<<Using paint chips (White, Black, various metallics) with temperature
strips affixed to the back of each and mounted on a plastic sheet so the
temperatures could be read, I noted that black was 40-50 degrees Fahrenheit
higher than white under a summer noon-time sun at 42 degrees North Latitude.
I further noted that even pale metallics were 25 to 35 degrees hotter than
the white.  Our molded parts are kiln cured and, if I remember correctly,
that makes them resist deformity until about 240 degrees is reached.  Wet
layups start to soften at 140 to 180 degrees.  320/360s have a lot of wet
layup joints although many are structurally bonded with flox before the
layup.

Scott Krueger>>

Thanks, Scott.  White it is.  I'm guessing from the results of your testing
that clear-coat metallics suffer because the light goes into the clear coat
and then the metallic particles are randomly oriented, letting the light
bounce around inside the paint, absorbing infrared energy.  White has the
reflective pigments right at the surface.

Gary Casey
ES project