Preview: Fairing and Painting Topsides, with Nat Bryant

32 Responses So Far to “Fairing and Painting Topsides, with Nat Bryant”

• 

  Graham Walsh says:

  I was off camera working on my boat with my 8 month old puppy and I think about halfway through I whistled for him and it got caught on mic. LOL I’ve learned so much from watching Nat and his father over the years..

• 

  Nolan Stampfl says:

  DeWalt has some heavy duty machines, that professional auto detailers use for polishing, the pads are available in a variety of styles for attaching sanding paper.

• 

  Michael Deery says:

  I will be painting the topsides of a grp (fibreglass) lapstrake hulled sailboat (19′ British Lugger). I think I will prefer to hand sand as the hull is fairly sound, but the fibreglass and gelcoat repairs do not leave me with much choice but repainting. This will be the second Lugger that I have repainted. The first one I used the roll and tip method. Will this method of simply using straight brushing provide similar results? I am an experienced painter (not boats), but I am a very experienced varnisher of boats. I would prefer the method shown above, just looking to see if there are pros and cons vs. roll and tip. I will be using one part brightsides polyurethane. Thank you in advance for any guidance you may offer. BTW, great video.

• 

  ryan wagley says:

  He mentions using a slow drying putty. I have been unable to locate a slow drying putty for a wooden hull, what would the advantage be of a slow drying Putty?

  • 

    Steve Stone says:

    Good question, Ryan. Here’s Maynard’s reply:

    Interlux #31 for topsides, I believe, and #30 for underwater. Slow drying (aka oil-based) putty allows the wood to swell naturally and close up the seams without restriction. The putty, of course, squeezes out, but if seams (especially underwater ones) are filled with a hard filler like Bondo, the wood, when it tries to expand, can’t, and becomes compressed beyond its elastic limit and never bounces back. Ever wider seams are the result, not to mention the additional tension that the frames are subjected to.

• 

  Doug Day says:

  Here are photos of my two machines, which I believe duplicate those that Nat is using. Both his and mine are old and are no longer available. Besides being rather heavy, they’re rugged, both rated at 10 amps (at 120 volts), with the sander turning at 2,000 rpm and the grinder at 4,800. Maybe there’s now a two-speed unit now that can do both jobs.

  • 

    Jerry McIntire says:

    Hey Steve, Doug was quoting Maynard, above, and is perhaps asking to see the photos Maynard mentioned.

• 

  Doug Day says:

  To Nat or anyone: on VALENCIA (1958 Olin Stephens) I put two-part Epifanes paint on five years ago. It was hard to get right. Ended up doing it twice. Now, I want to go with the Nat Formula expressed in this video. Question: How much sanding it enough to prepare the topsides for a Switch of Paints and is there anything I should put in the primer to enable the one part of Poly in the new paint to “match/not be bothered” by the two-part epoxy underneath the new topsides using this Nat Formula? Thanks, Doug Day, Swan’s Island

  • 

    Doug Day says:

    And follow up: is there a need to make sure the fairing putty jives with the paint, esp. given my choice to go from Two-part epoxy, back to a one-part Poly as Nat is using here? What putty do we like?
    Second question: using Boiled Linseed Oil applications and a small torch to remove old bottom paint to better see the seams, And since I may be taking out old cotton on a few seam spots, any compatibility issues for the putty
    going over cotton and under bottom paint?

• 

  Ian Latham says:

  Just watched. Great ‘primer’ on painting. Much appreciated. Very helpful.

• 

  Bill Krenick says:

  Thank you!

• 

  Jason Burns says:

  Thoroughly enjoyed this video. Many years ago I worked for Paul who taught me countless skills of maintaining boats which have been helpful over the years. I’m thrilled to see that Nat has joined his father and is carrying on the tradition.

• 

  Walt Schulte says:

  Nat applied 2 coats of Brightsides without sanding in between the coats?????

