Which roller is best for VC 17 bottom paint?

For issues which concern all or several type of DFs and which DO NOT fit into any category below!
Post Reply
Steve B.
Posts: 235
Joined: Thu 02 Nov 06, 1:58
Your Country: USA, Whidbey Island WA

Which roller is best for VC 17 bottom paint?

Post by Steve B. »

I'm getting ready to repaint the bottom of my DF1000.
Last time I used foam rollers which dissolved, wasting paint.
Obviously, I don't want to repeat that experience, so I'm asking for recommendations from the group.

Would a polyurethane roller such as this hold up to the aggressive solvent used in VC 17?

http://www.fisheriessupply.com/online/l ... Ntt/roller
+covers/N/0/Dx/mode+matchallpartial/Nty/1/R/2896/D/roller+
covers/catalog_name/FISCO/Ntx/mode+matchpartial+rel+Inactive/act/A01/Ntk/All

Thanks in advance.

Steve B.
parkhouse
Posts: 32
Joined: Sun 20 Jul 08, 17:56
Your Country: U.K./Inverkeithing

Which roller is best for VC 17 bottom paint?

Post by parkhouse »

I applied the VC17 with a 4 inch, emulsion roller. It showed no sign of deterioration.
I wrapped it in cling-film between coats and binned it afterwards - the thinners are too expensive and
replacement rollers too cheap to bother cleaning it!
Mike P. Df1000 Champus
Steve B.
Posts: 235
Joined: Thu 02 Nov 06, 1:58
Your Country: USA, Whidbey Island WA

Which roller is best for VC 17 bottom paint?

Post by Steve B. »

Thanks for your response, but this being an international board, I am confused by your term "emulsion".

Do you mean foam roller? Last time the foam rollers I used, dissolved in a few minutes of use.

There are probably several types of foam. If so, I need to know which type is the right one to use.

Please clarify.

Thanks,
Steve B.
Flexible Flyer
DF 1000 # 15
tpaliwoda
Posts: 215
Joined: Fri 03 Nov 06, 3:05
Your Country: USA, Raritan YC, Perth Amboy, New Jersey

Roller

Post by tpaliwoda »

Steve:
Been there...done that!
Use a short nap roller 1/8" for applying glue - you can get one at Home Depot - real cheap couple of bucks each. Look for a roller that is "solvent safe". I believe they are white in color.
As for the VC17, I used this paint with not to good results. For all the extra work and cost it isn't worth it. If you are sailing in salt water, there isn't enough copper in it to keep growth off the hull. My diver had to clean the boat weekly to keep it clean!
The prep work required for this paint is unbelievable - you have to strip the existing paint off the hull. After painting you have to "burnish" the hull with some brass wool, very time consuming.
I have been using the Micron Extra with Biolux with great sucess. Piece of cake to maintain, diver only comes every three weeks now, And nothing - not even slime grows on the hull. I also moor the boat in a real high growth area. Maintenance in the spring is just power wash and reapply, doesn't get easier than that. Hull is also real smooth, not as smooth as the VC17, but since I don't race....it really doesn't matter.

Just my experience.
Ted
Ted Paliwoda
D'Fly 1000 ; HN #1
Nice Tri
Raritan YC, Perth Amboy, NJ, USA
Steve B.
Posts: 235
Joined: Thu 02 Nov 06, 1:58
Your Country: USA, Whidbey Island WA

Post by Steve B. »

Ted,

Thanks for the quick response and the suggestion.

I have a slightly different situation. I already have VC 17 paint on the bottom having burnished it and all.
It's very smooth but I stretched it to over 3 years.

I'm in a relatively cold water area in the PNW, and while it's salt water, there's a fair amount of fresh water runoff.

The new VC 17 (already purchased) has Biolux for slime control. With the regular VC 17, slime was my biggest problem and I didn't get any other fouling for at least 2 years.

I'm also redoing the bottom on my tide grid (see photo gallery) and haven't found ANY other paint which will dry fast enough in that scenario. Whereas the VC 17 will dry in about ten minutes, everything else needs about 16 hours before launch.


Thanks again,

Steve B.
parkhouse
Posts: 32
Joined: Sun 20 Jul 08, 17:56
Your Country: U.K./Inverkeithing

Which roller is best for VC 17 bottom paint?

Post by parkhouse »

Yes - Ted's roller sounds like the one I used - it's designed for water-soluble paint (usually called 'emulsion' here).
Mike P. Df1000 Champus
Steve B.
Posts: 235
Joined: Thu 02 Nov 06, 1:58
Your Country: USA, Whidbey Island WA

We FINALLY got a weather and tide window!

Post by Steve B. »

Bottom's done. Thanks for all the suggestions found here.

We also found on another message board that you can mix and store VC 17 paint in a 2 liter soda bottle. Using a funnel, inside your garage or other place where there's NO WIND you pour the copper powder into the bottle, and then the paint. Shake it for a minute or so just before you add just enough paint to the tray to fill your roller. This prevents the paint from drying in the tray and keeps the copper in suspension. Also you don't have to worry about spilling paint.

We found out the official Interlux thinner for VC 17 which sells for $12 to $16 USD a QUART is nothing more than Isopropyl Alcohol which we can get for $1.69 a quart at the grocery store.

Live and learn!

Steve B.
Post Reply