Western Reserve Model Yacht Club Finishing Your Soling One Meter Introduction: The Soling One Meter (and other polystyrene boats) can be a real challenge to paint. If this is your first Soling, you should be aware of some things that might make the finishing process a little easier. Polystyrene plastic is an oily material. It does not take paint too easily, and only by using good preparation techniques will you be happy with the results. It is important to (a) avoid using harsh solvents like lacquer thinner, acetone, MEK, etc., and (b) keep the boat away from excessive heat. Safe cleaning of the hull is possible using soap and water, mineral spirits, or alcohol. There are several things to consider before or when painting your new Soling One Meter. First- the reasons for painting are to distinguish your boat from others on the water, or because you simply LIKE a certain color, and/ or to protect your boat from deterioration from UV rays. UV Deterioration: Under exposure to ultra-violet rays from the sun or other sources, polystyrene plastic essentially dries out, and microscopic "crazing" occurs. Very small cracks develop and the plastic is no longer pliable. Once the plastic is brittle, every stress can result in a tear and need for frequent repairs. Usually the deck is the first place you notice the boat becoming brittle - often when the cockpit coaming cracks, then cracks appear around the mast step. This occurs very slowly- as evidenced by the fact that many unpainted Solings last for years before becoming excessively brittle. But painted Solings also crack as they age- so UV deterioration may not be the only issue after all. We generally don't keep the same boat for 12-15 years anyway, and Solings are relatively inexpensive kits. So, as your Soling begins to crack (usually the deck first), you could consider replacing the deck or later the hull (Victor sells S1M "Lower Boat Kits"), which would save your rig and hardware. Solutions to lengthen the life of your boat Paint the boat: Lighter colors reflect the UV rays better, so we would expect that light colors would better protect the polystyrene than a red, black, or green for example. Even painting first with a white, then overcoating with your other color is better than simply using the color coat alone. The white will still reflect, even under another color. 3 or more coats of any paint is recommended for better UV protection. A clear UV-protecting coating may also help: Krylon Fusion Clear, Krylon Crystal Clear, and Rustoleum Crystal Clear Enamel all provide UV protection. One piece of advice- consider the possible UV deterioration before buying an OLD used Soling. There will be some deterioration in all of them over time.
So, Finishing Your Soling- From simplest to most complex A. Simplest: Of course, leaving the hull and deck as is (white styrene) is the easiest route to take. The plain styrene hull looks pretty smooth either sanded with a progression of wet/dry sandpaper grades (320, 600, 1000), or even just rubbed out using automotive rubbing compound. (There IS a difference in rubbing compounds- 3M "Liquid Rubbing Compound for Light to Medium Scratches" 3M PN 39002 is a great choice). 1. Over (a long) time, UV exposure will turn the white styrene sort of an yellowish off-white. Actually this "patina" can be quite attractive (but hard to match for a repair). As discussed above, UV embrittlement is also increased on unfinished plastic. 2. Add striping or decals: Put on accent stripes or a water line using striping tape. A plain Soling can be dressed up with some graphics- thin decals or stickers, over-sprayed with several coats of clear lacquer, sanded and polished. 3. Paint stripes or misted edges on your sails: use a fabric paint such as used for coloring silk flowers- Design-Master is one, available at Michael s, Pat Catan or JoAnn Fabrics. This is the easiest way to sail a plain, white Soling, yet have it be easier to identify on the water. B. Painting: 1. Single-color paint schemes: More and more Solings seem to be painted one color- hull and deck. Some add accents by painting the hatch and lazarette a contrasting color. One color is a LOT simpler to paint, and hides the deck flange very successfully. Besides, you won t see a lot of fancy paint work with the boat 50 yards out on the water anyway. It can take a lot of work to get the deck smooth enough to really look good under paint, especially dark colors. Many choose to not paint the decks of their Soling for these reasons, or paint the deck with a flat or satin color to hide the imperfections. C. Paint Choices Boat by Frankie Novak Deck and hull, under waterline are unpainted styrene. You may want to consider just painting from the waterline, slightly overlapping over on to the deck- (essentially a wide stripe from the waterline to just over the deck.) Painting the hull color overlapping the edge of the deck will hide the flange, and also hide any excess glue or other imperfections in the hull/deck joint. Then leave the rest of the deck and the bottom as is- unpainted. This minimizes the painting, yet LOOKS like a fully painted boat. The styrene under the waterline can be buffed to a high gloss as a last step.
