Can You Color Topside Paint?

[Tom.B]

Subject says about all of it. We have two dark green stripes around skinny Dippin', but want to change them this season. I don't want to be boxed in with the small pallet of colors the marine paint industry provides. Can I take a can of white to a paint store and get a "better" color made?

Tom

 

[JAT]

Good question....and I have no idea if you can. But if you pick a color from the Awlgrip color chart....you could call Tom Fabula at "Signature Finish" and he can make the color for you in a very durable paint.

 

[Moonfish]

We have a friend who is now retired and cruising Mexico. He was a regional PPG rep, and he says their two-part exterior auto paints are great for boats. Lots of colors to choose from, and they are tough as nails. Think about it, car paint has to withstand a lot of abuse and some pretty good temperature swings.

 

[psneeld]

Subject says about all of it. We have two dark green stripes around skinny Dippin', but want to change them this season. I don't want to be boxed in with the small pallet of colors the marine paint industry provides. Can I take a can of white to a paint store and get a "better" color made?

Tom

Not sure you can do it...maybe...

Interlux has a great assistance line (tough to get through in the spring)...but will call you back.

I would ask them...as you normally tint a base...not a finished paint (maybe the solids will change the characteristics?)

I have blended my own custom colors with Rustoleum and other enamels....Rustoleum gets several thumbs up from many boaters as a trim/deck paint.

 

[dean]

Awlgrip is a polyurathane it is very scrach and chip resistant,
Imron is also a polyurathane from dupont and can be tinted to almost any color its sold at almost any body shop supply store that sells dupont.
Endura is another polyurathane that you can get in most colors
I have used all 3 and they seem to be the same, just sprayed them though, never tryed to brush them.
Urathane automotive paint stands up almost as well but if you scuff it or it starts to fade over time you can polish it and it comes back shiny
Polyurathanes tend to go dull or chalky looking after you polish them so there is a bit of a trade of there.
I have used regular 2 part aoutomotive urathane to paint many boats right down to the water line and have never had a problem
I faired an painted a 54' steel bruce roberts about 7 years ago I painted it with duponts automotive base clear system and it still look great today
Dean

 

[MVNoPlans]

Yes the material can be tinted. Whether you can find a local paint store to do it, I don't know. Your best bet would be a small independent shop. They will also likely be able to get quarts of industrial enamel in a variety of colors that will do very well for your application even though you will not find the word "marine" in the name. White is generally not the base for darker colors. There is usually a medium or neutral tint base that is used. Do not be afraid of high quality industrial enamel for your stripes.

 

[MVNoPlans]

The blue stripe on my boat is Sherwin Williams DTM waterbased Acrylic Industrial Enamel. The "DTM" is short for "direct to metal". I know the product so I had no issues using an acrylic. Some folks seem to think it will wash off when it rains and freak out at the thought of such a product. It is meant to be used in exterior applications in factories, commercial buildings and such, as well as interior piping, ductwork and mechanical equipment. I selected it because the color choices were far superior to the chandlery.

 

[dean]

I have also used waterbase paint from hempel coatings with good results
The paint rep. from Hempel told me that over 80% of the freighters are painted with waterbase above the waterline. The blue stripe on my boat is waterbase as well.

 

[Deidra]

Bought a small can of off white topside paint to cover some repairs in the cockpit of our sailboat. Our awlgrip is a tan color so I kept adding brown tint until I got the right color. Both the paint and the tint were bought off the shelf at West Marine. I was afraid they wouldn't mix but it worked great. As someone else says though, you are really not supposed to be tinting an already colored paint. I had to use a lot of the brown to add enough color to the already cream colored paint.

 

[jleonard]

A friend of mine had Interlux epoxy tinted at a local automotive paint shop. It worked out fine.

 

[caltexflanc]

I had FinishMasters in Ft Lauderdale send a guy out with a "camera" who shot the "black"stripe on my hull and they then were able to custom mix Imron so it matched exactly. I think Raybo in Morehead does the same thing. So basically, for either Awl Grip or Imron, the varieties are endless. I think your boat stripe looks pretty nice that color by the way. What's driving replacing it?

 

[Tom.B]

1. It looks like ****.
2. It looks like it was brushed on and has deep brush marks.
3. The paint acts like ablative paint and comes off onto everything that touches it.
4. We want to change the general color scheme to the boat. The green isn't doing it for us anymore.

 

[caltexflanc]

I guess i've never looked at it that closely! Then by all means have at it!