This is an archived message posted to the Kayak Building Bulletin Board. If you would like to ask a question about building kayaks, you can post a new message.
> Hey Dave, after checking with my Petit rep and following up with Interlux
> to confirm, they both said the paint losing its gloss was due to abrasives
> and not to worry about its affect on the overall durability of the paint.
> HOWEVER, using a satin or semigloss paint would not be the same. The
> additives they use to soften the look of the paint reduce its durability
> significantly. They suggested staying with the gloss and letting time take
> care of the shine, or sanding it with a high grit paper (220) to knock
> down some of its gloss. They also recomended against using any of the
> additives to soften the gloss, as it also softens the paint. Hope this
> helps, happy building. TomP
A professional kayak builder at the Great Lakes Sea Kayak Symposium told me that he was going to start buffing his finished painted hulls with steel wool. After the third and final coat of Interlux Brightside dried on my Chesapeake, I tried it and am very pleased with the results. I figured that if I didn't like it, I could always apply one more coat of paint to cover it up. I used 0000 steel wool and buffed it by hand. It really hid the imperfections that I just could't seem to sand out.
This is an archived message from The Kayak Building Bulletin Board.
Guillemot Kayak - High
Performance Wooden Sea Kayak Designs