Some Soling 1 Meter paint schemes: Paint: There are many good paint choices. Always use the same brands of paint and primer, and the same brands in two colors if using two colors. Never mix types, brands, or especially never mix clear lacquer over enamel. Paint Types: 1. Alkyd aerosols general purpose (Rustoleum Rust Preventive Enamel or Krylon Indoor-Outdoor ("5-Ball" ). Cans of enamel can be thinned, then airbrushed, or even brush painted. Enamel is soft, and never gets as hard as some other paints, making it easier to repair, and respond to buffing better, but enamel will scratch easier. 2. Enamel paint- available in pint cans. Generally NOT available in aerosols. These are fine if thinned 10% with acetone and applied (believe or not) using a foam brush. Enamels are not particularly glossy, but are also easy to repair. 3. Lacquer: We do not recommend lacquer because of its high cost, and its hazardous fumes and flammability. Plan on 4 cans of the small, hobbyshop lacquers (Tamiya TS Series) per boat. These are not widely available, but dry faster, harder, and glossier than enamels. 4. Polyurethanes: Victor uses auto urethane paints (applied by a body shop) for their factory boats. These include automotive basecoat/clear coat systems- 2-part paints (plus a reducer for thinning). Polyurethanes are expensive, hard, very glossy, and durable. They are also not widely available in small quantities. Curing time is fast - a few minutes vs. several days for standard aerosol paints. But, urethanes are generally not recommended for amateur use- they are hazardous (fumes and flammable). We do not recommend them for S1M painting, unless you are an expert and have the right respiration equipment. You might want to check with a local auto body shop- maybe they'll tag your boat project on at the end of another job?? D. Paint Application Methods: most Solings are probably painted using aerosol cans. Some painters also use spray equipment, such as an automotive sprayer or an airbrush, which atomize the paint better than a spray can because they spray smaller droplets than do aerosol cans.
E. Which paint to use? Our recommended aerosol paints: Brand Type Observations Manufacturer usage tips Krylon Fusion (Sherwin-Williams) Rust-Oleum Protective Enamel or Rust-Oleum 2X Paint plus Primer; Painter s Touch Krylon Indoor- Outdoor Paint ( 5-Ball ) (Sherwin- Williams) Paint for plastics Acrylic Enamel acrylic lacquerized enamel High gloss, with a primer. Quick dry but 7+ day CURE. Best valve (spray top) available. Easy, seems (almost) foolproof. Cleanup using mineral spirits. Easy to repair scratches and buff out using high-quality rubbing compound. Prime using their primer. Forgiving; gloss is great, over a light primer. Cleanup using mineral spirits. Easy to repair scratches and buff out. MANY colors. Prime using 5-Ball primer. Second coats within an hour, recoat after a few minutes or wait a week. Second coats within an hour, recoat after a few minutes or wait 24 hours. Rust-Oleum will not be fully cured for over a month, and during that time will scratch easily. Second coats within an hour, recoat after a few minutes or any other time. OK- bottom line- what do WE recommend?? 1. Paint the boat vs. leaving it "plain". Even if you want an all-white boat- PAINT it white for UV protection. For finishes: a. For a High Gloss White: use 3-4 coats white spray enamel- Krylon or Rustoleum. b. A High Gloss Color: 2 thin coats Krylon White Primer, over-coated with 2 coats Krylon color coat, then 3-4 coats Krylon clearcoat. c. Option: clear coat for really high gloss: clear-coat using the same brand clear as the color coat. Apply the clear coat as if it were additional coats of the color coat- so, - mist color coat #1, 2 minutes later - slightly heavier coat #2. IF you have good coverage- - then clear coat # 1, and #2, etc. You may have to use several coats of clear to get the high-gloss "wet look" you are looking for. d. Medium Gloss color- 2 thin coats Krylon White Primer, over-coated with 3-4 coats Krylon color coat. e. "Satin" finish- Use 2 coats of white Rustoleum primer, then 2 coats Rustoleum color. AFTER 3-4 weeks: wet-sand using 800 wet and dry paper. *NOTE: When painting over a white undercoat (or white primer) with a color over-coat, wait until the white coats are dry to the touch - about 45 minutes- 1 hour, before adding the color coat. Don t wait beyond an hour though- or you might have problems with the paint attacking the earlier coats. Also, be sure and use LIGHT coats of the color coat so you don t (example) spray red over an uncured white- and get mottled pink!! 2. Preparation for painting- Use a sanding block for the first two sandings. Hand-sanding can leave grooves and scratches. Use a sanding block, (sold in most hardware stores), or a piece of ½ thick rigid foam cut to size for your hand. Wood is not as good. 3M Sanding Pads are also excellent, and will produce an even finish, fast. 3. Filler - single-part putty or glazing compound (epoxy is too hard for this application). Available at auto stores- as body filler. Example- Bondo 1-part Glazing and Spot Putty item no. 907 or