• 

  Bill Jones says:

  I missed this video until now, an excellent video. I have some peeling paint-poor adhesion and a similar fairing to be done on the topsides of my Carroll Lowell 28′ “picnic boat” built in 1964. Although Maybelle does not have a lot of bow flare there is some. Do the Bryant’s use the grinder/sander technique on that type of surface shape? My concern is the old saying that fast machines make fast mistakes.

• 

  Kaci Cronkhite says:

  Getting ready for a haulout in June. This painting series is fantastic! Thanks Nat for sharing your expertise and thanks to everyone at OCH for making this available. You guys rock.

• 

  Steven Dami says:

  I am having difficulty locating an 8″ foam backer for my sander. Can you tell the the brand / part number used by Nat? I assume it has to be very low density foam. All i can find is soft rubber…

  • 

    Maynard Bray says:

    Hi Steve,
    The 3M 8″ Stikit soft backup pad will work. These days, it’s about the only choice. It uses hook-and-loop discs instead of the messy feathering disc adhesive I’ve been using. At $73 it’s pricey, however; but because of its large size, it gets the job done fast. Just make sure to hold it flat so that the edges don’t dig in and make crescent moons.

• 

  Charles Mesec says:

  Does anyone know what Nat uses for seam compound or if he uses the Combi-filler for the job.

• 

  Jerry Stavola says:

  Hi All!
  Thanks for the refresher course from Nat & Maynard. I’ll be painting the hull on my 40′ Chris-Craft Corinthian(1967) within the next month and like the idea of mixing the primer with the top coat and the 6 second “drip” rule. I roll & tip and depending on the weather, it usually takes a couple of laps on the carvel planking before I can “feel” the right mix of paint & thinner but when she’s done, it looks great.
  Happy boating!
  Mad Cap
  Old Saybrook, CT

• 

  Edward Bachman says:

  GREAT help as I am in the midst of a small painting project. How do you keep the white paint off of that red sweat shirt?

  • 

    Bill Bouldin says:

    leave the red in the drawer.

• 

  Dennis Stockwell says:

  Thank you Nat Bryant, your painting tips will be usefull this spring.

• 

  Karl Seidenberg says:

  I’m impressed with how Nat keeps paint from dripping down the brush ferrule while painting under the counter (stern)!

• 

  Walter Connolly says:

  Sorry, but I am getting tired just from watching. It is a job for a young lad and he is doing a very good job.

• 

  Michael Naumann says:

  Thanks Bill – and what a wonderful choice you’ve made: My first sloop was a 1954 SS Pilot (Aage Nielsen design), “Sable”. It turned me into a wooden boat person. And it survived a tough grounding at Isle a Haut – any plastic boat would have sunk. Good luck, Michael

• 

  bill mayher says:

  This video is one of my favorites. I love counting drips as a way to guage paint thickness.

• 

  Bill Rintala says:

  This is a very helpful video. I agree with Nico regarding a list of materials. I used Interlux Brightside on my Welsford Houdini and was very pleased with the results even though it was my first boat painting effort.

  • 

    Steve Stone says:

    Thanks Bill and Nico. A list of materials is on the way for this video. Straight from Nat Bryant. Thanks for being patient.

• 

  nico jenkins says:

  Just a thought..this is a great video but it would be great if there was a list of materials included with the technical videos. For example, there are a lot of putties on the market and I’d love to know what type he is using in fairing the boat…

  • 

    Steve Stone says:

    List of materials has just been added by Maynard. Enjoy.

    • 

      Doug Day says:

      Where did Maynard add the list of materials? Esp. interested in what putty with this line up of Brightside Interlux, 4259 (with 50/50 #242 on the primer stage). VALENCIA, S&S, trying to get it right. Big question: moving to this Interlux paint (one part poly) from Epifanes 2-part epoxy paint: besides wearing my respirator, any advice or issue going from 2-part epoxy to one-part Poly Interlux. Any COMPATIBILITY ISSUES?

      • 

        Doug Day says:

        Steve Stone? Are you “on the line?” What do you say about the possibility and value of one variable speed 7 or 8 inch angle grainder/sander? Is there such a thing to accomplish both jobs with one machine? Thanks, Doug Day