Boat name for hull

[thinwatersailor]

Some recent posts re vinyl boat letters for the hull. Had them for 7+ years w/no fading on the dink. Call around though, recent new name for the big boat got quotes starting at 70 bucks (he heard "boat name" I guess.) Final price $1.15 per letter self installed and he preferred to do it while I waited.

[thinwatersailor]

Some recent posts re vinyl boat letters for the hull. Had them for 7+ years w/no fading on the dink. Call around though, recent new name for the big boat got quotes starting at 70 bucks (he heard "boat name" I guess.) Final price $1.15 per letter self installed and he preferred to do it while I waited.

[thinwatersailor]

Some recent posts re vinyl boat letters for the hull. Had them for 7+ years w/no fading on the dink. Call around though, recent new name for the big boat got quotes starting at 70 bucks (he heard "boat name" I guess.) Final price $1.15 per letter self installed and he preferred to do it while I waited.

[PugetSound]

I guess I am too cheap to go that route. I made some nameboards using my router. The effort turned out quite nicely. I hold them onto the boat using industrial grade Velcro (check out the West Marine catalog). I have been intending to paint an abreviated version of the cruiser's name on the dink but my sign paint went south on me and I haven't replaced it yet (you want to use sign paint because it has a higher percentage of solids for better results).

[PugetSound]

I guess I am too cheap to go that route. I made some nameboards using my router. The effort turned out quite nicely. I hold them onto the boat using industrial grade Velcro (check out the West Marine catalog). I have been intending to paint an abreviated version of the cruiser's name on the dink but my sign paint went south on me and I haven't replaced it yet (you want to use sign paint because it has a higher percentage of solids for better results).

[PugetSound]

I guess I am too cheap to go that route. I made some nameboards using my router. The effort turned out quite nicely. I hold them onto the boat using industrial grade Velcro (check out the West Marine catalog). I have been intending to paint an abreviated version of the cruiser's name on the dink but my sign paint went south on me and I haven't replaced it yet (you want to use sign paint because it has a higher percentage of solids for better results).

[Bruce Hooke]

If you are happy with vinyl lettering then you can skip the rest of this post but for those with a more perfectionist bent...I have had good results painting lettering with artist's oil paints and a round artist's brush with very long bristles, and I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to do even with quite small letters. I laid out the lettering on the computer, printed it out, expanded it to full size on a copier and then used carbon paper (yes you can still buy it!) to trace the letters onto the signboard. Now I should note that I was not painting a boat name, but the sign I painted is on the outside of a house on the coast of Maine year-round; the sign is on the side of the house that faces the water in a place where it is exposed to nearly the full force of any southerly gales and it has now gone through a couple of winters with virtually no signs of weathering, so I think it is fairly safe to say that this technique would also hold-up reasonably well on a boat, particularly if the boat, like most that are in areas with rough winters, is under cover through the stormiest months. The big disadvantage of this approach, of course, is that you need to repaint the letters any time you redo the topsides paint. The key issue with whatever paint you use for sign lettering is that it must be thick enough to do the job in one coat...

[Bruce Hooke]

If you are happy with vinyl lettering then you can skip the rest of this post but for those with a more perfectionist bent...I have had good results painting lettering with artist's oil paints and a round artist's brush with very long bristles, and I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to do even with quite small letters. I laid out the lettering on the computer, printed it out, expanded it to full size on a copier and then used carbon paper (yes you can still buy it!) to trace the letters onto the signboard. Now I should note that I was not painting a boat name, but the sign I painted is on the outside of a house on the coast of Maine year-round; the sign is on the side of the house that faces the water in a place where it is exposed to nearly the full force of any southerly gales and it has now gone through a couple of winters with virtually no signs of weathering, so I think it is fairly safe to say that this technique would also hold-up reasonably well on a boat, particularly if the boat, like most that are in areas with rough winters, is under cover through the stormiest months. The big disadvantage of this approach, of course, is that you need to repaint the letters any time you redo the topsides paint. The key issue with whatever paint you use for sign lettering is that it must be thick enough to do the job in one coat...