937 in 1.5 oz. tube -easy to sand. More durable is Bondo 2-part Glazing Putty no. 801. Both will have to be painted over. Apply the filler using a flexible putty spreader. 4. Sandpaper- always use wet and dry sandpaper, except on wood. You will need 80-grit (for removal of material), 320, 800, 1000, 1500 and perhaps 2000 grit. Two 8-1/2 X 11 pieces of each should be enough. Use a small bucket, and add about 5 drops of dishwashing detergent to 2 gallons of water- it helps keep the sandpaper from loading up. 5. Primer- there is primer, and Primer-filler. Primer-filler is a high-build material that will better fill fine scratches. Primer-filler is more useful. A white primer provides improved UV protection even UNDER a color coat, and helps the color "pop". Painting Steps: Decide up front- are you looking for a functional boat, that looks good on the water, OR a show piece?? You can make a case for either one. Of course, the boat IS going to be raced, bumped, and banged around on the water. So- maybe it makes sense to make it look good- but not perfect. But if you want perfect- you're going to have to work for it. Preparation of the surface is THE most important thing!! If you want a finish that will be impressive and look professional, you have to prep the hull and deck until it is perfect. There are no shortcuts! Sand- Start the painting process by sanding areas with fillers (transom for example) using 100- then 320 grit wet/dry sandpaper. Sand the rest of the hull using 320 wet & dry paper to remove all the mold release and wax, and any high spots in the hull. Wipe the hull down using mineral spirits sprayed of light on a cloth or towel, not wet- wet will remove any primer. Many will spray a light coat of white primer-filler at this point, to make the high and low spots more obvious after several sandings, before final filling and sanding. Fill- The combination of sanding the high spots and filling and sanding the low spots will eventually yield a fair hull. Fill the low spots using putty, and re-sand the boat again with 600 wet dry paper on a sanding block. Continue to sand until all high areas are removed. You will sand almost ALL the primer off the hull, each time. Low spots or hollows will show up as dark areas- fill again with glazing putty. Sand, prime and repeat until the surface is perfect. After filling and sanding until you are satisfied with the results, sand the surfaces smooth using 320 grit wet and dry paper. Wash with soap and water. Prime: The paint for plastics paints say they do not need a primer. That is true- they will stick to the plastic without a primer. But they will be far more glossy over a primer and it will take fewer coats to cover, plus yield a better finish. (If you are using a white undercoat for UV protection, that will also increase the gloss of the finish coat.) Use Krylon white primer for Krylon 5-Ball, Rust- Oleum white Primer for Rust-Oleum or Painter s Choice. Wipe the hull using a clean cloth or paper towel and 91% rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol. Let dry. Prime paint with a coat of primer and let dry overnight. Thin coat is all that is needed. It should look smooth- almost like a satin paint. Hand sand (no block) this time with 800 wet/dry paper. The boat is smooth enough when your fingernail passing over an area cannot feel any imperfections. The purpose it to make the primer coat as smooth as possible, yielding a super smooth final coat. Dampen a cloth with mineral spirits (NOT wet - just damp) and wipe the surface clean of dust. Some next use a tack cloth, or even a
dampened (water) cloth to remove all lint and dust. Wipe the hull using a clean cloth or paper towel and 91% rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol. Let dry thoroughly. Painting: Wait at least a week!! The paint will not be cured for at least that long. Then, you are ready to apply the color coat. Use quality masking tape (blue or green 3M) to mask off the deck, unless you plan to paint it all one color anyway. Paint the hull with the boat upside down -keel up- then store the hull upside down while the paint cures. Don't put it into a stand for at least 10 days- the lines of the stand will mark the hull. Paint the first LIGHT color coat. A LIGHT thin coat is merely a misting over the surface. Thin means misting the paint on in successive layers- you can almost immediately put on additional coats- 1-2 minutes