Foam roler to appy antifouling

[flylhp]

Hi
Has anyone used a small foam roller 1 1/2 ins Dia x 4 ins long to apply antifouling paint if so was it successful.
flylhp

 

[bob_tyler]

Yes, fine. Much easier than a brush.

 

[VicMallows]

Yes, but you need the synthetic woven pile type as used for emulsion paint. Not the sponge type used for oil-based gloss. If you buy a pack of 10 or so, it's far cheaper to throw them away after each coat than waste thinners trying to clean them. I find a nice long handle useful (about 50cm)

Vic

 

[Vara]

I use the short wooly ones(I think thats what Vic said),but use bigger than 4inch for greater speed.
Don't use a plastic roller tray as some AFs will dissolve them.

 

[Freebee]

yes, it works for me, I use the long handle behind the radiator type, if you are hunched down under the boat or laying under there its gives you longer reach without the need to keep moving!

 

[Joe_Cole]

I've used the sponge ones without any problem.

 

[Steve_N]

I agree - the sponge ones designed for gloss paint give a very smooth finish. The antifouling does attack the sponge though and you may need to change roller refill occasionally.

 

[andy_wilson]

Couldn't recommend one of those for a Nic' 31, too small with all that keel staring back at you.

Use a full size roller either with foam or fine wool / synthetic equivalent. Extra wide if your a strong 'un.

Foam roller might not finish the second coat before disintegrating, probably best to swap after first coat.

Mount the roller in a frame with a decent handle (or extendable) so you can get both hands on the job for better purchase.

 

[VicS]

I found the solvent in the A/F attacks the foam sponge rollers. You can just about manage a small boat before the thing becomes unuseable but I now use the short pile wooly ones.

I did a friends 31 footer last year and used the full sized roller he provided. I found it arm achingly heavy when loaded with paint. The frame was also rather springy and an awful lot of effort was absorbed by this springiness.

So definitely one of the small rollers. A long handled one might be useful when doing a bilge keeler but I'd stick with a short handle for a keel boat as I think it will be less tiring. You will also throw away less paint with a small roller at the end of the job.

 

[sailorman]

7 or 10 inch short woolie + broom handle + 2" brush good finish & pdq.
after the first coat put roller & brush in a plastic bag to exclude air & their ready to re-use the next day

 

[fireball]

[ QUOTE ]
yes, it works for me, I use the long handle behind the radiator type, if you are hunched down under the boat or laying under there its gives you longer reach without the need to keep moving!

[/ QUOTE ]

Hmm ... we are just looking at getting the scaff tower down to the boat to reach properly ....

 

[Freebee]

use the extra long handle then save on the scaffolding!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[ditchcrawler]

Line your tray with cling film,throw cling away at the end of the day & the tray lasts for ever.

 

[Andy_H]

Must admit, I've always found the short pile rollers easier to use than the foam ones. The foam seems to disintigrate with use, and leave small bits on the hull. They can also become overladen with paint and deform in shape fairly quickly. The finish with a short pile roller is pretty good.

 

[bob26]

I've always used a fine woolly one - and just let it go hard at the end of working. Dipping it in fresh a/f the next spring soon softens it again and you can use it over and over again.

 

[alienzdive]

Here is my 0.02c

The woolen rollers leave too much hair behind leaving an imperfect finish, the small foam rollers do not put enough product on the vessel to meet the paint manufacturers recommended film thickness per coat.

If the manufacturer recommends that the product be applied at 6sqM per Litre per Coat and recommends 2 coats, and you work out the surface area to be coated using this rule of thumb formula.

(maximum) LWL x (maximum) DWL X AspR + Surface area of Keel SqM = SqM Hull Area
AspR=1.2 Flat bottomed launch
AspR=1.3-1.4 Deep V launch or Fin Keel boat
AspR=1.5 Full keeled deep V Yacht


AspR requires a little guess work but can become a very accurate guide with practice.

For instance
A yacht with a waterline of 9 Metres Maximum Width 2.4M and a fin keel 1.5Mx2M
L X W = 9MX2.4M=21.6sqM
Keel=1.5M x 2M=3SqMx 2sides=6Sqm
21.6+6=26.6sqM
26.6SqmX1.35(AspR)=35.91SqM

This would make the actual surface area of the boat in the example approx 36SqM
36SqM/6Sqm per L(coating coverage)=6Litres per coat or 12Litres for 2 coats and a smidgen for another coat just around the waterline splash zone.

