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Round 3: Ndawg12 Vs Swim Platform


Ndawg12

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Finally picked up an actual FG platform for a good price, only problem is that it was red!! The internet knows everything so I researched how to paint over gel coat, pretty simple really, sand it with 400, clean it, clean it some more, clean it again, prime it, and paint it. I also added 3 coats of clear enamel. I'm not too proud to admit I rattle canned it (Pete, I can see your eyes rolling :biggrin: ) rather than paying mad money to have it gelled, which I can still do later. So how long do you think it will last, place your bets....

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Edited by Ndawg12
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Looks great! My bet is 1 million years, or until your boys start boarding and using it, whichever comes first. Either way, an annual re-paint is pretty cheap and easy.

That red would have matched the Echelon pretty well........

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Prep, Prep, Prep and Prep some more. Sound like you did the right thing.

Just curoious, do you have an old teak platform that you need hauled off? :whistle:

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Prep, Prep, Prep and Prep some more. Sound like you did the right thing.

Just curoious, do you have an old teak platform that you need hauled off? :whistle:

Sorry REW, MichiganBoarder stole that from me a couple years ago :biggrin:

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Finally picked up an actual FG platform for a good price, only problem is that it was red!! The internet knows everything so I researched how to paint over gel coat, pretty simple really, sand it with 400, clean it, clean it some more, clean it again, prime it, and paint it. I also added 3 coats of clear enamel. I'm not too proud to admit I rattle canned it (Pete, I can see your eyes rolling :biggrin: ) rather than paying mad money to have it gelled, which I can still do later. So how long do you think it will last, place your bets....

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OH NO, Nawdawg12, your boat seats are just sitting on the garage floor !?!?!?!?!?!?! Cry.gif

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Wish you luck on it, Nate.

I hang out on a golf cart forum too.... BuggiesGoneWild.com. There are a lot of guys customizing these old carts with rims & tires, stereos, upholstery, paint, etc. One of the things they all recommend when painting these plastic & fiberglass parts is the use something called "adhesion promoter". Sounds like a kind of primer of some sort. The end result is a coating of paint that sticks to the surface a lot better.

I don't have any experience with painting glass or plastic. But my brother has tons of glass experience, from laying up skis & boards with Hyperlite & SkySki, to finishing bathtubs, Corvettes & Kenworth trucks. And from what I gather, applying gel coat is very much like painting, but it has different properties that make it more durable. So if it comes to that, you won't need to do much more than you already did...... mask off what you don't want covered, sand & prep, and spray the gelcoat. They have used inexpensive air compressors & spray guns to do the job so it's very much within your reach.

Hope it works out for ya. And lets see some pics of the new swimstep mounted up! :rockon:

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Can't view it it's considered an adult site but my network administrator, congrats hope it works out for ya. Why not just have it re-gelcoated? When I checked locally it wasn't that much ~175 or so was what I was quoted, though a change in color may cost more.

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How long did you wait between coats? What was the shortest interval and the longest interval? That will determine how long the paint will last. If you waited more than 24 hours between coats you may not get as long of a life out of the paint (depending on the type of paint of course). If you waited long enough for flash off and followed the coating directions then my guess is it will last as long as you own the boat (except for big gashes from boards). Sounds like all your prep work will pay off. Good job!

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Can't view it it's considered an adult site but my network administrator, congrats hope it works out for ya. Why not just have it re-gelcoated? When I checked locally it wasn't that much ~175 or so was what I was quoted, though a change in color may cost more.

That's 165 more than I spent and then what about the pad? If you really wanted to do it "right" then that would need to come off too....

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martinarcher

Looks pretty good man. If you prepped it well I would say it will last a decent amount of time. If you used adhesion promoter I think it will resist chipping well too. I've painted my fair share of fiberglass and anything with adhesion promoter looks pretty good over time. If you spray glass without it, it ends up chipping fairly easy especially if the glass flexes over time.

Just keep some touch up handy....Thumbup.gif

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................. and then what about the pad? If you really wanted to do it "right" then that would need to come off too....

My brother just told me the other day that he has a couple sheets of black/white Gator Grip left. I have some green/white & some blue/white. Might be the last of it on earth. Plus there is Hydroturf & Seadek.

Granted none of it free, but IMO it's a lot better than the stuff Malibu has put on their swimsteps over the years.

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FWIW I used industrial grade rustoleum primer, paint, and clear coat enamel. We use this combination for touchups on older equipment at my work, but not over gel sowe will see how long it lasts. Between the primer and paint it took about 3 hours to apply all coats.

Bill, you were holding out on me with the gatorgrip!!!! :biggrin: Not sure I agree about the padding comment. Overall I was disappointed with hydroturf, although I kept it coated with 3m it still degraded and got tracked into the boat. I've seen the seadek stuff peel up easily and cut/tear easily as well. My pad is harder like a hard rubber or plastic, although not as soft or comfortable, seems more durable if the the adhesive holds up.

Edited by Ndawg12
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I think the life span is inversely proportional to the number of Corona Lights that were consumed during the job. The container looks like it changed positions and is now empty in the background by the end!

Edited by Badger
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Where were you able to find a new platform? Looks great by the way.

Thanks, a had a line on a dealer that is going out of business and unloaded it pretty cheap, but in the end shipping across country hurt :cry: which reminds me, I need to thank a crew member for the heads up :thumbup:

I think the life span is inversely proportional to the number of Corona Lights that were consumed during the job. The container looks like it changed positions and is now empty in the background by the end!

:rofl: in that case I better check it tonight, probably peeling all ready :biggrin:

Edited by Ndawg12
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I would have left the red alone. You know, rollin' red neck style.

Good luck with it.

Ha, yeah right! My son was pi$$ed that I painted it, he said, being red, it matched his new Cars themed bike :crazy:

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Bill, you were holding out on me with the gatorgrip!!!! :biggrin: Not sure I agree about the padding comment. Overall I was disappointed with hydroturf, although I kept it coated with 3m it still degraded and got tracked into the boat. I've seen the seadek stuff peel up easily and cut/tear easily as well. My pad is harder like a hard rubber or plastic, although not as soft or comfortable, seems more durable if the the adhesive holds up.

Yea, not really holding out, but not advertising anything either since the source has dried up. The only thing left is what we have on hand.

I'm surprised the Hydroturf or Seadek didn't do well for you. I know several people who have used it with pretty good success. I will say that none of the softer pads will last forever. Their softer & more comfortable to sit/kneel on, and non-skid, but they definitely wear & fade. The last GatorGrip pad I owned for almost 5 yrs & it was still pretty good. But if a guy left it out in the weather all the time, maybe it wouldn't do as well. My current swimstep is going on it's 3rd season & still looks great. I keep it covered or inside when the boat is on the trailer. It spends weeks or months at a time moored in the boat slip. BTW, I just built a bed for the golf cart & put GatorGrip on the bottom.

Hope it works out for you this time around.

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