The ‘5 Ps’ in painting
Distilling some of my thoughts and learnings about boat painting these last couple of years, I came up with my 5 Ps for increasing the likelihood of generating the desired result and quality finish.
Preparation: To give yourself the best chance of achieving a good result, preparation is key. This includes preparing the substrate to obtain a rust, flake and contaminate free surface (something I’ve discussed in previous blog posts), preparing all of the necessary materials to complete the job, and preparing the painting environment (whether painting inside a dock/ shed, or painting outside). Preparation is time consuming and can feel frustrating when you really just want to get on and paint, but the front-loading of effort in the first few days of preparatory work pays dividends later on.
Process: Like baking a cake, painting is something that almost anyone can do, if they have a clear ‘recipe’ or set of steps to logically and methodically work through. This is often known as a technical protocol or methods document (see example here) in the painting world. Regardless of the project, there are always several steps required to achieve a technically sound and aesthetically pleasing finish, including removing old paint & rust, cleaning and preparing paintable surfaces, priming, undercoating and top-coating.
Products: It sounds obvious, but good quality marine paints, brushes and rollers etc, really do make a very big difference. Having worked with most of the major brands of paint now, it’s clear to me why the big house names, like Craftmaster and International, really are worth the extra. Finding the right type of paint for your substrate (i.e., steel or GRP, oil-based or synthetic etc.) is a key decision in the process, as is ensuring the product is appropriate for your planned application method (e.g. spray or traditional roller-and-brush).
Practice: Painting takes practice, and fortunately when you start with a primer and have several coats to apply, you’ll have plenty of practice (e.g. rolling on and laying off) by the time you reach your prized glossy ‘mirror-finish’ topcoat. Starting in less conspicuous areas, like the gunwales, or on the roof, is a good way to get a good feel for the paints and painting process, as can engine bays (if accessible enough). Building up confidence by practicing on smaller, bite-sized areas and building up, can be a helpful way to start, while managing expectations.
Patience: The emphasis on preparation already implies a degree of patience is required. Beyond this, painting is also a bit of a waiting game. Few people read the data sheet that comes with their paint, and can be surprised to learn that over-coating times can often be in the 24-36 hour mark, significantly longer than the ‘touch dry’ times that people often assume means the paint is ready for the next coat. Similarly, it can be tempting to try and ‘fix’ imperfections straight away – whereas often the best thing to do is simply leave it and come back to rectify once the paint’s fully dried.
