# Painting my Motor



## The10Man (Jan 6, 2017)

Now that my motor is running good consistently, I figured I'd go ahead and paint it so that it looks good. Right now the paint is faded in multiple spots and the stickers on the cowling are cracked and faded. 

I've never painted a motor before so all of this is new to me and I'll be learning as I go. I anticipate the engine cover being the easiest piece to prep and paint, just because it is some sort of polymer (at least I think it is) and there aren't any creases and crevices to prep like the mid and lower units. 

The first thing I'm going to do is remove the stickers on the cowling and get a clean surface to work on. 

I'm probably going to paint it the same or similar gray that was on it originally. 

Below are some photos of my motor in its current condition. I'll provide updates as I work through this. Any advice that some of you may have would be appreciated.


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## DaleH (Jan 6, 2017)

On any painting - many light coats will give you better results than heavy coats, especially when you try to cover all those "nooks and crannies" on the motor. Take your time and don't rush it.

All painting results redend on good prep, where more time/care should be spent on prep than painting.

*Hood/Cowling - *It is made of fiberglass. Bondo can be used to fill any gouges and wet-sanding will make the surface like new! Primer coat, then build up to the finish coat. Tip - Add clear gloss over the top and it will be beyootiful! I went further and bought one of those canvas covers ($12) that I keep on it when not in use (as my boats are moored out in the sun 24/7) and she looks as good as I re-sprayed her everytime I use - no sun damage/fading!

*Motor - *Clean off any old grease. Any bare aluminum spots should be cleaned well (vinegar wash) then zinc-chromate primed. Sand, prime ... paint. Take your time (light coats) when trying to cover all features. 

How about coming back and posting the final painted motor  ?


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## Shaugh (Jan 6, 2017)

You'll discover that cheap rattle can paint is going to just peel right off in places that get covered with gas and oil no matter how well you prep it. It's ok if you just want to freshen up the cowling, but if you really want it to last go to NAPA and get a half pint of automotive enamel mixed up. It's indestructible and it looks great too... just use a disposable sprayer like a Preval. If you need help figuring that out I'm happy to talk you through it...


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## The10Man (Jan 6, 2017)

So tonight I got all the stickers off. Some of those stickers were difficult to remove even with the heat gun. 

Dale, thanks for the info about the cowling, I didn't know it was fiberglass. When I was trying to pull off the stickers I definitely scraped up some of the hood with the razor blade but based on what you said about being able to fill in the gouges with bondo I wasn't too conservative with the blade. 

When you say clean the most with vinegar, do you mean mix it with water and dilute it, or just wipe it down with straight vinegar? Also, do you recommend using white vinegar for this or some other kind?

I don't have any reason to rush this so I plan on taking my time to get it right. I'll be sharing pics and will definitely share images of the finished product. 

Shaugh thank you for the paint advice. I'll look into the costs of getting a disposable sprayer. I think Harbour Freight has them pretty cheap. Your motors and boats are like works of art. I can tell you are a craftsman and pay a lot of attention to detail. Even that camper/topper on the truck in that picture looks nice.


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## stinkfoot (Jan 6, 2017)

Shaugh said:


> You'll discover that cheap rattle can paint is going to just peel right off in places that get covered with gas and oil no matter how well you prep it. It's ok if you just want to freshen up the cowling, but if you really want it to last go to NAPA and get a half pint of automotive enamel mixed up. It's indestructible and it looks great too... just use a disposable sprayer like a Preval. If you need help figuring that out I'm happy to talk you through it...


 Shaugh, what year is that Johnson 18? I have a 1961 Evinrude 18 in pieces. (snapped the driveshaft 20 miles from the boat launch!) Have a new shaft and would like to rebuild it. The camper looks sweet. More pics please and LMAO at the chairs in the second boat. All it needs is a cigar lighter and a couple of nice standing lamps, maybe a maid...... Oh, and a bookcase!


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## Shaugh (Jan 7, 2017)

The10Man,
Looks like you've got a good start going. Sounds like you know about how to do the body work to get the scratches and chips taken care of. Take your time and get it to the point where you can't even find a place that could use some more attention... a motor is a small thing... lot's easier to work on than cars... take your time and get it all.... The worst feeling is when you get done with something and then find a spot that you could have done a little more work on....

