Painting Radar Arch

K

Kon Tiki

Member
Oct 24, 2008
40
Pocasset Ma
Boat Info
Sedan Bridge - 3126 Cats
Engines
3126 Cats
I am planning on painting my radar arch this spring. The arch is aluminum with a white powder coating. The issue I have is around the courtesy lights and other fittings water has made it's way in.

My plan was to scrape all lose powder coating, use a marine bondo as a filler since the powder coating is fairly think. Then spray.

Anybody out there tackle this project before, any advice or watch outs would be appreciated.

Thanks
 
What paint are you thinking about using?
 
Not sure, Awlgrip or perhaps a standard epoxy paint. That's part of my reach out, just not 100 percent sure.

Thanks...
 
I had my arch off last spring/summer to be re-powder coated....only to find it wasn't powder coated originally!! I don't know what year your boat is or if Sea Ray did it differently but there is a chance it's painted. I thought mine was powder coated as did everyone who looked at it. Once I removed it (Fun, Fun) I brought it to the powder coating shop. They peeled back some of the paint that had bubbled up to expose some rough, unfinished welds. I was told that if they stripped and powder coated it, then it would end up looking a little like a Frankenstein job.

Ultimately I brought it to a body shop. They stripped it and used some super epoxy filler that was black in color. Then it got painted with single stage, epoxy enamel. I was told by my friends dad, who paints at my marina and was originally supposed to do it, that this is the paint to use or Emeron.

Good Luck with the project!
 
Thanks for the good information. Exactly what I was looking for. My boat is a 1998. I will not remove arch, way too much work. I was planning on using the winter shrink wrap as a cover and spray it. My guys wraps the boat minus the arch.
Access is actually a big item, I may need ladders and a platform to get clear and safe acces for spraying. My biggest fear is if it doesn't come out good, it will really affect the value of the boat.

Thanks....
 
I have a similar problem with my aluminum arch and it is definately not powder coated.

Got a quote to repaint it a few months ago...it was about $1,500 if I remember correctly. The quote was to paint it on the boat..no removal
 
I think the only right way to do it is to remove it from the boat. My arch had some bubbling at the base as well as around the handles and BIG blisters on the top surface where all the antennas are mounted. I was also going to have it done on the boat originally to buy myself a few years but, I knew the blisters along the base would return. That guy ultimately bailed on me and I resulted to removing it with help and transported it to the correct shop for refinishing.

I also ended up removing the windshield and getting that frame re-powdercoated. :smt021 That WAS originally powder coated, all 28 pieces! :smt101

Now the entire surface has been sealed and better than original I believe. If you have no blistering along the base and don't strip it that far, you will probably be OK.
 
But sometimes it just isn't practical to remove the arch due to size, work area, boat location, lifting capability, etc. Remember, you can scratch the pain when you remove the arch, but you have to be extremely careful lifting one back in place. ,

The biggest issue we see here on the Gulf coast is that most people don't prep the aluminum correctly, so the paint job only last a season or 2. The area must be cleaned of old paint, then etched with an acid primer, then painted with zinc chromate, then an epoxy sealer primer then faired with a light filler, then primed with an undercoat, then painted with the top coat.......those are PPG instructions for their catalyzed urethane top coat........AwlGrip, Imron, Interlux all may have different methodology since the chemistry is different between paints, so you should follow the procedure recommended by your paint maker. I was repainting some door frames and had over $150 in solvents, filler, primers, etching primers, and top coat, so done right, this is a time consuming and expensive job.
 
I agree Frank. I would have preferred to have mine done on the boat by the first guy but then I wouldn't have done the windshield, and that was really bothering me. Now I start fresh and hopefully it lasts my lifetime with this boat! As far as all those steps that you pointed out, I'm not sure how many of them the shop completed on my arch. Now you have me hoping it lasts at least a few years!! I know the powder coating guy did special primer etc as he has done a fair amount of marine work before and was telling me what was required to deter corrosion.

I still feel pretty good about the arch. Only time will tell if it lasts or not. Either way, I think I will be stepping up before it starts peeling and definitely before it gets as bad as it was!
 
Hey guys,
Thanks for all the good feedback, exactly what I was looking for. I will definitely keep my arch on, way too many devices on the arch, radar, 2 GPS sensors, XM weather, cell phone booster, TV antenna, back up camera and finally the two courtesy lights. Being a Sedan bridge, this arch is up there, I will need ladders and other support to get at this safely.

Thanks....
Pat
:huh:
 
Kon Tiki said:
Hey guys,
Thanks for all the good feedback, exactly what I was looking for. I will definitely keep my arch on, way too many devices on the arch, radar, 2 GPS sensors, XM weather, cell phone booster, TV antenna, back up camera and finally the two courtesy lights. Being a Sedan bridge, this arch is up there, I will need ladders and other support to get at this safely.

Thanks....
Pat
:huh:
Click to expand...

Good call. Yours is wayyy up there, especially out of the water!! Mine wasn't bad actually and not too heavy. It was just awkward handling, even with 2 people. I also had a fair amount of electronics to remove, radar, satellite tv, gps, VHF antenna, and glomax- which I left off and had the hole sealed up.

How is the base area on your arch? Is there any paint breakdown or blistering? If not you will probably be fine!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Kon Tiki said:
I am planning on painting my radar arch this spring. The arch is aluminum with a white powder coating. The issue I have is around the courtesy lights and other fittings water has made it's way in.

My plan was to scrape all lose powder coating, use a marine bondo as a filler since the powder coating is fairly think. Then spray.

Anybody out there tackle this project before, any advice or watch outs would be appreciated.

Thanks
Click to expand...

I also have some spots to repair on the radar arch of our 1996 400 Sedan Bridge. I called Sea Ray and was told our arch was painted by Jay and Kay in Michigan. I called them and was told that PPG paint was used and was given a color code. I called the local PPG dealer and they couldn't locate the code even after calling PPG. An email to Jay and Kay got a reply with a newer color code DCC106. Now I'm waiting to hear from the PPG dealer here in Florida to see if it can be found. I was told by Jay and Kay to use Evercoat primer, an epoxy product.
Swing Set
swingsetonthehook.blogspot.com
 
It might be easier to rent a manlift/zoom boom type thing to work around the arch rather than making a scaffold with ladders and arches.
 
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