Tony Martin

Thanks "Kitman" I am sure "Northwich trader" would prefer Rolls Royce to Argos lorry too ! I see nothing wrong in attempting to achieve an immaculate finish hence my advice, If it falls short of Rolls Royce standard then isn't BMW standard still a good place to be ? Tony. www.boatpainters.co.uk

My four-penneth of advice is this... When I'm painting in what could be described as perfect conditions I will still only work an area about 18" wide. (In a less favourable climate the applied area could be less than half that). Doing it this way you are spending less time applying the paint by virtue of the fact that it is a smaller area so you can work on the wet edge longer before it starts to drag.

Hi there, The rule of thumb for me is to apply each coat with as much care and attention as the finished gloss, by that I mean with little or no brush/roller marks. This is best achieved on a mild day with very little if any breeze or better still in a wet/dry dock. The better the paint is applied the less flatting back will be needed so the grit rating partly depends on how well it was put on in the first place.. Generally. 240grit for primers and undercoats 500grit for glosses 800 to 1000grit before the final top coat. If undercoat or primer has been applied and a second coat is required, providing no more than 24 hours have lapsed then you can avoid flatting back this coat. The original coat will slightly soften and bond to the second coat. I wish this also applied to glosses but unfortunately it does not. In fact over many years I have realised that a newly flatted gloss is better left for 24 hours before another coat is applied.... Flatting back removes the top harder surface on new paint thus leaving a softer paint underneath that can occasionally react with the new coat, especially if it is a horizontal surface and the paint is being applied thickly. Clear as mud? Sorry.