Cleaning is a big part of success... I usually just use cheap Walmart paint thinner or mineral spirits.... get a couple rolls of paper towels and go outside on a nice day and start splashing and rubbing... lots of thinner... lots of rubbing... get every spec of black crap off that you can find... take your time... you should have a small mountain of black paper towels when you get done... keep at it until you can't find a spot that needs more rubbing...

Get it clean and smooth and then we'll talk more about painting...

Preval sprayer:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Preval-9-oz-Complete-Spray-Gun-267/202533738

NAPA store paint: 2 part urethane.. about $25 for a pint... but worth it... when you're ready I'll talk you through what you need... 
https://www.martinsenour-autopaint.com/product-systems/finish1-automotive-refinish-products

looks like a 1999 motor ?
https://outboarddecalset.com/1999-2000-johnson-8-hp-decal-set.html


Stinkfoot,
I don't want to clog up 10man's thread too much... the Johnson is a 57... the Scott Atwater is a 53.... I've wanted to do build along threads but I always end up working faster than I can type :roll: ... I'll make a new thread and show some pictures of the boats I've done and the camper top....


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## Johnny (Jan 7, 2017)

I don't know about other NAPA stores - but the store that I use
has the automotive paint mixing program now.......
not only can you get your desired color to match, they can put it
into an aerosol rattle can for you !!!
also - the guy said he can add the clear coat into the aresol can paint which
would make it pretty convenient for quick touchups. I have not had a reason 
to go that route yet but is an option for the next small job.


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## Crankbait (Jan 8, 2017)

I've worked in a body shop for the last 10 years and have painted everything from wreck rebuilds, restorations to lawn furniture, and mailboxes (people want some crazy stuff painted). You got a good start by removing the stickers. Before you start any sanding or prep work wash the motor down and remove any grease or oil. Oil causes fish eyes and are frustrating to paint when you have this problem. I'd sand it with 320 grit and feather out any places it's peeling. You can use dolphin putty or spot putty for the spots you scraped with a razor. Bondo will work but has a thicker build then what you'll need. The spot putty allows you to skim those spots with little sanding needed to accomplish a primer ready finish. Once all the prep work is ready I like to use rubbing alcohol to remove any other oils that may have found its way onto the motor. If you don't have the option to use automotive primer and choose to use rattle can stuff then buy something that is sandable and has build. Do 2 good coats and let it dry. I can give you good advise if you run into any trouble or need help with something, but it'll be rewarding in the end.

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## Jim (Jan 9, 2017)

Great thread!


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## DaleH (Jan 9, 2017)

Crankbait said:


> You can use dolphin putty or spot putty for the spots you scraped with a razor. Bondo will work but has a thicker build then what you'll need. The spot putty allows you to skim those spots with little sanding needed to accomplish a primer ready finish.


Never heard of 'dolphin' putty myself ... is that a trade name, manufacturer's name or such? Good to know! Sounds simpler to use than Bondo of Formula 27.


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## Johnny (Jan 9, 2017)

Dale and 10man, I used Dolphin Putty several years ago when painting my van.
it is not for a thick coat on vertical surfaces, (of which I found out the hard way).
but is a _very_ good product when doing just a skimming coat after the major Bondo repairs.
it is great for filling rough sanding and razor blade accidents.
basically, it has the characteristics of thinned down Bondo.
https://youtu.be/uCstHX1_UiI





.


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## Shaugh (Jan 9, 2017)

It's a brand of glazing putty... It's expensive stuff the pro's use over bondo type repairs. glazing putty is what you want for most small chips and scratches. It's a finer finishing material than bondo type fillers. less pinholes.. better adhesion...thinner build... finer edge blending... I'm a cheapskate so I use this..

https://www.amazon.com/Bondo-801-Professional-Glazing-Putty/dp/B004BYKICG/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1483977252&sr=8-7&keywords=auto+body+glazing+putty

good movie..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgu0fqXJka0


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## Crankbait (Jan 9, 2017)

Shaugh said:


> It's a brand of glazing putty... It's expensive stuff the pro's use over bondo type repairs. glazing putty is what you want for most small chips and scratches. It's a finer finishing material than bondo type fillers. less pinholes.. better adhesion...thinner build... finer edge blending... I'm a cheapskate so I use
> 
> What he said, but this stuff hardens up fast so be ready.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G900R6 using Tapatalk


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## The10Man (Jan 10, 2017)

Thank you guys for all the tips, tricks, products and advice. 

