My partner Jeff and I will be painting our mast and boom next weekend. Based on previous posts, we've decided to try the Rustoleum products, both the meal primer and appliance enamel.
I read an article (10 years) ago, about how to mask the luff groove, so you don't spray paint inside...can't seem to recall how, but it was a simple idea. I think it was in Cruising World or Sail Mag....
Any ideas from the group??
Thanks for the help.
Jim/#279 "Renegade"
Hey Jim. Lots of good advice here. How about sending in your membership to the Class Association? Members make all of this possible.
I repainted my mast two years ago with the Interlux system- Vinylux Primer (etching primer), 404 epoxy primer, then two coats of Interthane (linear polyurethane). I started out planning to use the roll and tip method, but ended up just using the roller (3" foam rollers from Home Depot). The results exceeded my expectations, and after two seasons, only a few dings from spinnaker pole. Not trying to talk you into this but putting it up as a suggestion to anyone planning this fun project. I considered alternatives but after all the effort I put into stripping the mast clean, I wanted to use what seemed to have the best odds of lasting a long time.
I was looking at using the same paint on our mast this spring. I was looking to spray however. Do you know anybody who has sprayed the interlux products?
Quinn, no, I have never tried spraying Linear Polyurethane (LPU). I was warned by several knowledgeable friends that the safety warnings on spraying LPU are real. You can do very serious damage to your lungs with just one exposure. It was pretty easy to roll the mast. I found the small square disposable 'Glad' containers were great for mixing the paint in small batches. I used plastic spoons to measure the paint and thinnner, and also to mix (test the plastic spoons with the solvent first to make sure they don't react). Once you get the feel for the correct viscosity, it really is 'magic' the way it flows. The instructions suggest practiceing on glass, and thinning as needed during the application. Only other trick was getting a lucky streak of weather where I could paint outdoors several days in succession. I did it early in the spring before too many bugs were out but still stayed within temp requirements. Painted as soon as the dew was gone but the wind wasn't up.
Were you able to do both coats of paint with one quart?
One quart of the Interthane was more than enough. I used the same quart earlier on the rudder cheekplates and rudder head. I applied two coats to the mast and did a once over on the boom and still have some left over. The Interthane top coat and VinyLux primer (etch) both go on extremely thin. The 404 epoxy primer goes on thicker. I did buy a second quart, but I started with less than a full can.
I left thin messenger lines in place of the halyards and led them out the bottom of the mast. I tied them off at the sheeves and led them out the bottom of the mast. It was easy to fish the messengers back out the exits when I was ready to re-install the halyards. To pull the halyards back in, I butted the messenger line to the halyard and sewed a few loops with whipping twine to hold them together. I covered the loose ends and the joint with a few wraps of electrical tape to smooth the joint and hold the twine. Pulled off the tape and pulled the twine right out. Nothing to cut and you can re-use the twine.
One last bit of advice while I am at it. I made some stands by driving 2x4's into the ground to support the mast. Kind of like two legged saw horses, only taller. It was real handy to have the mast near arm height. I hung the top of the mast from some rope attached to the backstay pin and left the luff groove facing up. I removed all the mast exit 'wear' plates, gooseneck, and other hardware. The only thing I left on and masked was the spreader collar.
I gotta tell you, our mast came out looking great, I credit Jim for doing an excellent prep and painting job. We'll keep the list posted on the Rustoleum appliance paint hold up, but it looks like new now.
