mast support while painting

[mdidomenico]

i'm about to gather up all the supplies and paint my mast in a few weeks.  currently the mast is supported by three large saw horses.  i'm curious if anyone has any suggestions for supporting the mast during painting, but also having the saw horses from out under the mast.  right now the only way i can see to do it are to paint what i can see and then roll the mast and paint the areas i can't.  i'm worried i'll get blotches or that area of the paint will not stick as well as the others, because the surrounding paint will have dried.

i thought about jamming something like a piece of 6x6 lumber into each end to support the mast and removing the center saw horse, but i wasn't sure if the mast would be fine without a center support or whether the ends would be happy leaning on a 6x6 (pressure points at the edges of the 6x6 pushing against the alu)

i checked back through the mast painting threads, but they're all about whether to/to not paint and which paints to use.  any other suggestions or confirmation that jamming wood in the ends to support it would be helpful

[Jim Hardesty]

I've never painted a mast.  But, when my friend painted his, he painted the top half then rolled it 180 degrees and painted the other half.  He painted to the sail track on one side and mask to a center line on the other side with a little overlap.  Looked good when he was done.
Jim

[KWKloeber]

Md

When I painted mine back in the '90s, I supported it by the ends.  Granted it was a 30, so I can't say how the additional length would affect it, but Catalinas have overkill spars for the necessary design.  Ask Warren or Gerry @ Catalina?

I didn't need to have the end supports fitted super tight -- if the extension is long enough it will just settle in at an angle and still support the mast.  If you want it tight-fitting it might be easier to build up a section to the size you need using smaller pieces, say 2x4s or whatever, and space them out to the exact ID by using plywood between them.

In full disclosure, I pretty much watched while a yard-mate did the excellent painting -- that's back in the good old days when you could actually use a compressor and a spray gun in a yard and pump VOCs into the atmosphere.  (But I did all the prep down to bare aluminum.)

[Ed Shankle]

I painted my mast a few years ago on saw horses. The actual size of the contact points on the sawhorses is small, so I just touched up those points after the painting the rest of the mast and allowing it to dry. Came out fine and certainly passed muster once the mast was restepped.

Regards,
Ed

[Jon W]

My 2 cents -
A couple years ago my mast was removed and put on 3 or 4 saw horses in the boatyard. While on the saw horses, I repainted protions of my mast to address corrosion at fittings, and other blemishes. If the saw horse was in the way I moved it. When the mast was reinstalled you couldn't tell where I repainted. If you spend the time to feather the edges, use quality primer and top coat, and work on your brush tipping technique you should be fine. I attached a PDF of the process steps, and thinner/primer/paint I used if interested.

[glennd3]

I am with Ed , doubt anyone would notice the small contact points except the one doing the job. Should look nice when you are done! Are you doing anything with your standing rigging?

[mdidomenico]

I am with Ed , doubt anyone would notice the small contact points except the one doing the job. Should look nice when you are done! Are you doing anything with your standing rigging?

the paint and roll maneuver seems to be where it's at.  i can't find anyone that says anything different, so that's what i'll do.  hopefully i'll still get a good bond where the dried and new paint meet up.

the standing rigging on my boat is getting replaced after i finish painting and rewiring the mast (end of this summer).  the original rigging appears in good condition but it's original, so it's likely stretched out and tired.

[mdidomenico]

the one thing i'm still not sure about though is how much actual paint i need.  should i get 1-2 quarts or 1-2 gallons?  i know some that is dependent on the paint as well as how much thinner mix in.  i'm thinking 2 gallons, i don't want to come up short, but it might be a waste or paint or money.  i'll be rolling/tipping not spraying

[Jon W]

Keep in mind marine paint is expensive. Quantity of paint needed will depend on what you use, whether you go to bare metal or not, are you going to paint the entire mast, and how many finish coats you apply. I painted the equivalent of about 1/3 of the mast. Best I can recall I used 1 quart each of thinner and primer, and 1-1 1/2 quarts of top coat. All Interlux brand.

[Noah]

Every paint manufacturer lists (theoretical) coverage per sq. ft. info on their data sheets. I would guess one gallon of any enamel top coat would be more than enough for 2 coats rolled and tipped (?).

[Stu Jackson]

One gallon of bottom paint covers a C34 hull.

The mast is a lot thinner than the hull and not that much longer.