I was hoping to work on the motor more this past weekend but couldn't find the time and so yesterday I began the cleaning process. I was planning on doing the entire lower and mid section, but doing it correctly was more time consuming than I anticipated. After sitting down on a stool and getting super close to the motor I realized it wasn't going to be a quick job. The initial scrub was simple but there are so many nooks, crannies, and crevices for grease and oil to coat and cake up in. After about five minutes I grabbed for an old toothbrush to scrub some of the hard to reach areas that I couldn't get to with the paper towels. Then after about 15 minutes I went over to my work bench and got my set of picks and used them to really get deeper and pull out some of the caked up grease in some of the really narrow crevices. 

I had to stop after about and hour and had only cleaned one side of the lower and mid section. My plan is to finish cleaning the other side of the motor today and then clean and sand the cowling the day after that. 

Here is a quick shot of all the paper towels I've gone through so far. I'm sure there this pile will be three or four times bigger on a few days.


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## Johnny (Jan 10, 2017)

ummmmm what are you going to do with all those towels ???
hopefully, you will put them outside uncovered to air dry
then - dispose of them as you see fit.
never - ever store solvent soaked and oily rags in a plastic box
inside your garage or house.

and oh yeah - when you get started cleaning an outboard,
you will find it can turn into a monster job rather quickly.
and painting over grease and grime is not a sin !!!
unless - you are restoring it completely like Shaugh did on his two examples,
which are drop dead gorgeous, I would not hesitate to paint over "some" grease
and grime. it will still look great - no matter what you do !!!

have you tried a citrus [water] based heavy duty degreaser/cleaner yet?
I have found that soaking Purple Power for a few hours and high pressure water rinse
will work much better than a solvent and paper towels.

and to prevent the buildup of the grease and grime in the future,
use the citrus based cleaner after each outing - when the residue is the weakest.


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## Shaugh (Jan 10, 2017)

I agree with Johnny, water is probably the best, first weapon for a really dirty motor. A toothbrush and Fantastic spray is also very effective. He's right you'll be surprised how good a motor can look with fresh paint right over some of the dirty nooks and crannies. It's up to you how much time you want to put into it.

Remember it's an outside job... keep all that crap out of the house... you'll stay married longer that way too....


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## The10Man (Jan 11, 2017)

Ive been doing the cleaning in the garage and have had all the windows open as well as the large garage door. Also, I was sure to leave any of the rags outside. 

None the less, I went out and got some of Purple Power citrus cleaner and cleaned the other side of the motor with that. While I was out I also got some of the Bondo brand spot putty that Shaugh suggested. 

I looked for automotive primer but I could t find any, so I'll probably be going to NAPA or another automotive store in the next day or so. 

Hopefully this evening I'll have the cowling cleaned and sanded and will have some pictures to share. . 


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## Johnny (Jan 11, 2017)

in my personal opinion, AutoZone has a better selection
of primers and paints than any of the other auto parts stores.
Good Luck !! gonna be looking like new in no time.


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## Shaugh (Jan 11, 2017)

This stuff works good for me. you just want to put a thin coat on areas to even up the color and cover bare metal.






Walmart carries it.. one of the most important jobs of primer is to even up the overall color where you've done body work etc. Most people don't realize how transparent paint is... primer helps you avoid the urge to pile on too much paint in darker areas because it didn't cover well enough. Just mist this stuff wherever you need to make the base a nice uniform color. That will make your top coats a lot easier...


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## CedarRiverScooter (Jan 12, 2017)

Temperature is very important when you spray, 75 deg F is optimum, colder & it wants to run. Too hot & it orange peels.

Practice making a spray pattern on some cardboard before painting the motor.

I was taught to cover the border 1st, then go back & fill in the middle. 

Use a good fresh respirator & goggles.

I would just mask off the steering gimbal area, it just gets greasy again anyway.