after painting. Spray with the can about 6 from the surface, and start beyond one end, and spray past the other end before letting up on the spray button. Do not try and spray in circles or stopmake a smooth full pass over the boat. Also- do not try to get a wet look by spraying thick coats of paint- you ll get a run. Gloss comes with a white undercoat, followed by successive light color coats. Paint the hull with at least 2 or more thin coats of paint, until the color is even in tone and all areas are covered to your satisfaction. Light colors will take more coats than reds, black, dark blue, etc. Do not try to build up the paint by painting thicker- you cannot fill sanding marks with paint- it will run. If it does- DON T try to fix it yet- let it thoroughly dry then sand it out. Allow at least 3-4 days curing time up to 10 days for the paint to harden. Try and avoid handling it during this time- even though it will feel dry- it isn t. The longer you wait- the happier you ll be. The combination of a 9 lb. hull, tacky paint, and whatever the boat sits on in the stand will mar the paint job on your hull, otherwise. Clear-Coating: The clear coat is the same basic material as your color coats, just without pigment. Clear has to go on as the final 3 or 4 coats over the color coat. So, just apply the clear coat as you have the color coats- maybe allow 5 minutes (instead of 2 minutes) after the last color coat- then start with clear coats. After the hull is thoroughly dry (7 10 days!!): lay the boat on a side, and re-mask (the hull this time), and paint your deck (or your second color.). Painting with the hull on the side is better than in a stand- the hull paint may still be soft and get marred by the stand. Final Sanding: still 7-10 days later: Many will simply leave the boat with its spray-painted gloss. But, to get a super smooth finish, start with a light sanding using 1000 wet/dry paper, then use 1500, and finish off with a 2000 paper. Finally: use high-quality automotive rubbing then polishing compound then swirl remover to bring up the gloss.
Summary of the steps to a perfect finish: STEP USE NOTES Initial sanding 220 grit wet and dry sandpaper, soap and water to clean the surface. Remove grease and oils from the surface Initial filling One-part filler Fill obvious low spots (look just ahead and to port of the rudder hole for example) First sanding 320 grit wet and dry sandpaper Remove high spots, smooth your filled spots (after cure) Initial white primer White Primer or primer filler Makes seeing low and high spots easier Second sanding 320 grit wet and dry sandpaper Sand almost all off. Fill Bondo or other glazing putty. Fill additional low spots. Sand 600 wet and dry sandpaper Tack with alcohol-dampened cloth or paper. Allow to dry 30 minutes Undercoat w/ white primer White primer- same brand as color Allow to dry 45 minutes Paint with first color coat 2 3 light coats, about 2 minutes Allow last coat to dry overnight. Sand any areas that wrinkled or are not smooth Final coat- paint with color coat between coats 600 wet and dry sandpaper 1 or 2 additional light coats, or 3-4 clear coats about 2 minutes between coats Same brand paint. Allow to dry 7 10 days. Deck Painting- repeat Allow to dry 7 10 days. above steps for the deck. Final finishing: Sand 1000 wet and dry sandpaper Sand 1500 wet and dry sandpaper Sand 2000 wet and dry sandpaper (optional) Rub out Rubbing Compound I like 3M- brand automotive compounds Polish Buff Polishing Compound Soft cloth- t-shirt or microfiber. A word about solvents: the polystyrene plastic parts of the Soling will be negatively affected by any solvents besides mineral spirits, alcohol, water, or soap/ detergent. Particularly lacquer thinner, acetone, and MEK will etch the surface, or make the plastic brittle. If painting with standard aerosol paint (Rust-O-Leum, Fusion, Krylon 5-ball), use mineral spirits for cleaning and removing paint without damage. If painting with polyurethane, or lacquer, there is NO solvent that will be effective and not damage the plastic. Mistakes have to be sanded off. However, you can TRY alcohol to clean up many types of paint- it may work with certain paints.
Waterline drawing - here are the numbers: courtesy Frankie Novak Horizontal reference point Vertical measurement from deck turn to waterline 1. 4.25 from the stem measure down from the sheerline (edge of deck)- 99 mm. This is the point at which the waterline begins on each side. 2. At the front of Keel (16 aft of the stem) measure down 77 mm. 3. Halfway between the 4.25 point and the front of the keel, measure down 84 mm. 4. At the rear of Keel measure down 69 mm. 5. At the rudder log (Shaft) measure down 58 mm 6. Bottom of Transom at underside- the lines should be about 1 apart at transom.