Mike,

Let me be the first to welcome you to the ranks of us mad boat builders... First question (not that it really matters): what'cha building?

Over the past few years various people have used auto clearcoats with varying success. Some love it... some find it scratches too easily. Using the search feature of the bulletin board should give you plenty of results.

I've used both Epifane's and Interlux two-part polys (tinted and clears). I find the Interlux easier to use. Both are very durable and are the staples for our shop. I'm not equipped to spray both of those so I roll and tip them, then polish, with excellent success. I had been spraying a waterbased marine poly but it didn't work for us. I'm currently looking into using waterborne automotive finishes myself. I'd like to spray a few test panels this winter...

Hope it helps,

Dan

: I have the luxury of having access to spray equipment and plan to spray my
: finished strip boat. I took a tour of Van Dam Wood Works (super high-end
: custom cold-molded craft from Harbor Springs, Michigan) a couple of years
: ago when they had a job open, and they use automotive finishes on their
: boats so that they can wet-sand and buff them to perfection. I was
: wondering if anyone has used an automotive clear coat on a kayak.

: My current best option is Epifanes two-part, so if you've used it I'd
: appreciate comments on that as well.