Painting Guidelines
Painting Conditions
Altex Yacht & Boat Paint products should be mixed and applied only in accordance with label or data sheet instructions and/or advice given by Altex Coatings Limited or their authorised agents. It is recommended that these products are used in a craftsman like manner with the necessary care and consideration required to achieve a fully satisfactory job.
To access the Altex Coatings free technical advice and specification service call:
Australia - 1800 738 383 or New Zealand - 0800 429 527
A good rule of thumb to remember is that for two component coatings drying time or curing time is doubled for every 10°C drop in temperature and is halved for every 10°C rise in temperature. The best application conditions are always those of moderate;
- Substrate temperature.
- Ambient air temperature (15-25°C).
- Air movement (light breeze or equivalent).
- If outdoors, light to moderate overcast, not direct sunshine (especially with deep colours).
Ensure that surfaces are completely dry, free of salt, chalk, dirt, grease and oil. In other words, thoroughly CLEAN. (This is a general statement but it must be taken seriously for the best result from your painting effort).
Also, the substrate must be sound. Repaint work must include thorough removal of all unsound paint. The edges left by removal of flaked, peeled and scraped paint must be sanded until smooth and feathered back into the surrounding sound paint system.
Painting Guide
This section applies mainly to two pack paints.
The two component paints/coatings cure by a chemical reaction and can be easily affected by temperature, humidity, ventilation and/or drying times (please refer to data sheets for this information). However, temperature and humidity have the most significant affects.
Temperature
Applications below 10°C should be avoided as drying and curing can be adversely affected. The temperature of the surface to be painted should always be higher than the prevailing dew point temperature which, in turn, is determined by the relative humidity. (Please refer to the safe rule of thumb).
Humidity
It is not recommended to apply any paint during condensing humidity conditions or if it will occur shortly. Such conditions will exist when the surface temperature is is below the dew point.
A safe rule of thumb is -
A. Not to paint at or above 85% relative humidity.
B. Temperature of the substrate should be 3°C above the “dew point”. “Dew point” requirements may be presumed satisfactory if a thin clearly defined film of water applied to a clean surface with a damp cloth evaporates in 15 minutes.
Sanding Guidelines
In order to promote inter-coat adhesion, to remove any loose or flaking existing paint, to smooth out surface imperfections or to provide a superior surface upon which to apply a final topcoat, sanding is a necessary task. The following hand sanding grades are recommended for Altex Yacht & Boat Paint products which are sandable or require sanding for overcoating/final finish. These are to be used as a guide, the final choice is up to the applicator.
- For 421 Resin and Microballoons fairing mixture, start with 40-60 grit dry paper, finishing off with 80 grit dry paper.
- For No.2 Epoxy High Build Surfacer, use 80 - 150 grit dry paper.
- For No.3 Epoxy Primer Undercoat/Marine Surfacer Undercoat, use 180-220 grit dry paper, can go up to a finishing grade of 320-400 grit if not using No.4 Epoxy Sealer Undercoat.
- For No.4 Epoxy Sealer Undercoat, use 320-400 grit dry paper.
- For Elite Polyurethane/Marine Gloss Enamel, denib/de-gloss with 400 grit paper for second coat application or for boot top striping.
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