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## The10Man (Jan 12, 2017)

I was able to clean off the cowling and sand it down. I may have sanded it a little too much but I had a really difficult time getting the adhesive from the stickers off and I just decided to take sandpaper to it. 

Tomorrow I plan on wiping everything down one last time, applying the spot puffy in a few places on the cowling and then start taping the motor up to be ready for primer. 

I plan on doing all the priming and painting this weekend and have three days to do it since I have off on Monday. How long should I wait between the first and second coats of primer? How long should I wait between the last coat of primer and the first coat of paint? How long between each coat of paint? 

It is going to be high 70s low 80s this weekend with little chance of rain so I plan on doing all the painting/priming outside.


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## Crankbait (Jan 12, 2017)

Looks good. Spot putty your bad spots and finish sand them real fine with 220 or 320 and prime it. Let it sit in the sun a couple of days and cure out then block it with 320 dry o 400 wet then let it dry and prime it again if you want to turn out real slick and straight. Looks like you feathered it out real good. The more particular you are during this time will give you better results in the end. I have to do my 05 yamahammer soon because the cowling clear is dead and part of it is pealing off. I plan on posting pictures when I do. Good job though!

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## Shaugh (Jan 13, 2017)

Looking good.


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## CedarRiverScooter (Jan 13, 2017)

I prefer to paint outside too, less fumes.

Last time, I set up a temp 'booth' to block the wind. 

When you are spraying, watch the wetness build on the surface, it lags a bit. Once it starts to flow out, time to quit!

I had plenty of runs from not quitting in time.


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## Mark_Fisher (Jan 13, 2017)

Have you given thought to replacement stickers? It will add a lot to the job!

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## The10Man (Jan 13, 2017)

Thanks for the compliments and encouragement. I picked up some primer today on my lunch break so I'll be priming tomorrow. 

Mark, originally I wanted to replace the decals as I thought it would make the motor look new again. Then, when I tried to find the stickers on some of the online boating stores they were listed as out of inventory, and I though my decision was made for me. Thanks to Shaugh, he provided me the link to a set of decals(yes, it is a '99). However, I'm not thrilled about spending $50 for set of stickers, but on the other hand I'm kind of telling myself if I've gone through all the trouble to clean and paint the motor, why not just buy the stickers and make it look like new. I still haven't decided what I'm going to do. I'm open to everyone's opinion and thoughts about the decals as this may help me make up my mind.


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## Shaugh (Jan 13, 2017)

Yep they rob you for those decals. Why not just paint the hood a color combo to match your boat? There's not much nostalgia to preserve on a 99 motor imo. A nice shiny paint job looks good without decals. 

Here's my latest project motor that I was working on tonight. I didn't want to pay for new decals either so I masked the old ones by painting them with Elmers glue. Once I get the clear coat on it they will look just like they did in 1958.


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## Mark_Fisher (Jan 14, 2017)

I went the "mask the old" route with an '84, but you had very good reasons to take it all off. It's illogical, but when I see a blank repainter outboard, I really miss the graphics. In a similar sit., I color printed a needed design, glued it on, and clear coated the resullt. It lasted abt. 10 years.

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## The10Man (Jan 14, 2017)

Wow Shaugh that looks gorgeous. How much time do you have in that? Can you describe the "mask the old ones with Elmers glue process"? I don't think it will apply for what I'm doing but I'm just curious about it. I'm not really trying to go for a nostalgic look with this motor or restoring it to be perfect, I'm just trying to make it look better (although that won't be too hard given the state that it was in). I'm with Mark in that whenever I see a motor on a boat that has been redone or the stickers have been pulled off, I always miss the graphics and think that it looks bare or generic. Maybe it has to do with the fact that I'm always curious as to what brand and HP motor is on the back of a given boat. 

I got my wife Cricut machine for her birthday, 6 months ago. She hasn't used it much and doesn't have a ton of experience with it, but I was talking with her about it this morning and she said that she can cut vinyl with it. I'm thinking I may make a simple sticker with it and just have a single color of "Johnson", like the image below. What are your guys' thoughts? I was thinking doing the word in white or red, or do something a little more subtle like black or silver.


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## Fire1386 (Jan 14, 2017)

Very nice work Shaugh!......I like the idea of matching your boat color, I would put a little more script to the letters of the Johnson myself. The color depends on what you settle for on color of the motor itself. Do you want it to stand out from the motor color or blend in with it?


