Varnish for boat hulls

[Guest]

I am going to spray a Sirmar Hull with Halfords acrylic spray paint and need something to protect the finish from the usual dings and scrapes when used in the lake. Someones suggested Humbrol Matt varnish spray but I am not sure if it is designed to go over acrylics as humrol paints are enamals. Any other suggestions? Polyurethane spray sounds ideal from the protection point of view the only ones I've seen are for bare wood.

Cheers

[Guest]

johnsons klear will give it an initial protective layer, then if you want to you can go over that with the humbrol varnish.

wait to see what richard has to say!...

[Guest]

The Humbrol will give the hull a nice even finish but it is designed purely as a decorative finish and not as a protective finish.

To give some sort of protection you need a coating that is designed to protect and you cannot do much better than Polyurethane varnish, prefferably yacht varnish quality.

If you can get it in a matt spray form so much the better but if not then put some through an airbrush or mini spray gun.

I would always, no matter what paint systems I am using, always do a test piece first. Even when you think you know how paints are going to react you can get caught out so play safe and squirt a bit of the Halfords tin onto a sealed surface then, when properly dried, put some of the Polyurethane over it and see what happens.

And if you are using Matt polyurethane you cannot mix it frequently enough. The one thing that spoils more matt finishes than anything else is not mixing the paint enough. When your arm is tired have a rest then do it again. Even better put a paddle of some sort in your battery drill and mix it with that, until the battery runs down or until next Tuesday which ever is the later!!

[Guest]

Ok thanks, I didn't know you could put polyurethane varnish through an airbrush, thats makes it easier because I have been looking for a spray can (Plasticote do one). The local hardware place sells yatch varnish in tins. I guess you can use standard thinners ?

[Guest]

As bunkerbarge says the best coating is a poly homebase do 2 types a solvent type and a water based type ! Use the water base type if you are coating over white any other colour use the poly it gives a wonderful light sheen and dries whithin minutes

[Guest]

Aye, I'd suggest the water based type also if you are covering Acrylic paint.

I haven't tried spraying it buyt the tin should give info.

J.