# Tips for apply Interlux Brightside Poly



## T37Chef (Oct 9, 2006)

Hey gang, any tips for applying this stuff using the brush & tip method. I will be using it for my boot stripe, per recommendation of my marinas paint guy. I sanded it today and want to apply it tomorrow if it gets warm enough  The label says no primer needed? I also purchased the "brushing liquid 333" and the "special thinner 216" for prepping the surface.










Another question, I will be taping "blind" due to sanding. How would you be sure the waterline is straight. I was thinking a laser level as guide for the tape, or do you just eyeball it? I also got the plastic tape for a fine line.


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## CellNav (Aug 18, 2006)

- If it's cool it's going to be thick and dry slow so use a faster drying reducer
-- Warm the can in a pan of water if it's below 60F

- I brushed mine in warm weather straight from the can. 

- Two coats minimum to cover. 

- A laser on a tripod works well -- just ensure the boat is level...
Sears sells a two axis laser level with tripod for under a hundred bucks


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

We did hull stripes with this paint last summer, using the roll and tip method. It has worked out well, took 3 coats (no primer) putting flag blue over white.

I added a reducer that helped it to "flow" out, leaves a smoother finish - (don't recall the name/brand) If you use a similar product be careful you don't overdo it.. it really wants to run if you do.

When you first roll it on it LOOKS LIKE HELL! The foam roller leaves a spotty, bubbly looking mess. But when you tip it with a foam brush, all you are left with is a bit of streakiness, which flows out quite quickly. The results are really quite good.

Try to keep a wet edge, only roll about 4-5 feet at most then go back and tip it right away.

Getting the line straight now that you've sanded is going to be tough. The laser trick works if the boat and the laser are perfectly level, or if the boat and the laser are in the same plane in all axes... Leveling the laser is no problem. Knowing if your boat is truely level on the stands is another thing altogether. Also remember that the boot stripe thickness will have to change as you go around the counter in order to have the same "visual" height all around when viewed from a short distance. (eg a 2" boot stripe can be 12" wide under the transom on boats with long flat overhangs - this is less pronounced with more traditional designs.

If you ever do this again, score the hull lightly every couple of feet along the stripe(s), those marks should be visible even after sanding.

Good luck!


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## bwindrope (Feb 25, 2007)

*Read*

One other suggestion is to read Don Casey's book on sailboat painting. Besides a very thorough discussion of materials and techniques, he mentions a simple and clever way to check your level using a water hose with water in it. Following his techniques makes it pretty straightforward.

Good luck.


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## Wayne25 (Jul 26, 2006)

I would think level is relative on a boat. If you don't have a waterline mark on the bow and transom, you have no reference to level the boat. You will not know how it will sit in the water with loaded tankage and normal items you stow away. Chances are, your waterline will not be correct. Possibly you could take measurements from a sister boat if you know where to find one in the water.


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## artbyjody (Jan 4, 2008)

I found their video library helpful .... worth a looksy before going at it...

interlux videos


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## Lion35 (Sep 28, 2007)

the advice above is right on target, the only thing I would add is another vote for thinning the paint and going with multiple thin coats. It helps the paint to flow out and makes a big difference. I've always used primer and then wet sanded the primer coats, but maybe it was a waste of time/dollars.

This shot is right after paining the topsides with Brightside, unfortunately it's an old picture. This was two primer coats, wet sanded, and then three coats of gloss with roll and tip. The paint held up very well for about ten years and I plan on using it again.


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## T37Chef (Oct 9, 2006)

Nice looking boat Lion, I only can hope my paint turns out so nice.

Thanks for all the tips and advice everyone, I am off to give it a try.


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## T37Chef (Oct 9, 2006)

artbyjody said:


> I found their video library helpful .... worth a looksy before going at it...
> 
> [http://www.yachtpaint.com/USA/video_library/default.asp]


Unfortunately I cannot get the videos to run this morning, error on page? I'll grab Frank, the marina pro paint guy and bribe him with a 12 pack for a demo


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## Banshi (Jul 4, 2007)

Don't forget the Interlux 202 fiberglass solvent wipe down if you are painting over the original gelcoat on a fiberglass boat. I just finished my topsides using Brightside a week ago and the biggest issue I had was a slow drying time and insects that just could not resist landing on it (that's what I get for working outside).


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## JohnRPollard (Mar 26, 2007)

T37,

Good advice above. If you haven't departed already, one other point not mentioned is to ALWAYS tip away from the wet edge, i.e. back toward the freshly painted portion. Don't tip out to or toward the wet edge.

Brightside is good paint, but I prefer Toplac (a somewhat higher quality version of Brightside) for the fine finish work, and I also like to put their Pre-Kote primer under it:

Interlux Pre-Kote Primer for One-Part Finishes

Good luck! I'm sure it will look great when you're done!


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I like Brightside, but LOVE LOVE LOVE AwlGrip! We rolled and tipped the hull with it, and she looks AMAZING! I have also seen beautiful results from Brightside, too. The key is to prep properly, use the ridiculously expensive green 3M tape, and retape between coats. We sanded with 400 between coats and wiped down the hull. It took two weeks to do (another few days for cove and top stripes), so patience is a factor. The only thing we had issues with were getting the vinyl letters on the hull straight and without bubbles! Grrr... vinyl letters are EVIL. If we, two novices, could do it, anyone can. We were quoted $14,000 to have it profesionally painted- not including extra charges for fixing dings. We did it for under $1,000, including bottom paint (us again), haul-out, and yard fees.

I am also the idiot who painted the topside with EasyPoxy six months prior to the hull job. Learned my lesson from that one! It's going to get AwlGripped eventually (what a nightmare!)


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## JiffyLube (Jan 25, 2008)

bwindrope said:


> One other suggestion is to read Don Casey's book on sailboat painting. Besides a very thorough discussion of materials and techniques, he mentions a simple and clever way to check your level using a water hose with water in it. Following his techniques makes it pretty straightforward.
> 
> Good luck.


Once in awhile in my trade (tile and marble), we use a water level for more exacting lines...nothing is more level than water.


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

JiffyLube said:


> Once in awhile in my trade (tile and marble), we use a water level for more exacting lines...nothing is more level than water.


True, the water level works well, but still requires the boat to be truly level in both directions on the stands... and that's the rub. It's very difficult to know when the boat is in fact level both fore and aft and athwartship. Many cabin soles cannot be relied on as a "level" indicator and there are not many other "level" surfaces on boats in general.

Another complication is that often older boats no longer float on their original lines and may have had the boot stripes altered already.

However if the lines have truly been lost, measuring a sistership (as mentioned above by someone) may well be the surest way to get something that looks right.


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

With boat in the water...sprinkle baby powder all around. it will form a new waterline mark. Tanks should be full and gear loaded normally for this.


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