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## The10Man (Jan 14, 2017)

Here are some images of the prep work and the first coat of primer. 

I went really light on the first primer coat. I'd rather go too light than get too aggressive with it. Temperature outside for painting is 75 degrees so it should dry pretty quickly so I can get a second coat in today. 

While the primer is drying I'm applying the spot puddy on the cowling.


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## Shaugh (Jan 14, 2017)

Looking good. I know what you mean about a nameless motor I guess... If you're not worried about getting the exact model, just spend some time browsing on EBAY.. there's lots of cheaper emblems available that you could easily modify..

These look like what's on that year motor:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2-Johnson-Sea-Horse-Outboard-Boat-Motor-Decal-Sticker-/350543304561?hash=item519e025771:m:mouFa2NcqhTwvg7qqNhT8aQ&vxp=mtr

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2-JOHNSON-BOAT-MOTOR-DECAL-STICKER-DECALS-OUTBOARD-NEW-/262204594192?hash=item3d0c9c9810:g:IlgAAOSwpDdVbj6V&vxp=mtr

Masking with Elmers glue is really easy. Just get a fine artist brush and paint the glue over the decals so that you cover them exactly. make a couple coats so it's nice and thick. Then just paint right over the top of them. After your final coat, and when the paint is still a little bit soft, just take a long needle and pick the glue and pull it up. The paint will usually just break off right at the edge of the glue. then do a little touching up with the right color paints and go right over the top with clear coat. once you have a couple coats of clear on you won't even be able to see what you did...

That hood took me 3 days to get it that far... waiting for paint to dry..etc.. hoping to get it clear coated this weekend if it will stop raining for a couple hours...


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## The10Man (Jan 15, 2017)

Shaugh good idea on those decals from EBay, I never looked there. That's what I'll most likely be getting, a set from there for $10 - $20. I don't need the decals to match the same as the factory original, just something to make it look not so bare. 

That's smart with Elmers glue. I've never thought about doing something that way but it makes a ton of sense. I may be using that technique for future projects. 

Today I sanded the bondo spot puddy down after applying it yesterday. That product was a great suggestion and was pretty easy to work with, but yes it dries fast. After sanding it down and wiping it clean, I applied the fist coat of primer on the cowling. 

Cowling after sanding





















Cowling after the first coat of primer. 






















I also applied the first coat of paint to the mid and lower sections of the motor.


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## The10Man (Jan 15, 2017)

I'm planning on applying a clear coat but forgot to pick some up at the auto parts store when I got the paint, so I'll need to go back. How many coats of clear do you suggest I apply?


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## Shaugh (Jan 15, 2017)

Ok so you bought the finish 1 enamel ? Which hardener did you get?

Body work looks great.


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## The10Man (Jan 15, 2017)

The NAPA by my house was closed today. When I looked them up on Google and it said they were closed, but I called anyway to see if the info was incorrect and nobody ever answered the phone. Next I called Advance Auto, Autozone, and PepBoys and neither of them said they mixed paint or sold it by the pint. Unfortunately, I had to settle for the automotive rattle can dupli-color paint and didn't get the Finish1. 

I could have waited to go to NAPA tomorrow but my wife is pregnant and our baby is due any day now, so I'm trying to complete this project before the baby come. I know if I don't finish it this weekend I probably won't finish it for 3-6 months. Also, most of the time that I am working on this is either in the late evening after I put my 2 year old to bed or in the 1.5 hour window I have while my child naps during the weekends. I thought about calling the other NAPA across town but by the time I would have driven there and back I wouldn't have had much time to do any painting.


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## Johnny (Jan 16, 2017)

Ten - instead of making a Johnson decal 
reverse weed the vinyl To make a paint mask.
Then paint, remove the mask & clearcoat.
I have done it hundreds of times.
Very professional finish.


