How much Zolatone?

[Tradestream]

I have recently purchased a 62 Tradewind and want to Zolatone the walls. I am leaving the interior in place and wondered how much to buy? Also does anybody have any pictures of there place in desert camo?
Thanks Dan

[goransons]

Dan, shooting Zolatone is really a messy process, just finished it here. What are you shooting over? Measure how much square footage you need to cover, and on the zolatone website it gives you an approximate coverage per square foot. Order 20% more than that would be my guess, since some is wasted in the bottom of the gun, overspray etc. Depending on what you're painting over you may need to strip things or use an approved primer. Do you have gun with a big enough nozzle for it?

It really isn't that hard to apply, I understand wanting to keep the interior in, but that will definately add a level of difficulty getting good coverage into corners etc.

[InsideOut]

Originally Posted by goransons

It really isn't that hard to apply, I understand wanting to keep the interior in, but that will definately add a level of difficulty getting good coverage into corners etc.

I agree 110%...leaving the interior in place and shooting around it will definitely make things much more difficult in the end. The interior items will affect the angles you can spray at which in turn will effect the overall splatter pattern leaving you with a more "irregular pattern" than if the interior was cleared out.

Also, the masking effort will be a royal PITA! As it was, when we did our '56 Safari - which was empty, it took the two of us almost an entire day just to mask the floor, windows, skylights and other things prior to spraying. I can't imagine having to mask around all the furniture too!

As far as the Desert Camo color - It's a warm beige leaning toward a peachy/pinky rather than yellow undertones. We used it mixed with some other "grays" to tone it down and are happy with our results. I posted details in our Zolatone project in my "It's a Girl!!!" thread, starting around post #269.

IMO, I don't think you will save money on the Zolatone itself by spraying around the furniture, the wall space you aren't spraying will be made up with all the overspray on your masking. I'd order enough material to cover all your walls - especially if you get into mixing up a custom color.

Good luck in whatever you decide to do.

Shari

[Mark Wiltrakis]

Dan -
My Tradewind was "empty" when the walls were painted with Zolatone. We used a total of 3 gallons (and had perhaps a quart left over): 2 gallons of Camille white mixed with 1 gallon Bright Yellow.
Mark

[Tradestream]

I did not think of the uneven spray with the cabinets in. Aside from electrical, plumbing and propane lines, how are they attached to the shell? would they come out in a day? I know masking would be a pain in the rear. At least I don't have to worry about the floor considering it is down to the subfloor.

I really appreciate the imput!
Dan

[goransons]

screws down into the floor, into the next cabinet segment and into the ceiling. You may have philips heads, slotted, or that funky bow-tie shaped head. Screws into the floor have been worst for us, because of the water of the years, untreated screws rusted out. Hard to say if you can get it out in a day or not, might take a couple just to be careful with everything, but you'll end up with a much better product. You can install your flooring before reinstalling the cabinets and make up much of that time with the cuts around cabinets you won't have to make, and again a better finish product.

[Tradestream]

Thanks, I am in the process of removing most of the interior that would hinder painting. It would also help reduce masking. Going to get a spray nozzle from harbor freight to drill out for the zolatone. On removing the wardrobe do I drill out the aluminum slot that holds the side panel to the wall or does the panel slide out of it? The interior is pretty delicate from what I removed so far and don't want to break anything. Thanks Dan

[goransons]

you'll want to remove that slot from the wall to paint and prep anyway, so I'd remove it with panel. Sometimes its been screwed to the panel, or riveted, keeping together is least likely to hurt the wood panel. But use your best judgement.