thompsondockside.com

does anyone know how thompsons were painted at the factory - if in fact they were painted there? I'm just finishing the primer coats, and if the weather holds out I may get to the finish coats. on the primer coats, I used the roll and tip method. but i'm curious as to whether they used a spray booth, or brush, or ??? if possible, I may try to duplicate their method. this is a 1957 sea coaster. thanks for any information as always...

It would not make any sense if the boats were not painted at the factory.

I suppose in the early days they were painted with brushes.

They certainly used a spray booth by the 1950s. I just met with a former Peshtigo boat plant worker from 1958 to 1963. He talked about a "glazing" on the bare wood as the first layer before paint. He couldn't give me a product name or description - he just kept repeating "glazing". I wonder if it was white lead, the same material used to fill in the countersunk screw holes??? He did say it was spread on the wood surfaces with a trowel.

Paint would have been a coat of primer followed by maybe two coats of top coat paint. Probably sprayed on all in the same day.

I have painted many lapstrake Thompson boats. I have never sprayed it. I have most often used foam brushes.

Andreas

thanks