Best Roller for Avoiding Air Bubbles in Paint

[Plymouth Sailor]

Need wisdom on the best roller to avoid bubbles in one part polyurethane paint. Also the best brush or device to cut in before rolling.
I'd rather not tip my paint to avoid brush strokes. Using WetEdge Topside Jamestown Distributor Paint. Thanks for your responses ahead of them.

 

[rgranger]

Something like this ... but it does not have to be this brand

Lowes and Home Despot sell similar items. You want the dense, small pore foam roller. Also, don't give up on the idea of tipping. I've done a lot of roll and tip jobs that came out amazing (see pic). The trick is to keep the tipping brush dry and very carefully touch just the very top of the high points. It takes a steady hand. I've always done it as a two person job. I let my kids do the rolling and I followed right behind and tipped. The best paints are ones that say they take a full week to reach full harness.

And of course prepping the surface is the real important part of the job.

I rolled and tipped this MacGregor V22 below. You can see the trailer reflected in the hull as well as water

 

[jssailem]

Nice work @rgranger. Come visit the PacNW and I’ll let you demonstrate your technique.

 

[thinwater]

Mohair also works well.
Adjusting the solvent for best leveling without runners is also important. Test it on a scrap fiberglass sheet or a piece of paneling.

 

[Joe]

Need wisdom on the best roller to avoid bubbles in one part polyurethane paint. Also the best brush or device to cut in before rolling.
I'd rather not tip my paint to avoid brush strokes. Using WetEdge Topside Jamestown Distributor Paint. Thanks for your responses ahead of them.

Once you have some experience with the polyurethane paint, you'll realize that it levels out quite nicely and brush strokes are not an issue. What you're doing with the tip process is eliminating any bubbles left by the roller... keep a wet edge and work in small sections. Tip direction should be 90 deg to roll direction. I've done it by myself a number of times on various boats.... you can use the tip to blend in the previous edge if necessary.
Trust me when I tell you that following the instructions on the can are very important for a successful application. Use the correct primer recommended by paint manufacturer. You can find many instructional vids on YouTube... so take advantage of those before you start.


In my case I prefer a high density foam roller, as pictured above by rgranger, and a disposable 3 or 4 inche foam brush. Wipe it off occasionally, don't re use if there's any dried paint on it.

 

[Plymouth Sailor]

Nice work, Have you ever tipped with one of those black foam brushes?

 

[TomY]

I live next to a wooden boat builder. They roll and tip all the hulls. I'm always amazed at the finish they get. They use typical marine oil enamel and brushes (like badger hair). Sometimes they use 2 part paints but the same technique. Their gloss (and this hull was done outside):

We roll and tip our old boats topsides every few years with one part enamel. I usually do it alone but my daughter rolled last year. She got the knack quickly. I just use a good quality foam roller and good quality varnish type brushes. I keep two so that when one loads up with too much paint, I have one ready with just a touch of paint in the bristles.

We finished inside of 4 hours (the time is in the prep).

 

[rgranger]

@TomY

That is simply ...WOW!

 

[rgranger]

Nice work, Have you ever tipped with one of those black foam brushes?

I do not. I've tried and for me it did not work as well as a 2" cut brush. But I think like a lot of things... it is what you get used to using. You may have a different experience.

You may also want to get a simple buffing wheel and some buffing compound and after you paint, give it a whirl. It is surprising how well that works.