Antifouling for Beginners - Advice Needed

[Anwen]

As some of you may know, we bought our first boat last year, and she is coming out the water for a week in a few days time. We are planning on antifouling her whilst she is in a cradle. I have done some reading and watching others, and think I have got a reasonable idea of what is required, but just wondered whether there were some important things to watch out for.

I have bought a couple of small size rollers and trays from B&Q, along with a platform ladder thingy which will allow us to work easily and safely. I also bought rolls of the blue masking tape which should be easier to remove (based on a recent thread on this forum). I plan on using gloves and paper suits to protect ourselves, but don't think we need any respiratory protection. Do we?

I am planning on cleaning and polishing the hull - do I do this before or after the A/F painting?

I know not to paint the anode on the prop shaft, but what about the prop? The prop and P bracket were not antifouled before she was launched.

Do you need to thin the antifoul paint? I'm going to use Blakes Tiger as this was what was used last year.

Anything else I need to know??

Thanks in advance,

Jon

 

[ashanta]

Seems your very well prepared!
I would clean and polish the hull first and antifoul last. If there is any residual glue from the tape it's easily removed. Assuming the old AF is sound and clean you should be OK. You do not say what you have as a prop? Assuming you have stainless steel propshaft and bronze propeller and P bracket I would leave them as they are and let the anode do it's job ensuring periodic inspections of the anode(s) if you are in the water all year round.
Regards.

Peter.

 

[Vara]

Agree with Ashanta,be aware that some AFs eat plastic roller trays,tin ones much better.
To get correct coating thickness use mfrs recommended amounts and keep going round and round until it's all finished,retaining a little bit in a nescaf jar to touch in pad points and under the keel(s) at lift in.I always try and put extra layer for about a foot below waterline.
Don't know about breathing protection,Product label should give guidance on this.

 

[Evadne]

Hi,
here's my two penn'orth:

I've not had problems with AF eating roller trays but it does eat some forms of roller refill, esp. the glued-on (thin) foam types. Don't use the solid foam ones, they stretch interminably. A brush (2"/50mm) is also essential for all the non-flat parts of the hull, rudder, etc. as well as under the chocks. A long-handled radiator brush is useful for doing the underside of the keel without doing your hands as well.

I don't think you need respiratory gear if working outside, but asking questions like that will only draw a guarded written reply at best, with H&S legislation as it is these days.

A hat or headscarf is especially useful, if like SWMBO, you like your hair the colour it already is. Marigolds or equivalent are the best gloves. Paint soaks through overalls so wear old clothes as well.

A small quantity of AF thinners is good for cleaning fingernails, watches, shoes etc., as well as thinning the last 1/4 of the tin but plan on throwing away all brushes and rollers if you hadn't already.

I use a small paint pad for the boot topping, and if there's a good line from last year I find that masking tape is all but dispensible as it gives such a good straight line.

Cleaning the hull can be done before or after but not on the same day. Any runs developed by cleaning are superficial and wash away as soon as she's launched.

yours,

Dave

 

[fireball]

Use the cheap masks for breathing - just keeps any paint splashes out of your mouth!! I should've put some glasses on too as I did feel a couple of bits go in my eyes - nothing too much to worry about mind ....

Most ppl seem to tape up their sleeves to the gloves ....

 

[davidfox]

Polish first, then antifoul, make sure you use either low tack masking tape or take tape off soon after painting, do not as one aquaintance did mask up one weekend and because of rain leave it on until the next. sticks like s--- to a blanket.
Unless you plan on splashing it into you mouth (quite easy to do) water based AF's are normally ok without mask.

Enjoy

 

[VicS]

I havn't had any problems with A/F and the roller trays but it does slowly attack the foam rollers even the syntheic lambs wool ones seem to deteriorate a bit.

It should not be necessary to offer any safety advice to a Chemical Engineer, the tin and the manufacturers web site should tell you all you need to know about the hazardous constituents. You are right however in wearing gloves and an overall but any serious spillage will probably penetrate a paper overall. I keep an old set of industrial waterproofs for jobs like scubbing off and antifouling.

Working out in the open should avoid the problems of inhalation of hazardous vapour but I suggest you add some SAFETY SPECTACLES or goggles to your list of protective clothing.

A useful tip is to get friends who are hoping for a sail with you come and help BUT only have enough rollers or brushes for them (Whoops there isn't one for me!)

No you don't thin the A/F. Follow the makers instructions (but unless loaded with pots of cash no one puts on 2 coats, do they?) and keep the tin well stirred as the copper oxide tends to settle out.

BTW I have found it hard work with a full sized roller.

 

[fontmell]

Anti foul first cause antifoul will not stick to polish if you spill drop any on hull or keel

 

[Spyro]

One tip I found very useful.
for antifouling under the pads on the cradle-- Prop the boat near to the pad, lower it antifoul then cover the pad with a piece of polythene. put the pad back up, the antifoul will not stick to the polythene, repeat with the rest of the pads.

 

[bob_tyler]

Will a plastic carrier bag do for this, or even clingfilm?

 

[Vara]

Brighton Marina 1978, plastic tray,International TBT,Picked up tray and bottom fell out of it depositing about £5s worth on ground,as a tight git this has left an everlasting scar on me.Things may have changed since!
Tin tray I bought to replace plastic still with me.

 

[riboid]

sorry guys but i aint sure about the polishing first then application of anti fouling. that means the AF is only going to adhere to the polish itself. i would be very dubious about that. i would prep hull of boat first, any minor spot repairs then apply coatings system then apply polish. correct me if i am wrong here guys

 

[VicS]

It's a long time since the days of TBT maybe the solvents have changed, maybe the trays are made of something different or maybe I've been lucky in buying a tray made of a material not affected. It has ben in use for several years now!

I can't say I've seen small metal trays but would certainly seem to be a good idea based on your experience.

 

[billcowan]

Yes definitely, trays used to be PVC, which was dissolved by practically anything. Now they are all HD polythene, dissolved by practically nothing.

Also the solvents have definitely changed, now its all Xylene instead of the stuff that made the snu gliffers high.
Next we will be forced to use water based paint!

Actually that clear acrylic varnish is quite good for thing that only get splashed once in a while. Dries in an hour, and you wash out the brush in boiling water! but it dont sand down well, so you cant get a really good finish.

 

[ashanta]

I was alway's taught start at the top and finish at the bottom.

 

[alec]

And a couple more........

If you wear glasses I guarantee they will get sprayed with the stuff. Try and find safety glasses that will fit over your specs.

If the weather is coldish, put the tin in a bucket of hand hot water for 30 minutes with the lid loosened. Goes on lovely....

Regards,

 

[Captain Haddock]

One essential thing you should do is stir the antifoul paint thoroughly before applying, I take mine to the local DIY shop where they have a paint shaker.

The shaker does a superb job and I'm sure it helps the antifoul work a little better or maybe that's just my wishful thinking /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Still, I have no weed at the end of the season and it's Blakes Tiger so I must be doing something right.

 

[VicS]

A piece of stout wire (ex coat hanger) can be fashioned into a stirrer that you use in a cordless drill or use a beater out of an old food mixer. It's important to stir frequently while you are working and you can't toddle off to B&Q each time you want to dispense more paint into the tray.

 

[Bodach na mara]

What's with all these trays for the rollers? Use a radiator roller (4") and you can dip straight out of the can.
I can endorse the safety glasses bit. Running around the yard with your eyes shut and stinging like mad after you have got a splash in them is an over-rated form of amusement.

 

[TheoSr]

Just make sure that your pads do no slip on the wet paint. It would really spoil the day.
keep smiling,
Theo.