A small foam or wool roller will not apply the paint at this thickness rate per coat. After 2 coats there will be two things that happen.
1. There is left over paint.
2. You have not put on enough paint as to the manufacturers recomendation

You must now continue to coat the vessel evenly until all the paint is gone. With a smaller roller I would not be surprised if this means putting on 5-6 coats in all to get the required thickness. Either way the entire 12Litres from the example above must end up on the hull.

There are now 2 more things that will happen if you only apply 2 coats with a small roller.

1. You can take back excess paint to the supplier for a refund.
2. You will not get the full assumed life expectancy from your antifoul and thus require additional scrubbing or more frequent re-coats than what is recommended.

And to finish with another 2 things..
1. A foam roller leaves a smoother finish, replace the sleeve often as well as the laytex gloves, they will both disolve.
2. If you have 12 Litres and you thin it 10% (for instance) with thinners, now you have 13.2 Litres, It still all has to end up on the boat, it will still dry out the same as if it had been 12 Litres. Ie thinning antifoul will not make it stretch further.

 

[jkim1]

Foam rollers break up very easily <font color="red"> </font> and woolie ones do break up after a while, and you have to pull bits of wool off before they dry. I have used Harris ones and el cheapo,s. And have found not a lot of difference. I use Harris wooly ones but there must be a better one. If anyone would put a name to a roller which doesnt break up three quarters of the way through a 30 footer. I would most certainly buy it. Even though I have 7 Harris ones left. Its such a pain to crawl around underneath a freshly antifouled boat pulling off bits of wool and foam that you would have think that some manufacturer would have the brain power to sell a decent one that holds together. Perhaps one will read this forum and suggest the right roller for this job, or make one thats fit for the purpose!

 

[Vara]

Re: Foam roller to apply antifouling

Been down this route using eroding,hard and virtually any combination in between,use woolly roller,tin tray, gardening gloves,old coveralls and floppy hat,barrier cream on exposed skin,buy recommended amount of AF(As per manufacturers guide),and go round boat until all AF is used up.
Before you do this decant a small amount of AF into nescaff jar to paint cradle patches and bottom of keel when lifted in.

Sponge rollers don't put as much paint per coat on as "woolys".

I've never felt that absolutely uniform finish is that important.

If halfway round boat and paint is running out get rid of remainder on waterline.

I've not found on the ocassions that there has been a lower coating on one part of the boat there has been any discernible difference in fouling.

Come back TBT all is forgiven

PS Don't forget to take masking tape off waterline as soon as possible.

 

[alienzdive]

Re: Foam roller to apply antifouling

Antifoul thickness is critical to the overall performance.

If there are areas which are too thin, when the boat is pulled out after 24 months there could be areas in which the primer below is grinning through and other areas that appear ok. Particualarly with ablative coatings where the coating has been literally washed away.

Each coat when applied at the correct thickness has a theoretical build up of membrane layers, each layer leaches out at a rate of about 1 layer per month. This is why 2 coats gets 2 years and 4 coats (recommended on commercial boats only) gets 4 years or 48 membranes. If there is an even membrane build up, every 2 years another 2 coats is applied over the old existing empty membrane. Empty because although the paint is still there all the marine toxins have leached out. You should in theeory if the antifoul is applied uniformly and correctly be able to do this 5 times, or for 10 years. It is at about this time that the earlier coats start to give way and mud cracking and poor adhesion begins to form. It becomes difficult to oaint over as sometimes the bits flake off whilst trying to roll, or after reimmersion, or slight bumps, chunks of antifoul start to fall off. This is because the hull needs scraping.

If the coatings are applied unevenly the membranes will not leach out between succesive coats in the correct way and the hull will require scraping much sooner than the recommended 10 years.

NOTE: Although additional coatings of antifoul will extend the life time of the antifoul, ships are continually being scrubbed and inspected in ports by divers as well as being on the move, constant waterflow etc. A pleasure boat is used in a different manner than a commercial vessel and thus needs more regular in water maintenance or flow. Also 2 years or the lifetime of an antifoul is a good time to inspect anodes, props, skin fittings and the hull in general. It would be all to easy to apply 4 coats, pull your boat out after 4 years for another antifoul and find all your anodes gone and irreversible damage to the likes of the hull, prop and shaft etc.

 

[bartonsafloat]

Re: Foam roller to apply antifouling

I use decorating pads. Available in most DIY stores. They come in a variety of sizes and are nearly as quick to apply as a roller.
The big advantage I have found is that they don't disintigrate. They don't retain as much AF either. The small pads are ideal for the waterline edge and those hard to reach areas such as between rudder/skeg.