I was just thumbing through Don Casey's " Sailboat Refinishing" and looked at his chapter on painting masts. He suggests using a polyurethane (2 part) and putting it on with a roll and tip method, however he says if thinned correctly you may not even have to bother with the tip part.
He suggests sanding the mast first and then an acid type etching primer that's recommended for the particular paint. He also warns about "clear coating" saying that usually by the end of one season the clear coat will usually be like pieces of cellophane all over the deck. (I refer to Don's books , especially "This Old Boat", regularly. They are awesome) Although I have not yet painted a mast, I have used Interlux's two part polyurethane on some fiberglass projects using the "roll and tip" method and got results that I was very happy with. It's more expensive than 1 part but the durability of it far exceeds the 1 part. If you decide to go that route you can get the Interlux products at West Marine as well as a really nice free painting guide from Interlux that goes through the prep steps. In fact, I think you can check out the directions for painting aluminum spars from sailboats less than 25 feet at their link at http://www.yachtpaint.com/usa//general/perfection/pdf/leaflet.pdf If that link doesn't work go to the homepage for interlux which is www.yachtpaint.com and search for the the 2 part product called Perfection. And thanks Howard for the tip on the mixing cups! I'll give it a try for sure. That's one of the things that's so great about being a part of a group like this. I love learning tips and tricks from you guys! As for the quality of work on Dauntless, well, thanks for the compliments but believe me I'm just an amateur. You know how pictures are. I'm editing what I show you!!! hahaha. Now you want to see some real workmanship.....check out that crazy Rick and Raven!!!! That's what I'm talkin' 'bout!!!! Thanks guys/gals Sean _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats
