I'd be careful using one on an area that you wanted a smooth finish on unless it's getting loads of coats of paint. They do get into the pits really well, but also lightly scour the surface. So if it's a reflective smooth top coat that's required then the DA sander comes out! However, under anti slip or on the hull they are amazing. I pretty much bare metalled our hull about 7 or 8 years ago in prep for an underwater primer that was compatible with the Rylards vinyl tar we use. Wouldn't want to do it now, but when the blacking washes off around the water line as it does you can still see the primer in places and the scoured surface from the Tercoo.
Well... We put about 12 coats on where we bare metalled the side, and even where we didn't bare metal it got about 8 coats. The roof is another story - about 4 coats and it shows. Beneath the gunnels I don't really care what it looks like, that's sacrificial protection. Ours was blasted and 2 pac rather than blacked. Fingers crossed.
Unfortunately v cold weather coincided with my decision to work on the boat and having to go home to do LFT after two customers tested positive. however, I did manage to scrape off paint and flaky rust and paint on rust converter. Today I went back with the primer and found some not quite the same colour metal paint already opened on the boat. I like to think it blends in well
Need to go over that after a while with more coats to make sure there are no cracks in the new paint round the big hard edges of the holes .. or it will just keep flaking.
cheers @mikedjames . I’m not sure how long it takes to dry when it’s so cold. I’m planning to skive off next week one day and do a bit more. Hopefully the temperature will have gone up a bit!
put some rough black paint over then do a proper job in the summer when you can strip it all back and repaint properly
Are you actually saying that I’m small and round with unusually coloured skin @art b ??? and are you agreeing with him @davidoft ??? thanks @CollyP for drawing this to my attention xx