I just finished painting the outside of my 14' aluminum boat. Every time it gets bumped it makes a scratch in the paint that sta

[Mibasshunter]

I just finished painting the outside of my 14' aluminum boat. Every time it gets bumped it makes a scratch in the paint that stands out. Would putting rustoleum clear enamel paint overtop help protect the paint from scratches and also help keep the paint on? I use rustoleum spray paint by the way.

[Ncarl]

Let me know how it works for you and how fixing the scratches goes Im thinking about painting mine.

[chuckles]

Boats always get scratched if you actually use them. It is a dynamic environments especially if you are hunting and fishing out of it. I only worry about mine if the water that should be on the outside get inside.

[RockySquirrel]

Your worried about scratches??

I am worried that the bubble gum and duct tape will finally give out when I am in deep water.

[santa]

A Durable paint finish is hard to get without professional set-ups. Years ago the most durable finishes were baked on such as Fact-O-Bake and Earl Scheib did for $29.95 on any car and in any color. In later years finishes were done with *hot pot enamel* where the paint was preheated before spraying on. So taking from those early painting experiences, I would put the boat out in the hot sun and let it get warm before painting and then leave it out in the heat to bake on. You will never get professional durable results without good surface preperation, etching, and using paints designed to *grip* the surface while using the addition of hardeners and yet still remaining able to handle the flexing and expansion of the aluminum hull.

[Sarge01]

I had a buddy that put the roll on finish for bed liners for pickups on the bottom of his boat. That stuff seems to be pretty durable. I haven't talked to him to see how it is working out.

[chuckles]

Man was I tired when I wrote that garbled post. I think Rocky Squirrel said it best and as usual santa has deep knowledge on any subject related to fishing.
Sarge did your friend have any feedback on how much weight the liner added to the boat? That sounds like a good idea but I like the fact that I can still wrestle mine by myself.

[Ontario Honker Hunter]

Santa is correct. Using rustoleum for that project was a waste of money. As I stated before, if you spray that clear lacquer on an aluminum boat it will look like crap in short order. The lacquer is too brittle and the boat expands and contracts too much. But I expect you'll try it anyway. It is hard to give advice to those who won't listen.