Quick VC17 Bottom Paint Question

Sep 24, 2018
2,549
O'Day 25 Chicago
According to the directions I need to wipe down the hull with 216 prior to painting. How many quarts should I buy to wipe down a 25' boat?
 
Jan 11, 2014
11,321
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
1 qt and you'll have plenty left. Use lots of rags so you don't spread any contamination.
 
Jul 12, 2011
1,165
Leopard 40 Jupiter, Florida
Honestly, if you're coating over last year's VC17, as long as it's clean and dry, the wipe down is not really needed. They're selling 216 special thinning stuff, but denatured alcohol is just as good, and cheaper. Acetone will take off the top layer of VC17, so will just get your rags dirty fast. Your boat, your decisions.
 
Sep 24, 2018
2,549
O'Day 25 Chicago
This boat has been sitting on the hard for the past couple of years. Thanks for the denatured alcohol tip! Unfortunately I bought 216 a few minutes ago. On another note I found that TotalBoat's EcoSolvent smears bottom paint
 
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
I find a get better performance and adhesion year-to-year if I lightly sand with 320 and then a wipe with 216. Maybe its just better cleaning?? Anyway. As others note that quart will last at least two years.
 
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Jul 1, 2010
962
Catalina 350 Lake Huron
I just wiped down with denatured alcohol. One other tip if you've never painted VC17 before. Pick up a 2 liter pop top water bottle from amazon. Dump the copper powder into the bottle with a funnel. Mix the paint, then add it into the water bottle too. Shake to mix the copper in. Dribble it only on the roller as you go and keep it shaken periodically. Uses less paint then dumping it into the tray and rolling. FWIW, I used a 4" solvent resistant short nap roller on my 35' boat. It took 2 qts of paint for a single coat and double on the leading edges.
 
Sep 24, 2018
2,549
O'Day 25 Chicago
The copper isn't in the cans already!? I honestly haven't opened the box yet. I did pickup a ketchup/mustard style squeeze bottle like what you'd see at a hot dog stand
 
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Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
The copper isn't in the cans already!? I honestly haven't opened the box yet. I did pickup a ketchup/mustard style squeeze bottle like what you'd see at a hot dog stand
Its in the plastic lid behind the cardboard that holds it in place.
 
Jul 12, 2011
1,165
Leopard 40 Jupiter, Florida
You mix it up like Nestle's quick! BTW: The powdered copper doesn't taste good, so don't lick your fingers. There's plenty on this site about applying VC17, and most of it revolves around how fast it dries (alcohol as a carrier) so don't just pour it into a try like you would latex paint.
 
Sep 24, 2018
2,549
O'Day 25 Chicago
I dunno this stuff tastes pretty good to me!

I've heard people say not to put it in a metal tray. I think I'll try the squeeze bottle and foam roller and see how it goes
 
Jan 11, 2014
11,321
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
I dunno this stuff tastes pretty good to me!

I've heard people say not to put it in a metal tray. I think I'll try the squeeze bottle and foam roller and see how it goes
Don't put in a plastic tray. Do put it in a metal tray. Hold the roller over the tray, suit some paint on the roller, mop up the drips. Apply to the boat. Repeat.

Don't bother to clean up the roller paint, use it again next year. I got 15 or 20 years out of the last tray. The roller cover may last a couple of years but they are relatively cheap. Get one similar to this https://www.lowes.com/pd/WHIZZ-6-in...s-Synthetic-Blend-Mini-Paint-Roller/999990152 You won't waste as much paint as you would with the larger traditional rollers.
 
Jul 12, 2011
1,165
Leopard 40 Jupiter, Florida
... and don't wear any clothes or shoes that you ever want to have clean again! ... or fail to wear gloves if you don't want black hands ... There is no washing copper out, so just keep a set of paintin' clothes and gloves year-over-year with your roller pan and ketchup bottle.
 
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
... and don't wear any clothes or shoes that you ever want to have clean again! ... or fail to wear gloves if you don't want black hands ... There is no washing copper out, so just keep a set of paintin' clothes and gloves year-over-year with your roller pan and ketchup bottle.
All my personal experience says that VC17 washes right out of clothes.
 
Jan 11, 2014
11,321
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
All my personal experience says that VC17 washes right out of clothes.
That has been my experience also. Of course, when applying bottom paint of any flavor, I don't wear my Sunday Best.

The solvent in VC 17 is not friendly to nitrile gloves, use latex. And don't breathe the copper powder.
 
Jan 4, 2013
269
Catalina 270 Rochester, NY
I always buy a bunny suite from Home Depot paint section to paint in.
Buy yourself a box (100) of disposable gloves from Advance Auto.
Happy Painting! :)
 
Jan 7, 2011
4,723
Oday 322 East Chicago, IN
As others have said, put the copper into a clean plastic bottle (I like a 64 oz Cranberry Cocktail bottle because it has a bigger opening). You will probably get copper dust on your hands, wear some gloves.

The paint is a 1-part paint, so not s lot of mixing required. Add it to the bottle of copper, put the lid on tight and SHAKE.

You cannot mix the copper into the paint can. You will have a huge mess on your hands (and everything else).

I use a thin foam roller, and very small amounts in the pan. You end up pouring about every time you need to reload the roller. The stuff dries crazy fast, and even faster on warm, windy days.

I keep the leftover in the plastic bottle to use the next spring for touch up. I only do a full paint job every other season (I am on Lake Michigan).

Greg
 
Feb 8, 2014
1,300
Columbia 36 Muskegon
And try to be out of the wind when you open the copper. Stuff blows around like crazy and makes a mess. The unmixed powder washes out of clothes but is suprisingly hard to get off your hands.
You can also apply with an airless sprayer. Goes on quicker and easier but you spend a lot more time masking the whole topsides. Years ago my group of boat buddies got together and bought a cheap sprayer. Part of the group went ahead and masked off all the boats while the rest mixed and sprayed the paint. Got all eight boats done in an afternoon and actually saved on the amount of paint used as none was wasted drying on trays and rollers.
 
Apr 11, 2010
946
Hunter 38 Whitehall MI
I put the mixed paint in one of those condiment bottles they sell in grocery stores. Dribble a little on the roller each time. Uses a lot less paint.
If you leave the lid off the can or pour into a roller pan you can actually see the paint evaporate.
 
Sep 24, 2018
2,549
O'Day 25 Chicago
The solvent in VC 17 is not friendly to nitrile gloves, use latex.
Thanks for the tip!

I put the mixed paint in one of those condiment bottles they sell in grocery stores. Dribble a little on the roller each time. Uses a lot less paint.
I bought some condiment bottles as well.Does transferring twice cause a lot of wasted paint? I have four quarts so I should have extra