[Bruce Hooke]

If you are happy with vinyl lettering then you can skip the rest of this post but for those with a more perfectionist bent...I have had good results painting lettering with artist's oil paints and a round artist's brush with very long bristles, and I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to do even with quite small letters. I laid out the lettering on the computer, printed it out, expanded it to full size on a copier and then used carbon paper (yes you can still buy it!) to trace the letters onto the signboard. Now I should note that I was not painting a boat name, but the sign I painted is on the outside of a house on the coast of Maine year-round; the sign is on the side of the house that faces the water in a place where it is exposed to nearly the full force of any southerly gales and it has now gone through a couple of winters with virtually no signs of weathering, so I think it is fairly safe to say that this technique would also hold-up reasonably well on a boat, particularly if the boat, like most that are in areas with rough winters, is under cover through the stormiest months. The big disadvantage of this approach, of course, is that you need to repaint the letters any time you redo the topsides paint. The key issue with whatever paint you use for sign lettering is that it must be thick enough to do the job in one coat...

[Bruce Hooke]

I used Winsor & Newton Artists' Oil Colour, which I believe is a quality brand, but not exceptionally special. I would think that any proper art supply store would carry it or an equivalent, but then Rhode Island, where I live, has more artists per capita that just about anywhere else in the USA. If you are not so conveniently situated then one reliable mail order source would be Daniel Smith in Seattle (800-426-6740). I just noticed that in my 3 year old Daniel Smith catalog most of the Winsor & Newton paints are under $12 for a 37 ml tube but a few colors cost a good bit more. I thinned the paint just a little bit with REAL turpentine, but kept it thick enough so that it had some "body" (e.g. a teaspoon of it on a flat surface would not flow or run). I considered varnishing over the lettering but decided against it since I was worried about the possible yellow tint from the varnish not looking good over the gray background on the sign. If it had been a varnished background I would definitely have varnished over (and under) the letters.

By the way, Daniel Smith also has, or at least had 3 years ago, good quality "Scipt" or lettering brushes for $4-12 depending on the size.
- Bruce

P.S. In my experience having a proper "script" brush is essential if you want the process to go smoothly, so it is worth tracking one down if you want to do this sort of stuff.

[This message has been edited by Bruce Hooke (edited 05-23-2001).]

[Bruce Hooke]

I used Winsor & Newton Artists' Oil Colour, which I believe is a quality brand, but not exceptionally special. I would think that any proper art supply store would carry it or an equivalent, but then Rhode Island, where I live, has more artists per capita that just about anywhere else in the USA. If you are not so conveniently situated then one reliable mail order source would be Daniel Smith in Seattle (800-426-6740). I just noticed that in my 3 year old Daniel Smith catalog most of the Winsor & Newton paints are under $12 for a 37 ml tube but a few colors cost a good bit more. I thinned the paint just a little bit with REAL turpentine, but kept it thick enough so that it had some "body" (e.g. a teaspoon of it on a flat surface would not flow or run). I considered varnishing over the lettering but decided against it since I was worried about the possible yellow tint from the varnish not looking good over the gray background on the sign. If it had been a varnished background I would definitely have varnished over (and under) the letters.

By the way, Daniel Smith also has, or at least had 3 years ago, good quality "Scipt" or lettering brushes for $4-12 depending on the size.
- Bruce

P.S. In my experience having a proper "script" brush is essential if you want the process to go smoothly, so it is worth tracking one down if you want to do this sort of stuff.

[This message has been edited by Bruce Hooke (edited 05-23-2001).]

[Bruce Hooke]

I used Winsor & Newton Artists' Oil Colour, which I believe is a quality brand, but not exceptionally special. I would think that any proper art supply store would carry it or an equivalent, but then Rhode Island, where I live, has more artists per capita that just about anywhere else in the USA. If you are not so conveniently situated then one reliable mail order source would be Daniel Smith in Seattle (800-426-6740). I just noticed that in my 3 year old Daniel Smith catalog most of the Winsor & Newton paints are under $12 for a 37 ml tube but a few colors cost a good bit more. I thinned the paint just a little bit with REAL turpentine, but kept it thick enough so that it had some "body" (e.g. a teaspoon of it on a flat surface would not flow or run). I considered varnishing over the lettering but decided against it since I was worried about the possible yellow tint from the varnish not looking good over the gray background on the sign. If it had been a varnished background I would definitely have varnished over (and under) the letters.

By the way, Daniel Smith also has, or at least had 3 years ago, good quality "Scipt" or lettering brushes for $4-12 depending on the size.
- Bruce

P.S. In my experience having a proper "script" brush is essential if you want the process to go smoothly, so it is worth tracking one down if you want to do this sort of stuff.

[This message has been edited by Bruce Hooke (edited 05-23-2001).]