Painting Your Canoe

[Dave Osborn]

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a canoe painted by Pam Wedd. I’ve never seen any that were better than hers.
Once in a while I revisit her process to refresh myself on how the best canoe painter does it.
Even though her process is very different from mine, I still get something out of it.
Here it is, in case you want to improve your painting results.

http://webs.vianet.ca/~bearwood/resources/pdfs/Paint3.pdf

 

[Dan Lindberg]

Thanks for posting Dave, its a good refresher.

 

[MGC]

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a canoe painted by Pam Wedd. I’ve never seen any that were better than hers.
Once in a while I revisit her process to refresh myself on how the best canoe painter does it.

http://webs.vianet.ca/~bearwood/resources/pdfs/Paint3.pdf

Agree.
That painting tutorial is one that is in my files.

 

[Dan Lindberg]

I didnt comment before but, with todays fancy auto paints, how many pros spray instead of brush/roller?
I think I know of maybe one.
If I was a pro I suspect Id spray.

 

[Dave Osborn]

I’ve often thought of it, but continue to roll and tip with a foam roller and Jen foam brush.

 

[chris pearson]

No reason to not roll and tip.

 

[Dan Lindberg]

Speed and quality - when was the last time you saw a car that was rolled and tipped?

 

[Rob Stevens]

And in related news, Rollin has offered to do a session at Assembly;

Bottom Painting (Thurs 9-11) [Construction Tent 1]
Rolling Thurlow (Northwoods Canoes) shares techniques for drawing, masking and painting a two-tone waterline with the option of shellacing the bottom.

 

[Pam Wedd]

Wow Dave - that's a long time ago!! I probably should go back and reread it too - to refresh my memory!! I was lucky to learn from Tom McKenzie and Will Ruch and Dave Connell way back in the late '80s when I was just getting started. Glad to be able to pass on any tips that help.
I think Tom did some spray painting at some point. I think maybe it would take longer to clean up the spray gun afterwards than just roll and tip a canoe. Hmm.

 

[chris pearson]

Speed and quality - when was the last time you saw a car that was rolled and tipped?

It’s not a car. Not trying to argue, just advantages to both…and negatives. I’ve done both.

 

[chris pearson]

I will add this, perhaps the last couple of coats it’s worth looking into as Dan suggests? Gotta have a place to spray, and for many, that’s probably the problem. Higher volume canoe builders/restorers should chime in. Does Rollin or Jerry spray? Or have experimented with it?
I will also add that after all of these years, I’ve stayed away from Epifanes, but using it the last few years, a complete game changer for me, so forgiving. I’ve never understood in the saving some money on paint, when using a quality paint saves so much heartache and time.

 

[JClearwater]

One of the first canoes I restored I had a friend, who owned a body shop, spray it for me. I wanted him to use enamel and he did and it came out fine. The problem I had was that he wanted it out of his shop (to make room for a car) so I strapped it on top of my car and took it home before the enamel was truly cured and the canoe ended up with strap marks in the paint. As Chris said above the problem I see with spraying a canoe is that most of us do not have a dedicated paint booth. When you spray anything there is always overspray flying everywhere and landing on stuff you don't want spattered with paint. So I guess I'll stick with rolling and tipping and work to improve my technique.

 

[MGC]

Rollin does not spray and his finishes are fabulous....even the paints I have struggled with are put on perfectly. I think his "secret" is he goes boldly. He's not shy with the paint. Glad to see Tom McKenzie mentioned because his finishes are amazing. I was looking at one a couple summers ago and thinking about how my anal attempts at perfection are not even as good as his first coats. Some people have a proper knack for it. The rest of us, well....I tell the story about dropping off an mg or healey for paint (can't remember which it was) and my buddy, the owner of the shop asking me if I cared that it would only look good from about half a mile away. I had spent weeks prepping it. He ended up doing it over before painting.

 

[Andre Cloutier]

Pearson appears to have a moderate skill level but really needs to step up his paint game.

 

[Dan Lindberg]

To follow up - I am not a Pro, and so I do not spray - but if I was doing a bunch every year, Id sure look at it.
I should also say I dont get carried away with paint, and I consider canvas/paint consumables, so 3 maybe 4 sanded coats and I am done.
Me getting carried away w/paint is something other than dark green.

 

[David Satter]

At the Wooden Boat Show last year in Mystic Epifanes always brings a car . A beautiful old car and the sign on it says this car was painted with a roller. Looks like it was sprayed. I like rolling and tipping. Though I tried Toplac and you really don't have to tip it.

 

[sarahwood]

I've had good luck with roll and tip on my last couple canoes - seems to give a nice finish without the complexity of spraying.

 

[chris pearson]

Temp and humidity. Huge factors. Keep the temps low 60’s.

 

[David Satter]

Done, finally. These paint jobs take a long time

 

[Todd F]

Nice job! Very impressive.