Fresh water bottom paint

Nov 30, 2015
1,337
Hunter 1978 H30 Cherubini, Treman Marina, Ithaca, NY
Actually the formulation does contain alcohol, just not Ethyl Alcohol. The chemistry involves a blend containing Isopropyl Alcohol (2-Propanol) and n-Propanol (1-Propanol). I suppose Ethanol would be a decent diluent to thin it out, but then you’d also be diluting out the Ethyl Ether cellulose additive that supports the powdered copper, when it dries. Sort of like a varnish. (You’d Also be wasting a perfectly good pint of booze, unless you meant Denature Ethanol).

The MSDS is available online for review: http://www.yachtpaint.com/can/diy/p...g&RegulatoryBody=usa&Market=YA&Product=VC-17m

There is no Acetone in the formulation.
 
Jan 11, 2014
11,323
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
VC17 is acetone based, so using a sealed, quick-open container like a ketchup dispenser is vital. This stuff is about $70 a quart, so a few ounces is worth a lunch out, and you can blow a few ounces with a couple minutes of evaporation.
Someone wrote that VC17 was acetone based, I thought it was ethyl alcohol...
I have used ethyl alcohol in the past to slightly thin VC17 and it worked well.
That only cost about a dollar a pint at the drugstore.
Oh, the much maligned Acetone.....

When I am curious about what's in something and when looking for a cheaper alternative thinner I'll look for the Safety Data Sheet. Always interesting reading.

VC-17 consists of three basic parts, pure copper powder, a teflon like product to act as a binder, and a solvent. Since it is easier to copy and paste a link than type the names of organic compounds, here's a link to the SDS: https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/...05__US_EN_20170628_1.pdf?mtime=20170914095555

I suspect that almost any easily available organic solvent will work, Acetone, Xylene, Denatured Alcohol, and so forth. The issue will be how fast it flashes off. Acetone may evaporate more slowly than others yielding a longer working time before the stuff dries. But, I've not tested this theory. I would avoid using rubbing alcohol as it contains water.
 
Jan 7, 2011
4,727
Oday 322 East Chicago, IN
I don’t know why you would want to thin VC17. It already goes on like water and dries before I can type this...well almost.

Greg
 
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Jan 11, 2014
11,323
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
I don’t know why you would want to thin VC17. It already goes on like water and dries before I can type this...well almost.

Greg
Several reasons.

  1. Trying to stretch the paint out to get more coverage.
  2. Dissolving last year's paint sitting in the roller tray.
  3. Supporting the organic solvent industry. :biggrin:
 
Jan 7, 2011
4,727
Oday 322 East Chicago, IN
Several reasons.

  1. Trying to stretch the paint out to get more coverage.
  2. Dissolving last year's paint sitting in the roller tray.
  3. Supporting the organic solvent industry. :biggrin:
1) I think this would reduce it as it is thin as it is.
2) just adding new wet paint will dissolve the old paint in the tray.
3) well...ok, if you must.
 
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Jan 11, 2014
11,323
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
1) I think this would reduce it as it is thin as it is.
2) just adding new wet paint will dissolve the old paint in the tray.
3) well...ok, if you must.
One other thought, if the paint is thinned with a solvent that evaporates slower than the stuff in the can, it won't dry as fast and yielding more time to get the paint on the boat.
 
Nov 30, 2015
1,337
Hunter 1978 H30 Cherubini, Treman Marina, Ithaca, NY
Need to thin slightly if you spray it.
Hey @JRacer have you actually tried spraying VC17M? I have all the equipment for that and would be very interested in doing so. Is there any significant loss of material as over spray? Would you start at the waterline and work down or on the keel and work up?
 
Apr 11, 2010
946
Hunter 38 Whitehall MI
Hey @JRacer have you actually tried spraying VC17M? I have all the equipment for that and would be very interested in doing so. Is there any significant loss of material as over spray? Would you start at the waterline and work down or on the keel and work up?
You have to seriously tent everything if you try to spray it. Otherwise you could find yourself in a nasty battle with the owners of the boats next to you as they try to get the stuff off their topsides and everywhere else it blows. Many marinas require you tent the boat if you are going to spray regardless of what paint you use.

I’ve always used the roller method. It goes on so easy that I’m not sure I’d see an advantage with spraying. I think you’d use more paint with the atomized loss. I do use the catsup bottle method and you only dribble out directly on the roller as much as you for that single roll. No additional thinner since as I recall, the instructions on the can say do not thin.

Been using the same roller and paint brush for 20 years with this method and never clean them. Just dip and go.
 
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Jun 3, 2011
10
Hunter 50cc St Petersburg FL
When I had my boat at the time a Hunter 260 on a Midwest Lake in Missouri, I pulled the boat every winter and stored it on the hard. I always have used Pettit Hydrocoat (Multi Season Version). When I pulled it, my boat had significantly less slime than other boats with Interlux paint. People marveled at how clean the hull was after the season even though I never cleaned the hull in the water. One thing about the midwest lakes is they are significantly warmer water than the Great Lakes so I'm not sure if that's a factor or not. I always got 2 seasons out of a bottom job, If I did some touch up on waterline etc, I could stretch it to 3. I highly reccomend it. I'm currently getting my bottom done on my Hunter 50 CC with Pettit Trinidad and I'm anxious to see how it works in hot salt water down in Fl.
 

JRacer

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Aug 9, 2011
1,331
Beneteau 310 Cheney KS (Wichita)
2012-2017 we sprayed it using an airless sprayer. Went on nicely, thinned slightly, created a very smooth surface. We did lose some to overspray. In 2018, I elected to roll it on and was not displeased with the result and I think I got a bit better coverage (mil thickness). Will probably roll it again this season. Only reason I would go back to spraying is if I find that I am getting a less than smooth surface out of the roller. Preparation was less effort with rolling. For spraying, I had to tape the waterline and cover the area from the waterline to the deck with plastic to keep any potential overspray off the topsides. For rolling, all I had to do was tape the waterline.
 
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Jan 11, 2014
11,323
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
2012-2017 we sprayed it using an airless sprayer. Went on nicely, thinned slightly, created a very smooth surface. We did lose some to overspray. In 2018, I elected to roll it on and was not displeased with the result and I think I got a bit better coverage (mil thickness). Will probably roll it again this season. Only reason I would go back to spraying is if I find that I am getting a less than smooth surface out of the roller. Preparation was less effort with rolling. For spraying, I had to tape the waterline and cover the area from the waterline to the deck with plastic to keep any potential overspray off the topsides. For rolling, all I had to do was tape the waterline.
If the rolled surface is too rough, use a scotchbrite to smooth it out.