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## Shaugh (Jan 16, 2017)

If you go the rattle can route, I've had decent luck with this clear:

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Rust-Oleum-Stops-Rust-Crystal-Clear-Rust-Resistant-Enamel-Spray-Paint-Actual-Net-Contents-12-oz/3544060?cm_mmc=SCE_PLA-_-Paint-_-SprayPaint-_-3544060:Rust-Oleum&CAWELAID=&kpid=3544060&CAGPSPN=pla&store_code=1767&k_clickID=2f3f4898-a04f-48b4-a5eb-2bbf620bef3a

I'd go with 5 coats of that to give the paint some resistance against fuel and oil... The more you can build up as a barrier the better.. The good part about keeping a good clear barrier over the color is that the color will remain as the gas and oil dissolve the clear. Then you just need to do periodic maintenance with the clear and it will keep looking good...


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## The10Man (Jan 16, 2017)

Johnny, at this point I haven't gotten set up to create my own decal on my wife's machine. I'm looking to knock this project out today and be done with it or 80% done with it, and make a reverse decal and creating a mask is likely going to take too much time. I'm probably going to just buy an inexpensive decal from EBay. 

I've bought the clear coat per your suggestion Shaugh. Applying the clear today. 

I'm going to order the decal this afternoon. Do you guys think I put a coat of clear over the decal or just put the decal over top all of the clear and be done with it?


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## Shaugh (Jan 16, 2017)

Decals should go under the clear. They definitely need the clear coat to stay on and protected...


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## The10Man (Jan 16, 2017)

I had a small set back this morning. As I went to go look at the paint on the lower and mid section I noticed that there was some roughness to the paint. At that time I realized that I didn't wet sand the motor after putting the primer on. I wet sanded the cowling but in my haste I didn't sand the main part of the motor. The automotive primer has a good bit of texture to it and that is what caused it to be rough. For a few minutes I thought about leaving it be and just finish painting over it. However, after running my fingers over it it some small particles were coming off on my fingertips. Once this happened I decided that I needed to do the right thing and wet sand the motor. It took me 15 minutes to sand it down and I probably lost half a day or more and some of the existing paint on the motor, but I'm glad I did it. Now it is smooth to the touch and I can have piece of mind that I did it right. 

After losing a day or so and now knowing that the decals should go under the clear coat I likely won't finish this project until later this week or next weekend.


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## samuelh1987 (Jan 16, 2017)

enjoying your thread. cant wait to see it completed.


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## The10Man (Jan 16, 2017)

samuelh1987 said:


> enjoying your thread. cant wait to see it completed.



Thanks Samuel! I can't wait either.


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## CedarRiverScooter (Jan 16, 2017)

Tinman - Wishing your family well for the addition. 

Keep the boat up so the kids can learn all about water sports with their dad.


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## The10Man (Jan 16, 2017)

Thanks Scooter! Yes, I'm looking forward to enjoying many outings with the kids. 

My daughter got survival/swim lessons over the summer and my wife and I already talked about enrolling out second one even earlier. 


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## Mark_Fisher (Jan 17, 2017)

You will be glad you took the extra time. It will look GREAT!

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## Shaugh (Jan 17, 2017)

The trick to painting is to use machine like strokes and make the coverage very even. Start with the underside view and then work to sides and top. 

Outboards are tricky because of so many surfaces and angles. The most common mistake is to see a spot you missed because of angle or lack of coverage and then go back and try to pile more paint on that spot... The result of that is almost always a run. Do it this way:

Paint in good even strokes and be sure you don't over paint areas.

Let that dry.. no matter what.. (this is the hard part)...

Then once it's sufficiently dry go back and hit the areas you missed. Repeat process...

Keep doing that until you've got a good thick layer of paint built up.

Remember you're going to do clear as well so don't worry too much about slight imperfections in the base coats.


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## hc803 (Jan 17, 2017)

I've rattle-canned a motor before and all the suggestions on this thread are correct. Especially the "many light coats" one. Heavy spray = heavy sanding to get a good final result.
One word of caution: make sure NOT to spray the inlet tube filter screen (behind the prop) or you get to pick the holes out with a sewing needle later (don't ask me how I know).


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## DaleH (Jan 17, 2017)

... I try to concentrate on the "nooks & crannies" first and find I get a better result than trying to go back in and touch up those areas. Agreed that patience is needed ...


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## The10Man (Jan 20, 2017)

Mark_Fisher said:


> You will be glad you took the extra time. It will look GREAT!
> 
> Sent from my GT-P3113 using Tapatalk



Thanks Mark!


