Sanding Anti-fouling

Sounds like an interesting gismo Robin, and may well be the answer to an old farts prayer. Doubtless wet sanding is best in controlling dust and if it works it saves all that bending too. Can't quite get my head around how it works though. Sounds like you are sanding by hand still on the end of a pole. Does this not make it difficult to maintain pressure?
 
machurley22 said:
Pole sander. This link is for the head only.
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I admit that I have hard a/f, so perhaps its not amazing that abrasive methods of removing seemed totally useless. I tried this pole method..hopeless. I tried an orbital sander.. possibly even more useless. Right, time to get out to belt sander with some coarse grit...I think the machine would explode before I'd done a sqaure foot. Scraper got it all off though.
Maybe these other methods work on soft a/f,but no joy on Trilux.
 
Actually Mac... I have two base coats of Trilux with Cruiser Uno applied on top. The theory from new was that on a drying mooring the Trilux would act as back up if the Uno wore off. It works rather well actually as the trilux plus mud scouring keeps the keels clean (it's a cat) while the Uno works topsides where the mud does not get. It's just a matter of a light sanding all over to flat it down I need. I would never attempt to remove it all by sanding.
 
Boatmike, I'm no expert on Cu uptake by the body but your quoted text relates to copper uptake via diet - ie food & water being processed throught the gut etc. None of it applies to inhalation of Cu-rich dust into the lungs which is what is being discussed on this thread and which is a very different topic. Much more relevant would be health data linked to industrial exposure of copper based dust.
 
I'm (almost) having withdrawal symptoms having sold our boat because this is our usual time to lift out and do the deed.:)

I don't do bending these days and the pole sander is the answer to reaching where otherwise SWMBO would be sent. You get more pressure with it as you can lean on the pole, the technique is easily learned.

It is not going to work for removing hard antifoul and would take too long with the eroding stuff. That is a job for a scraper or a little man with a grit blaster for the more wealthy. However if you rub it down wet with the pole sander every year it will never get too thick nor will it fail through flaking, provided of course that coat number one was properly adhered!

I could never understand the sloppy way some folks applied such expensive paints, out of sight out of mind maybe? Mind you, our house paint is dreadful, never gets done, can't do it, no good at it, don't want to and can't afford to, boat comes first!
 
Moonfire said:
Boatmike, I'm no expert on Cu uptake by the body but your quoted text relates to copper uptake via diet - ie food & water being processed throught the gut etc. None of it applies to inhalation of Cu-rich dust into the lungs which is what is being discussed on this thread and which is a very different topic. Much more relevant would be health data linked to industrial exposure of copper based dust.
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I know your post was well meant Moonfire but you are wrong. Read the whole text and you will see they refer to all methods of "ingestion" including breathing in dust. They even discuss particle size.
 
boatmike said:
Whoops! posted in reply to Robin before your link. Thanks. Can the yellow oxide paper be used wet though? Or have I misunderstood? Thought you would need Wet or Dry
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No not wet/dry. The paper isn't paper but is a sort of open grid mesh of what looks like copper wire but isn't. The wetter it is the better it works and you get a sort of slurry going that makes it work even better. I used to do it in say 18ft bands going down from the waterline, get it well wet first and especially as you start the first bit until a slurry gets going, then wash off that band and wet the next one ready to start again. It really helps to have a helper on the hose but I have done it on my own.

It would not work to remove antifoul totally as it would take too long, that is a job for a scraper or a grit blaster. However if you sand every year with this and use an eroding paint you would never need to remove all - provide the initial coat was stuck on properly.

It never ceased to amaze me how some people would slap on such expensive paint without proper preparation, out of sight out of mind maybe? Still I can't paint houses, hate it, can't and won't, too busy, boat comes first!
 
Pole sander mesh tape

Thanks for your tip re pole sander.I've been using wet and dry on the end of a pole sponge held on with gaffer tape. Your idea is much better, but I'm intrigued to know if your roll of mesh is wet and dry or aluminium oxide as advertised at Pole Sander link above. Have you a trade name for it? Thanks.
 
boatmike said:
I know your post was well meant Moonfire but you are wrong. Read the whole text and you will see they refer to all methods of "ingestion" including breathing in dust. They even discuss particle size.
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I was referring to your quote not the whole text. Might I suggest that careful reading of the whole text does indicate that the issue is not as clear cut as you make out. The sentence at the top of page 7 is telling: "Few data were availabe on (copper) inhalation absorption." They then modelled the likely response; and didnt find too much of an issue. Appreciate that models have a habit of being updated and improved e.g. the permitted level of arsenic in drinking water was establised by modelling in the 1980s at 50ppb, that has now been re-modelled down to 10ppb. Overall I doubt the Cu issue is a major one for the average boater but I for one will always wear a mask when dry sanding.
 
Pye_End said:
Do you use it both for reducing the thickness and providing a key for the next layer, or do you still need to wizz over it with wet and dry?
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Using as described will leave an excellent surface for over coating and no you don't need any wet/dry in addition.

We started using this after removing all the old stuff back to the bare hull and thereafter did it every year for 5 years with very limited build up of old stuff and no cracking or flaking caused by poor adhesion between coats. The surface was as smooth as it could be without burnishing the newly applied paint as some racers might do for the really ultimate finish. We used Micron CSC Extra.
 
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