9 or 4 inch rollers?

PhillM said:
Both - 4 inch for the waterline and tight bits. 9 inch to fill the gap.
Boot top = Paint brush
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Yep, this is what we used to do before getting the new boat with coppercoat. The small roller was one intended for painting behind radiators, with a long handle, and worked well for reaching behind the bilge fins without having to grovel on the ground too much.

My dad used to perch on a stool and paint the boot-top freehand with a small brush while my mum and I did the main area of antifoul with the rollers. Masking tape doesn’t work very well with (simulated) clinker.

Pete
 
BelleSerene said:
You gave her the choice?!
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When younger and prepared to spend more time being anal about these things, 4 inches would do.
When older and you do not want to spend all night doing what you could do all night.
Then length and girth comes in to it.

When you reach a certain age only being able to go up and down has its advantages, the flexability and movement not being what it was.
 
Mister E said:
When younger and prepared to spend more time being anal about these things, 4 inches would do.
When older and you do not want to spend all night doing what you could do all night.
Then length and girth comes in to it.

When you reach a certain age only being able to go up and down has its advantages, the flexability and movement not being what it was.
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I see. I am sorry, being anal about these things isn't my style so I will bow to your greater experience!
 
Another vote for 4" foam. I tried a 9" roller expecting it to be quicker - it wasn't and it was just too much hard work on the arms, especially doing a large horizontal area from underneath. Maybe it depends on the hull shape.
 
No one has yet mentioned that with a 4" roller and a 2.5 litre can of antifouling you do not need to decant into a tray. With care, you can use it straight from the can.

This voids another problem. After years of using an aluminium tray, I had to use a plastic one and it started to dissolve in the antifouling, with little bits of black streaking the coating.
 
Years ago, I used a 9" roller but nowadays use a 4" roller with an 18" handle, and as said, you don't have to decant into a tray, just dip direct into the 2.5l can.
 
I used a 9" roller for the very first time this year and won't ever go back to a 4" one! The job was done in 1/3​ of the time and a much better finish.
 
Surely it depends a lot on the size of the boat? On a large yacht a 9 in roller may be best where 4 in roller may be best on a yacht half the size. If the yacht was multi chine........? Anyhow I'll tell you tomorrow because I'll try both on my 43 ft..

My biggest problem is to antifoul where the yacht is sitting on chocks so I'll have to do it in two stages. To complicate matters I have to put the last coat of barrier coat on and when it is tack free put the first coat of antifoul on.
 
I always use the small "mini jumbo" rollers. Use with a mini roller handle, but they're a bit more substantial.

They're 5 inch, so a good compromise between the too small and fragile 4" foam ones, which I find have no strength or support in the last inch and a half and don't roll very easily, and the (too large) 7 or 9 inch rollers which are too cumbersome.

I tend to use the ones with a solvent resistant medium pile.
 
Well yesterday on my 43 ft yacht I used a 4 in roller for the final coat of the barrier coat and a 9 in roller for the anti foul. I felt more comfortable doing that as it was vital that I covered every mm2 of the hull with the barrier coat and as there was not much contrast over the previous coat I felt I had better control. The anti foul is dark blue so I put that on with a 9 in roller.
 
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