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## The10Man (Jan 20, 2017)

Thanks Dale, Slaugh, and hc803 for the tips and advice. I agree with everything you guys said and it has definitely helped me. 

This week I haven't had a ton of time to spend working on the motor. On Wednesday I worked from home and was able to apply another coat of paint to the cowling and mid/lower sections while on my lunch break. Other from that it's been dark or near dark when I got home from work so I didn't apply any other coats. 

Before I applied the paint I was thinking about what hc803 said and looked at the filter screen to see if I had sprayed any paint over it steady. Before he mentioned that, it never even crossed my mind to look for it and cover it up. I noticed that there did appear to be some paint on it, but it wasn't completely covered. None the less, I went ahead and covered it up before it got any worse. I've provided a few pictures of it below and will probably need to examine it with a needle at the end to of the project to make sure that it isn't restricted.


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## The10Man (Jan 22, 2017)

Put multiple coats of paint on the cowling and on the lower/mid this weekend. 




































Was able to apply the clear coat to main part of the motor. 































Getting real close to finishing!


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## CedarRiverScooter (Jan 23, 2017)

Looks really good!


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## The10Man (Jan 23, 2017)

CedarRiverScooter said:


> Looks really good!



Thanks Scooter!


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## Shaugh (Jan 24, 2017)

Looking good. Be careful you don't get addicted.... not many things are as satisfying as peeling that tape and paper off a fresh paint job.


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## satx78247 (Jan 24, 2017)

Shaugh,

Imo, those two OBs are BEAUTIFUL.

My HOPE is that my electric-start 18HP Johnson will look as nice as yours does when it's painted.

yours, satx


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## The10Man (Jan 24, 2017)

I was going to buy some decals off of EBay, but it was going to take 10-14 days for them to arrive at my house, so I didn't purchase them. Next I thought I'd do an inverse mask and paint the word Johnson on the cowling like Johnny had suggested but I couldn't get my wife to pull out the Cricut machine and get it set up for me. So I downloaded some high resolution .jpg's and a Johnson logo in vector format from off the internet. Next I jumped in Photoshop and Illustrator and cropped and scaled them to the size I desired. I went to FedEx Office before work and had them print both sets of logos on clear sticker material for only $1.50 a piece ($6 in total). I had them print two different versions because they weren't expensive and I wanted to hold them up to the cowling to see which one I like the most. By having these stickers printed at FedEx I not only got them super cheap but I also got them in quicker than any other option. 






Before I had them printed I thought I was going to go with the grey and black version. However, after thinking about it and continuing to look at them I thought I'd go with the red version because it pops a little more with the grey motor and wouldn't look so similar to the decal that came with the motor originally. 

After putting the final coats of paint on the cowling I decided It was sticker time. I measured out where I wanted to put and began slowly transferring the red decal on the cover. After putting it on just a couple of inches I could tell that it wasn't ideal. Apparently the film that the sticker was printed on wasn't perfectly clear and was more frosted. The graphics on the red decal isn't all one piece and so it would be nearly impossible to cut it out all the letters with scissors and then try to get it aligned straight on the cover. In adoption to that the red didn't stand out enough to my liking and it looked bad on the cover because of this. 






Next I cut out the grey/black decal and thought this might be better suited for the cover. This turned out much better and I went ahead and put it on the other side. 











If I had a higher quality decal I may have stuck with the red but I'm pretty pleased with the way this turned out and I'm glad I didn't pay $50 for a set of decals. 

Next I just need to clear coat the cowling and I'll be set.


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## Johnny (Jan 24, 2017)

very nice young man, very nice indeed !!!


B/T/W - has your new baby arrived yet ?


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## The10Man (Jan 24, 2017)

Thanks Johnny! Actually, I'm in the hospital now. My son should be born soon!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## stinkfoot (Jan 24, 2017)

The10Man said:


> Thanks Johnny! Actually, I'm in the hospital now. My son should be born soon!
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


 Looks great and congrats on your son! Are you going to call him Johnson?


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## The10Man (Jan 25, 2017)

stinkfoot said:


> The10Man said:
> 
> 
> > Thanks Johnny! Actually, I'm in the hospital now. My son should be born soon!
> ...



