Grit in paint

[Greenthumbed]

Hi all,
I am nearing the completion of a restoration of a ‘72 Chestnut Prospector. I just applied the third coat of paint yesterday evening. On all three coats I have had grit in the finish. I can’t figure out what is causing it.
The paint I am using is:
Home hardware brand Rustoleum.
I am applying it with a foam roller and tipping with foam brush. I changed rollers, brush and paint tray for brand new stuff for this last coat.
After sanding I vacuum the hull and wipe down with a tack cloth.
Now my shop is dusty for sure so on this last coat I painted outside. Same result.
The grit is not everywhere, but is heavy in places.
I am planning on a forth this weekend and would like this problem solved before then.
Has anyone had issues like this and found a solution?
Thanks,
Chad

 

[Andre Cloutier]

after sanding i wipe with thinner and a rag before tacking, for what its worth. Might be bad rollers or bad paint, use process of elimination. cheap brushes always need washing and spinning after manufacture. foam should be clean but if the foam rollers are coming apart thats likely it.

 

[David Satter]

Yes, Use a paint strainer and a good brush. Clean that brush well, Rince and spin a couple of times. Sometimes I even vacuum the brush. If you're using a foam brush use a good one. Knock down all that grit with 220 before your next coat.

 

[Greenthumbed]

Thanks fellas
I’ll try it again with strained paint, better tools and crossed fingers!

 

[Michael Grace]

Paint straining is an excellent practice, and you should do it. However, given that you're having these "grit" inclusions in certain regions of the canoe and not others, you might simply need to clean the canoe better before painting. It is easy to miss spots with the vacuum and tack cloth. You might even be missing spots where the outwales or keel (if it has one) meet the canvas, and dragging dust-contaminated paint out from there. A very low-angle light is your friend - it will allow you to see patches of dusty might miss otherwise.

 

[Greenthumbed]

So, here’s an update on this story.
It turns out that the gallon of paint I purchase was defective. It had so much grit in it it would not even go through a paint strainer. The strainer would clog after only a few seconds.
I went back to the paint shop and they gave me another can. They had no answers for me as to what was in the paint.
I put another coat on last night of the ‘new’ paint and it went on smooth. I haven’t check this morning, but I think we are passed this problem.
Thanks again for the advice. I think I know a bit more about painting a canoe after this episode.

 

[Andre Cloutier]

Must say i dont understand the purchase of cheap paint after a lengthy and dedicated restoration. There is no denying the superiority of marine enamels and monourethanes; i consider the additional cost incremental and a quality finish is assured. But, to each their own as they say.
Last 2 boats i used Petit Easypoxy, and it most definitely gives Epifanes a run for their money, properly thinned and with some owatrol.

 

[Greenthumbed]

Well… the price did not factor in as the number is one priority. A fair bit of time and research was done before I made my decision. This paint was specifically recommended to me by a reputable canoe restorer. I was looking for a colour match to the original Prospector colour and the recipe was designed using this as the base. Availability in a small mountain town of premium marine paint is nil so that was another limiting factor.
I have made many mistakes along the way during this project. Some of these were only realized long after. With experience comes wisdom, as they say.
Thanks for your advice on paint brands. I’ll keep them in mind for my next project.
Chad

 

[Dan Miller]

Andre is the curmudgeonliest of all us curmudgeons. That means, he has good things to say, but take it from where it comes. Speaking of which, Andre, Lynn has missed several years worth of deliveries of Muskoka Dry. Just sayin'.

 

[Andre Cloutier]

Not sure i fully understand this but in keeping with the current zeitgeist there will be no muskoka dry since “orange man bad” and ours is worse. put another way, exchange is brutal. maybe next year. missed motorcanoes but the gadabout will get me past spitfire lake next year