Project Log: Friday, July 6, 2012
With seemingly a good weather window coming up in a few
days, I continued early preparations for the mast
painting. There was still unsanded epoxy over the
filled screw holes, so I sanded that smooth and also
sanded all surfaces of both spars. Since the masts
were in good condition, I planned to follow the simplest
product application possible, using Cor-Spec 135 primer
followed (within 3-24 hours) by the final topcoats, and
this approach called for sanding with 180 grit paper,
since the chromate primer was a very thin coating that
wouldn't fill deeper sanding scratches. Other than
timing and weather-related issues, I'd had excellent
adhesion and longevity using a similar aluminum system
from Awlgrip in the past. |
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The aluminum would re-oxidize over the next day or two,
so I'd have to sand again, but I felt that the initial
sanding all over was worth it since it would make the
final sanding quicker and easier. The remainder of
the preparation and painting system would include a new
sanding followed by chemical etching and conversion
coating, followed by a single coat of the Cor-Spec
primer. After this, the topcoats could go on
directly over the primer, starting after minimum three
hours and up to 24 hours after application (without a
need to sand or repeat any previous steps). So I hoped I
could complete all the steps in a single day, but held
out the possibility of doing the finish coats the next
morning if needed. This is why a minimum two-day
window of clear and dry weather was desirable.
Not sure why my camera is washing out some (but not all)
photos with that bright blur, but there you are. |
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Total Time Today: 3 hours
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