Painting Windshield Trim??

[Costa]

The windshield trim on my exciter is currently silver and I would like to paint it black. Has anyone had good results painting it and had it last? I looked into getting it anodized black but the prices of getting that done seemed pretty high (150.00)!!
Suggestions anyone????

 

[keith4216]

If its painted silver and not chipped up, you can just scuff it with a 3m scuff pad and spray it from a can.... with a few light coats till its covered. If its chipped up then you should sand out the chips with 320 or higher grit till there feathered out and smooth. If its silver colored metal you will need to scuff up the metal, prime it then spray it black.

 

[yellowfiero88]

I sanded and painted some of mine with a spray can and ofter pieces were polished. the painted parts are on top where the cover rubs and it is still holding up well!

 

[Costa]

The trim around the windshield should be aluminum right?
Or is it metal and Im just missing something.

 

[yellowfiero88]

Its made out of aluminum. Here is a pic of mine

 

[JT Patroni]

My Starflite windshield frame was anodized black, but worn through to the aluminium at the corners. Anodizing was too expensive so I sand blasted my frame parts had them powder coated for $ 90.00. Mike at the
factory recommended the powder coating over anodizing because of
its durability.

 

[Costa]

Its made out of aluminum. Here is a pic of mine

That looks prettygood John.
I am going to try to do the entire frame.
The glare off the top rail in the summer sun reflects in my eyes sometimes and makes it really hard to see.

My Starflite windshield frame was anodized black, but worn through to the aluminium at the corners. Anodizing was too expensive so I sand blasted my frame parts had them powder coated for $ 90.00. Mike at the
factory recommended the powder coating over anodizing because of
its durability.

JT, How long did your anodizing last before it started wearing thru at the corners? Do you store your boat inside or outside? The anodizer said it would probably last quite a bit longer if stored inside

 

[JT Patroni]

My boat was left out in the weather for atleast 3 years before I bought it.
Total neglect by the PO. I did meet with the owner before him. That owner stored the boat in the garage for the 10 years he had it.

I am the fourth owner.

From what I have found, putting the cover on and taking it off was part of the reason the anodizing was worn off the corners. The abrasive action of the cover material did much of the damage.

I had a motorcycle with anodized aluminium parts and using the wrong material to clean them would wear the corners off.

Nothing is going to be indestructable. The life span will be determined how well we treat the boat.

 

[keith4216]

spray can it! Can touch it up any time and it will be a long time before the cost even gets close to the other methods.

 

[atc250r]

I'm thinking of giving my windshield frame the satin black treatment and have been considering different methods. I think a well prepped surface coated with good quality spray paint from a can would do the job without breaking the bank. I'm going to give the windows a little tint while I've got the whole thing apart.

 

[keith4216]

I'm thinking of giving my windshield frame the satin black treatment and have been considering different methods. I think a well prepped surface coated with good quality spray paint from a can would do the job without breaking the bank. I'm going to give the windows a little tint while I've got the whole thing apart.

Thats what I'm saying If you don't look thru your glass. I look over mine! You can spray the inside of the glass too!! Alot easier then tinting, looks better and if it gets scratched you just hit the spot with a spay. Doing the frame and glass same as the boat also gives the appearence of no glass just a fairing! Just some ideas

 

[ezstriper]

powder coating would be the best by far..rustoleum next..

 

[Costa]

Well I am really leaning towards powdercoating now. I just need to take the windshield apart an see if the clearances are loose enough so when I put it back together it wont scratch the powdercoat off.
Will I need to sandblast the frame before getting it powdercoated? Is the frame held together with rivets? Will I be able to rivet it back together easily?

 

[keith4216]

Powder coating does add thickness. You will need to clean up edges that go together. Your guy that does it can prep it for you and yes they have rivets that will also need to be drilled clean to put it back together. Mine has snaps that run on the top of the frame so powder coating is not really best for me! and for the money I still say spray IT!!

 

[JT Patroni]

My Starflite frame had small SS screws holding the corners together.
I sand blasted the frame parts with single zero grit. Took all the old anodizing off easily and give a good bonding surface for the powder coat
to adhere to. I had very little problem with getting the parts together. Used 400 wet in two places for a smooth assembly.
I asked the coater to be aware of the fit up, he said he will coat the mating surfaces lightly.

I also have the cover snaps that clip to the top frame rail and they do not damage the coating. I replaced the old clips with new ones just to make sure they fit tight and again, no problem.

Using a can of spray paint will cost less, but not hold up as well. Remember, paint does not bond well to aluminium without using a chemical
prep (mild acid wash) and yellow zinc chromate primer before top coat.

I found my gasket material had shrunk and hardened. It would be smart to set them in a good rubber lube to soften them. They probably won't get longer again, but they will be easier to work with and last longer.

 

[TimSki$]

I'm thinking of giving my windshield frame the satin black treatment and have been considering different methods. I think a well prepped surface coated with good quality spray paint from a can would do the job without breaking the bank. I'm going to give the windows a little tint while I've got the whole thing apart.

I think I will do the same to mine. I think a black frame with a nice tint job makes the boat look sick.

 

[ezstriper]

I would like to powder coat the silver on my 253 also...

 

[happy]

Mine was just aluminum, I took it all apart, (pain) blasted parts of it then scrubbed it really well with a green pad, primed and base/clear. So far holding up really well.
In case my red x doesn't go away http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy305/4712722356/in/photostream/

 

[Costa]

I currently have my glass tinted and I am going to redo the tint before putting it back on. Good advice JT on telling the powdercoater about the fit up before he does the work. I also found a place on-line that I can order new rubber for around the glass especially since mine has shrunk up a little in the past 22 years. I found a guy that our company works with and he will powdercoat it for material cost only - no labor.
I am also getting ready to strip my trailer of all rollers, bunks, lights, etcand taking it in next week to have it sandblasted and painted. Oce I get it back I will completely redo it with new hardware, bunks, ligfhts and wiring to make it like new again also.
My boat is currently at a fiberglass repair place in Kingsland Texas geting a new floor put in, the front buckets pulled completely out and in order to fix it right I wanted to have a complete new floor put in. They removed both flotation boxes behind the rear seat to give me a little more storage area. I am having the area under the back seat and inside the ski locker spatter gel coated to allow it to dry more completely. I am also having the two side pocket areas removed and had them made into troughs for a little more usable storage area and of course new interior carpet throughout and a complete polish,buff and wax treatment.
I am very dissapointed about one thing. I wanted a small area in the bilge thinned out to mount a in hull depth finder transducer and there was NO balsa!!!! It was just about 3/8" thick glass and mat in that area NO Balsa core. Whats up with that???