Refinishing Questions

Builder's Forum
1

Time to refinish my 17LTs this spring.  I'm sanding and repainting/varnishing, and I have a few of questions:

1.  I used the CLC method for "painting over the top" (creating a 1" painted border on the edge of the deck which meets with a radius at the ends).  My question is, when I tape off to redo the paint, what is the best way to reestablish the radius at the ends?  If I find the can I used for a round guide, I can redo the same radius but how do I line it up with the old radius under the tape?  If  you've done this painting method I think you know what I mean..

2. I installed adjustable footbraces and would like to remove them to sand/paint around the screw holes.. however, I globbed silicone sealant in the holes when I installed the screws, and they are pretty well welded in place.  Any tips for removal?  I'm considering judicious use of a small torch flame on the screw heads..

3. Where I sanded thru the primer down to epoxy, how important is it to reprime those areas?  I have it nice and smooth now, no scratches or raised paint edges can be felt. Is the primer really important in getting the paint to bond?  I'm using Brightsides over Pre-Kote.

Thanks!

2

This link might help.

3

1) when i refinish, i sand the whole boat but when i start to refinish i do the varnish for the deck first.  i will actually varnish the entire deck over the old paint lines (all the way to where the deck joins the hull).   after the varnish dries, i will then mask it with fine line tape to match it up back with the old paint line (about one inch in).  you can now follow the old radius's at the end.  once the fine line tape is down, i lightly sand the varnish that is going to get painted over so that the paint will adhere to it.  this always gives me a very nice matched refinish

2) hard to imagine they are really stuck....do you have the correct sized screw driver?  can't help much....but yeah, heat may work.

3)  no problem if you sanded through the primer into the epoxy.  the poly will stick nicely to the epoxy (see posts below on this topic)