Babbling about paint

OK, so I've been gathering as much info as possible on paint as I can. I'm soon to get starting painting my hull. One thing that just bothers me is the price of two-part paint. I'm looking at 500-600 bucks for Awlgrip or Alexseal (including all of the needed componets). 400-450 for interlux perfection. Those are my two part paints. My single part paints will set me back 200 bucks (Interlux brightside, petite eazypoxy, and epinefins) ! Now I've heard all of the wonderful things about two part but dang-it look at the price. The thing that bugs me the most is althought they cost more....they are sooooo much harder to do repair work on. I don't care how much harder finish they are said to have...they WILL scratch eventually. Then what? With said said, how much harder are they really? Folks say that the two-part paints retain gloss longer but I ain't heard anyone saying Brightside's gloss diminishes too quickly! I expect that no mater which paint I choose, I will need to repaint in 8 years. If I can do some paint repairs along the way I can maintain some level of good looks too. Can't easily repair the two part paint! I'm I to assume that the two-part paint thing is more of an elitist issue? lol I hate to put it that way... I mean, I've heard that you can only tell the difference when the two types of paint are side-by-side and of equal age. Well, I just won't park my boat next to your two-part painted skiff! Uggg! I'm back to square ONE! Somebody school me please!

 

Thanks for the reply. See, that's just it...From what I've been reading the single component marine paints from the manufactures I noted before aren't crud; instead, they seem to be competitive alternatives which in most cases retain gloss and hardness only slightly less than two part. Now, I say that only as a regurgitation of stuff I've READ. THAT'S NOT FIRST HAND INFO. As much as I've been learning, online, it's all just 3rd person mumbo jumbo. I have no first hand experience. I can say that I know of other products with-in my own industry that don't fall into the "you get what you pay for" paradigm. I even know some that fall into the "they charge more because they CAN" category. Anyway, what I'm getting at is this. What is the real world difference between two specific one and two part products. I'm sure the two part will be better but by how much. If it's marginal. I'll go with the one part paint. If it's night and day. I might bend over and let Mr. Algrip have his way with my wallet.

Well, the Petite easypoxy and interlux brightside paints are both alkyd paints. Petite more-so than the brightside which is why it is said to dry slower. Epifanes also has an alkyd paint that is said to be pretty good too. It scratch test higher than either of the first two I mentioned. Anyway, anyone have experience with one AND two part paints? Comments are always appreciated regardless. Sometimes I just need a different perspective to augment my own...

 

Oh yeah. Now see, I get various opinions about awlcraft. Some say yes, some say no. I wonder if they are getting awlgrip confused with awlcraft2000?!?
Why else would I need to fix it....man...I'm gonna scratch it, it's just a matter of time before I run up on a submerged oysterbed or log. lol


Oh, by the way. I'm still thinking about Awlcraft or Alexseal. I'm waiting for a price quote from Central Florida Marine before I make up my mind. In the mean while, I'm second guessing myself...

 

Once again, I'd like to thank everyone for their comments. PIB, damn bro! That first reply was vicious! But after reading your second reply I see why. lol It's all good! Being that PAINT is what YOU DO to make a living your words carry great weight. I wasn't literally suggesting that the TRUE difference between the two paints is elitist. My words were b.s. speculative conjecture more than anything else. There is just sooooo much criss-crossed data out there! Anyway, one of my other questions was inadvertently answered here too. I can't spray, I don't have the equipment and can't sink that sort of money into it. I have read that rolling and tipping two part is somewhat of a disservice to it's true potential. It sounds as if that is not the case based on one of the responses here? One thing I hear alot about one part paint is the complaint that it doesn't always completely harden. Typically when this point is brought up on a forum someone comes along and reveals that the painter missed a step in his preparation such as not using the proper wipe down solvent or improperly prep'ing the subsurface in some way. In a few cases that I read, no reducer was used and the coats were put on thick which is a super NO-NO for single component paints so-I-hear. PIB, the case in which you speak of (single part paints not drying) was that personal experience or someone else? Please remember, I'm not a painter, Just someone trying to figure this out. Nothing I write is meant to be an insult or challenge. I just like to be well informed before I sink cash into something. I know  a lot of people (via the internet, no one in person...so it really doesn't count lol)who use single part paint to great effect. Personally, I have only seen one part paint on a boat years and years ago. Too long ago to recall. I've seen awlgrip though. And honestly, I don't need a mirror finish. really don't even want a mirror finish. I just want a smooth, deep semigloss, that's hard enough for a weekend fishing wanna-be warrior. No matter what paint I get...I'll prolly repaint it at about 8 years anyway. I'm not sure. Just need some info from those who DO! Thanks fellas.

 

Oh yeah, also. I was under the impression that I was going to need about a gallon of material.
I have a 130 SF hull and 68 SF deck. Does that sound about right? I have an awlgrip dealer lined up and a Alexseal rep that I'm in contact with. Just needed a second opinion.

Happy 4th!

 

Anyone ever bought paint from
www.boatersland.com?


Best awlgrip and interlux perfection prices if found so far....

 

Well, I ordered the paint. I went with alexseal off-white. Its a two pairt paint most comparable to awlgrip. I talked to a few different companies about ordering paint. I even talked to ECC. Adam was a great help. I was considering getting awlgrip through them but decided on using alexseal after a few long and informative folk who made it much easier for me to finally decide to give alexseal a try. The only place in town that sales alexseal was central florida marine. After being blown off by them one-to-many times the alexseal rep suggested that i give gold coast marine a try. Gold coast was awesome. Very helpful. Not as much practical knowledge as the folk at ECC but i didn't expect them to be. While i'll prolly never deal with CFM again everyone else was awesome. I ended up buying a gal of paint, 1/2gal converter, reducer, and a few odds and ends for 280. The alexseal rep is a great dude to. He was a former awlgrip rep and spoke highly of both paints. I also decided that im going to give kiwi grip a try on the deck unless i have a ton of paint left over...which is unlikely anyway.