Windows

[Seattleflyfisher]

I have my windows off the hunter and would like to touch them up. Any recommendations on how to spray paint them. Sand them? Primer them? Paint them?.......and the kind of paint?


SFF

[Markshoreline]

Did you remove the glass as DSCS did or leave it in place?

[Seattleflyfisher]

Its in place. Not sure what to sand it with.


SFF

[croaker stroker]

This looks like a good way to do it.  He used a rotory wire wheel to remove the old paint.

I would do Zinc Chromate primer before the black paint.  :twocents:


http://www.yachtauthority.com/articles-Painting_Aluminum_Boat_Window_Frames.php

[Markshoreline]

Is the paint chipped down to the metal or just cosmetic flaws, or is the metal pitted/corroded?

If corroded the quick way is sandblasting, next quickest is using one of the stripper wheels and finally chemical stripper and sanding.

If the paint is just discolored but not chipped or corroded through you can sand with 220 or 400 and respray with enamel or epoxy paint.

Whatever paint you choose do use a primer.

DSCS did this job so hopefully he is not yet fishing for lings and halibut and will take a moment to reply.

[Threeweight]

Painting aluminum without using an  etching primer won't last.  If you want to touch it up for a season or two, it is fine.  But if you already have it apart, I'd do it right.  Sand, prime with a zinc chromate aluminum etching primer, then finish it off with a few coats of a quality black enamel.  If you have really bad pitting and corrosion, you can use some Marine Tex (or similar) epoxy to fill in the pitting.

[DSCS]

Mark has spoken... so I guess I better add my  :twocents:.

I had some severe pitting and corrosion. Looked into painting and found as 3Wght posted. Aluminum is a batch to coat if intended to be used in a corrosive environment. Etching primer at the very least. Alodine the preferred method. Cleaning and "time to coat" are critical.

So I decided I was a bit out of my league with painting. Looked into replacement. Impossible for my '90 Chaser. Well I guess with enough cash anything is possible  .  But again out of my league.

Ended up tearing the whole windshield down. Drilled out all the rivets and took the pieces in to get powdercoated. Used liberal amounts of CorrosionX when assembling. Got it back together with no pieces left over  :party:.  I did cover some of the surfaces with marine pin stripe tape to help prevent scratches and serve as isolation between the frame and the stainless canvas clips. Also planning on keeping the frame wiped down with CorrosionX.

The windshield looks a thousand times better than when I started the project. Only time will tell how the powdercoat holds up.

Alan

[SRanger]

Got it back together with no pieces left over.

Always a good sign!  Made me chuckle.

SR

[Markshoreline]

Yeah, when does it happen that no pieces are left?   

Thanks for the description of your work, DSCS, your windshield (and top, and electronics) are all top notch!