while the piece is still in the shop. If the bare work is installed on the boat before sanding, filling, priming, painting or varnishing, you will be making many more trips up the ladder usually working in an awkward position without good lighting, and, in the winter, farther from the heating source. However, be absolutely sure that the piece fits where it is to be installed. Any slight adjustment to the piece must be done before painting or varnishing.

I generally give my work a "builder's" finish. Painting is a trade unto itself; a journeyman brush or spray painter has honed his or her skills for many, many years. I enjoy watching them prep a surface and am constantly amazed at the high level of finish they are able to achieve. They can make the topsides of a 50 year old carvel planked boat look like a bottle!

Generally, I give work below decks a coat of primer and two coats of finish; if varnished, a coat of filler stain and 3 or 4 coats of varnish. Above decks, a coat of primer and 3 or 4 coats will suffice. Varnish work demands a build up of coats to eliminate a grainy appearance and to get a glass like finish. On mahogany I first use a filler stain (it fills the grain) wiped down until the grain of the wood is clearly visible. Once the stain has dried, I start building coats of thinned spar varnish "wet on wet" usually two coats per day until I have 4 coats. I then level it with 150 grit and use full strength varnish for the next coat; for subsequent coats I go with 220 grit with the goal of a total of 7 coats.

For finish coats, I prefer using about 2 caps of mineral spirits per pint along with a cap or two of Penetrol or boiled linseed to eliminate drag in the brush. These proportions holds true for oil based paints and spar varnish. I am not a big fan of paying top dollar for product from the national marine chain stores. In fact, I look for my paint products in my local hardware store; this is the local guy who is competing against the national hardware chain outlet. My guy stocks Man-O-War spar varnish so I buy it. He stocks quarts of Rustoleum oil-based Flat white and Gloss white so I buy it. He also supplies my Kilz original primer by the gallon, various thinners, sandpaper, scraper blades and files, Formula 27 putty, mahogany surfacing putty, and China bristle paint brushes. I supply my own rags (worn out undies and shirts) and my own paint pots (yogurt containers). There are times I have to break down and order Pettit, Interlux or some other fancy paint. It practically kills me. Unfortunately, these guys seem to have a corner on the market when it comes to Bristol beige, Sandtone, Hatteras off-white, mahogany filler stain brown or red, natural boatyard bedding compound, and seam compound underwater and above the waterline.

All horizontal seams and any exposed end-grain will be sealed and hidden by trim. Consideration of trim should be done in the design phase although now is a good time to design the actual dimensions. Common sense is the rule-of-thumb: again, if it looks right it probably is. Cut a section of the proposed trim out of cardboard or thin plywood. Hold it up to the piece it will join into or sit atop of. Does it serve its designed purpose? Is it large enough or is it gaudy? Will it flow into its neighboring piece without causing notice? How difficult will this trim piece be able to turn out with the available tooling and stock? Will it be easy to refinish when the time comes? Can I get a decent fastening down through the top or side? Will the head be bunged with a wooden plug or puttied? As with any new piece of work on a boat, it is best to pre-finish the trim before installation. If the trim is bunged, the final coat will need to be applied after installation. For exterior trim it is best to use a non-hardening bedding compound on installation. All too often, glue or some sort of moisture cured rubber is used for bedding which makes for not only a long clean-up process but an impossible job of removing the trim for refinishing.

Finally, when brightwork is adjacent to paintwork, I suggest doing all the varnish first and cut the paint work into the varnish as it's easier to wipe paint from varnish than vice versa. I have other thoughts on the matter, but this is enough for now.