VC- 17 easy to appy single season paint..
I love painting my bottom every month, don't you.. Wait I don't paint my bottom every month. I have a multi-season paint...Simple instructions....APPLYING VC-17Submitted by Pete Matthews - Former Great Lakes Interlux RepresentativeVC-17 is one of the easiest antifouling paints to apply, andto maintain. But like any other antifouling system, thereare some things that have to be done both at the initialapplication and as part of an annual maintenance program.There are three basic application situations that will beencountered. I'll take them one at a time.First is the new application. This means applying VC-17 toa new boat or a boat that has recently had a differentantifouling system on it that has been removed. Essentiallya clean fiberglass hull. If it's a new hull, it must bedewaxed completely to remove any residual mold release wax.This should be done with the Interlux 202 Solvent Wash. Werecommend using a two-rag system. One to put the solvent onthe hull, another to wipe it clean. Change both ragsfrequently and remember not to dip the application rag backinto the solvent container, thereby contaminating it. Whenyou're done with the entire hull, take a hose or containerof water and wet down portions of the hull. If the waterbeads up, there's still wax on the hull and the processmust be repeated. Failure to remove the wax can prevent thepaint adhering to the hull. Also please note, this must bedone before sanding the hull so as not to imbed the wax inthe gelcoat during the sanding process. When you are sureyou've removed all the wax from the hull, the next step isto sand the entire surface to be painted with VC-17. This isa must. You must abrade the hull to provide a profile forthe paint to stick to. Failure to do so can result in thepaint detaching from the hull. The hull should be sandedwith 180 grit sandpaper, 220 at the finest. After sandingwipe the hull down with 202 Solvent Wash again to removesanding residue. Some boat manufacturers aren't in favor ofsanding hulls because they feel this may increase thelikelihood of osmotic blistering. I know of no evidence tosupport this, but it is the manufacturers warranty. In thiscase there has been some success reported using a coarseScotch Brite Pad to scrub the hull. This can be done withthe 202 Solvent wash. You must be sure to leave a visiblescratch in the gelcoat. I'd have to say that I feel thiswould provide minimal adhesion at best and I can't recommendthe system even though I know it's done. After cleaning andabrading the surface, you're ready to apply the paint. Picka day that isn't raining, and is above 50 degrees F. You'llnotice that under the hat on the VC-17 can there is a bagof copper. This must be mixed into the paint. Please becareful doing this as the copper is very fine and will flyaround. (Perhaps a good time for a paper sanding mask) Thisis what provides the antifouling. You'll notice the can isshort filled to allow you to add the copper and stir it inwithout spilling. This does NOT mean that the can should befilled with a solvent. This is not the case. Only in rarecases should any antifouling paint be thinned and in thecase of VC-17, almost never. The paint is best applied witha roller or by spray, IF the yard you're in allowsspraying. Please check with the yard manager about this. Ifyou can and do choose to spray, contact your Interluxrepresentative for details. If you're going to roll, anysolvent resistant foam or short nap roller cover will work.The recommended system is to start from the bottom of thehull or keel, and roll upwards. Do not over roll or attemptto "smooth" the paint out. It's self-leveling and will dothat itself. Just make one pass up to the waterline tapethen start over at the bottom. Keep the roller well filledwith paint, but not to the point that it runs off onto theground, or your arm. A word of caution, This paint driesvery quickly. Do not pour the entire can into the tray. Itwill evaporate. Poor in just enough to fill the roller, thenadd more to the tray when you need to refill the roller.Work your way around the boat working back to the place youstarted. During an initial application, ALWAYS apply twocoats. The second coat can be applied after the first coathas dried, about a half an hour under most conditions.Remove the tape and the boat can be launched about ahalf-hour after painting.Second application type - you already have VC-17 on theboat. Reapplication is one of the joys of this product.Assuming the boat was pressure washed and stored relativelyclean, all that is required is to wipe the hull down with adamp rag to remove any dust or particles that may be on thehull. Inspect the bottom to insure there are no abrasionsor flaking spots. If there are, these can and should betouched up lightly with 180 grit on a sanding pad. Justfeather in the affected area, wipe to remove any dust andrepaint. There is no need to sand the entire hull, in fact,it's not recommended. If you do, there is a danger ofsanding through, which would require applying two coatsagain. Applying the paint is the same as above describedprocedure and once again, the boat can be launched in aboutone half-hour. That's all there is to it!The third instance. Applying VC-17 over an epoxy barriercoat. It is not true, by the way, that VC-17 can only beapplied over VC Tar. While it certainly can be, it goes onover Interprotect Epoxy barrier coats just as well. In thiscase apply the barrier coat according to the instructions.After applying the last coat of tar or epoxy, follow theinstruction for applying the first coat of antifoulingwithout sanding (called "hot" or "wet on wet" coating) inthe case of VC Tar or Interprotect 2000E/2001E. In the caseof Interprotect 3000/3001, you must let the epoxy hardenand sand with 180 just as though it were a new hull. Pleasebe sure you're reading the correct times for applyingantifouling paints (not another coat of epoxy, they'redifferent). The second coat of VC-17 can be applied whenthe first has dried, again, about a half an hour. Words ofcaution here, If you have just applied a barrier coat,please do not launch the boat in a half-hour. Please allowthe epoxy to cure for as long as possible before launching.(A week perhaps.) This is especially important in the caseof VC Tar as this product takes a long time to cure andlifting the boat too soon can cause the straps to distortthe tar at lifting points. Maintenance after this is justthe same as described above.And that's all there is to it. While it doesn't achieve theboating Nirvana we all look for, the bottom that never hasto be worked on, it does come about as close as chemistrywill allow us in this day and age.