Wooden Boat People

By McKenzieDriftBoat.com

Filler after primer?

I have a good coat of primer down on my boat. I have sanded/epoxied/quick faired the snot out of it. However, there are some screw holes exposed along with a couple of minor divots and imperfections. I can use an epoxy to fill them in but with the temperatures Im afraid it will run. Can I use an EZ Fillet in those holes over the primer? Sandy? It looks great other than those minor imperfections.
Also, five screws on one side of the bow for the fly deck are above the paint line. These are the only screws above the paint line. I didnt think it was a big deal until I painted over them with the primer. I think I can take an exacto knife...clean it up and work the screws below the grade of the sides. All of the other screws are below the paint line I think I should just push them through for a completely even finish. Ideas?
I will post pictures tomorrow at the office...
Thanks,
Craig

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Craig on March 22, 2009 at 3:26pm

Note the raised screw heads!! Can I back these out and reset?

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Permalink Reply by Randy Dersham on March 26, 2009 at 8:54am

I've been out for a bit Craig. Sorry for the late response. You are in perfect shape here. The best way to work with the primer is to not be afraid to sand through it. On you high screws I recommend that you sand the tops of the screws to expose the slots. Clean them out. Back the screws out being careful to not break off a head. Then countersink a little deeper, replace the screws. Sand the area in a circular pattern that tapers in depth from the primer to the screw. Fill with a coat of epoxy, light sand again. Epoxy fairing compound to level. Prime again.

Now that you have the primer on you can sand with a long block to a smooth finish. When you start at first you might sand through all of the primer in a few places. Don't worry about that. What you are after is a completely fair surface. If you have an area that goes down to your original epoxy base then prime around that area and repeat the process until the surface is as smooth as you would like.