Thanks stinkfoot.


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## The10Man (Jan 25, 2017)

[No message]


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## Pappy (Jan 27, 2017)

stinkfoot said:


> The10Man said:
> 
> 
> > Thanks Johnny! Actually, I'm in the hospital now. My son should be born soon!
> ...



Am betting not...but at least a Johnson had something to do with it! :roll:


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## Shaugh (Jan 31, 2017)

Nothing like a fresh motor.... I got mine about done... hoping to see yours when that baby allows ....


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## Johnny (Jan 31, 2017)

Shaugh - you continue to impress me with your refurbishing skills !!
do you ever visit the Antique Outboard Motor Club ?? https://www.aomci.org/
lots of very nice vintage, classic and antique outboard people there.




.


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## Shaugh (Jan 31, 2017)

Thanks Johnny, it's a good hobby and keeps me out of trouble. I've lurked there but too cheap to pay for membership. That motor is going on the 59 deep C that I'm restoring. Hoping to have it ready for spring fishing trips.


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## Pappy (Jan 31, 2017)

That Deep C would be a blast with twin 18s !


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## mrdrh99 (Feb 1, 2017)

Johnny said:


> Shaugh - you continue to impress me with your refurbishing skills !!
> do you ever visit the Antique Outboard Motor Club ?? https://www.aomci.org/
> lots of very nice vintage, classic and antique outboard people there.
> 
> ...


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## The10Man (Feb 3, 2017)

Sorry I've been MIA lately. My son was born the day that I last posted and things have been pretty busy since then. Stinkfoot, I didn't name him Johnson but like Pappy suggested my Johnson had a lot to do with my child being born. I am very thankful that the baby is healthy and mom is doing great. Needless to say things haven't been a little chaotic around my house lately, getting adjusted to the new baby and managing a 2 year old. Now that I'm beginning to get my routine down and I have a few more days off of work, I'm hoping to get outside and spray several coats of clear on the cowling. Hopefully I'll have an update and a finished product in a few days. 

Shaugh that motor is impressive! You are very talented! I know my motor won't be as flawless as yours but I hope someday to restore a motor to that quality.


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## Shaugh (Feb 3, 2017)

Thanks, The surprising thing about painting motors is actually how quick and easy it is.... hopefully we convinced a few people to stop driving around with those sad looking motors...


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## Johnny (Feb 3, 2017)

.


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## The10Man (Apr 3, 2017)

It's been two months since my son was born (thanks for all the congrats) and things have finally started to settle down. I was able to find a couple of hours and finish painting my Johnson. 

It isn't exactly perfect, but I'm very happy with it. Like Shaugh said it isn't all that difficult and I really enjoyed it. Prep work was key! It would have been a much quicker finished project if my son wasn't born in the middle of it. If I ever get another motor in the future, I certainly wouldn't hesitate to paint it if it has some cosmetic issues. 

Thanks for everyone's help and advice throughout the project. It wouldn't have turned out nearly as good without all the support from all the forum members. 

I've added a few photos of it below.


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## Shaugh (Apr 3, 2017)

Nice work... looks like you paid $3000 for it...


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## Johnny (Apr 3, 2017)

very nice young man !! very nice indeed


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## The10Man (Apr 5, 2017)

Thank you for the compliments Johnny and Shaugh! I really appreciate your guys' insight and help throughout this project!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## stinkfoot (Apr 5, 2017)

The10Man said:


> It's been two months since my son was born (thanks for all the congrats) and things have finally started to settle down. I was able to find a couple of hours and finish painting my Johnson.
> 
> It isn't exactly perfect, but I'm very happy with it. Like Shaugh said it isn't all that difficult and I really enjoyed it. Prep work was key! It would have been a much quicker finished project if my son wasn't born in the middle of it. If I ever get another motor in the future, I certainly wouldn't hesitate to paint it if it has some cosmetic issues.
> 
> ...


 Hey, if you get another motor you will be making your son paint it! Great job, looks fantastic. I have a really nice 77 Merc 40 jet but it is electric start only. I have a really shabby pull start housing which I hope to do this to just in case I flatten my battery. Congrats again on the boy. You can go fishing in another 5 years!


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