Roll & Tip Question

[scot]

Can you guys recommend the correct head for the roller? Any suggestions on the brush, techniques, etc. I have seen the Interlux Youtube, appears simple enough...with common sense and patience.

Thanks

[randall]

i did my cockpit and am happy with the results....i used a short knapp roller and foam brushes drawn at a very low angle with only gravity as pressure. unconventional but it worked....and you can cut the brushes to conform to curves.

there are surfaces where it looks absolutely sprayed.

[John F.]

I've used small foam rollers and the cheap foam brushes. I've had better results with cheap foam brushes than with expensive badger hair or whatever brushes. Have a few foam brushes handy, and toss them if you have any build-up from the tipping.

[scot]

Foam brushes? that surprises me. I painted my last boat with 1 part Interlux Urethane and the foam brushes made a mess of it, it would drag the paint all over the place...I believe the 1 part is TOO thick for foam brushesI had to use the expensive ones to get a decent finish.

Did you guys thin the paint? Literature says it can be cut up to 10% by volume.

[JohnD]

Scot,

I just finished doing the outside of the salon bulkhead on my B35 and it wasn't as easy as the youtube video's make it look. I used interlux perfection and found if the temp was above 80 it dried too quick and the bursh strokes didn't flow. Another thing I tried was to mix the thinner used (1/2 burshing & 1/2 spray to make 5-10% of paint) this helped the flow-out a little I think.

Also, from the video's the tipping looked to me to be fairly agressive & I tried this the first coat or 2 and then finally realized it takes a very light touch to tip off.

I had ordered the solvent roller covers online and think it was loading too much paint. I used a 2" high density foam roller from Home Depot to get into some tight spaces and found that it worked better for me than the fancy rollers so I switched and that coat turned out the best of any so far. I've still got one more coat to do as well as some trim, but it now looks like a 2-beer finish (2 beers and 5ft away it looks ok ;)


br,
JohnD

[scot]

It's always above 80 degrees here! I believe the instructions say to thin it in high heat, as you did. My last boat had a 5 beer finish and I'm hoping to improve on that. Even the 5 beer finish looked great out on the water!!

Randall I saw the shots of your helm area, they looked really good. If "YOU" are satisfied, I will be very happy indeed.

Thanks guys

[JP Dalik]

Scott,
I used with good success on the hull the west epoxy rollers. First get them soaked in the paint so they are fully loaded (you only need to do this once) then get a good clean piece of cardboard and "dry" (roll the roller on the cardboard) this removes the portion of paint that will cause a sag regardless of how many times you come back to it.
Start with the roller in the middle of whatever surface you are painting and roll away in long strokes, then feather it off with the roller leaving no marks. Take a brush thats been loaded with paint and "dried" and tip off the air bubbles. I go up and down to avoid sags, you can go side to side- it just didn't work out so good for me.
The paint will give you some working time at 80 however you'll need to reduce it often while painting. If you feel it pulling with the brush add a capfull of reducer until it stops. Direct sunlight and wind is you worst enemy.
If you have some flat fiberglass stock play with the technique a little. It goes easier with 2 people. Remember the reducer.

[scot]

thanks JP, I think early fall will be a good time to paint down here. I'll keep the thinner close by.

[randall]

i used a special brushing thinner with 1 part. so far i am very happy with the results. it seems pretty tough. the trick for me was to let the foam brush literally float on the surface of the paint. that way it never gouges the paint down to the primer and knocks the knapp marks down. its actually easier than it sounds.