Glen-L.com

I am having trouble painting my hull with interlux VC performance epoxy. Seems to set up to quickly and leaves heavy brush marks. Anyone have any suggestions???
thanks,
dave

I have never used that paint, but if it is epoxy-based, it may follow the general epoxy trend of setting up faster when it is hotter.

Try:
- working in cooler temperatures
- using smaller batch sizes
- keeping your mixed batches in icewater to slow the kick.

The manufacturer's website may have some tech support guidance for you.

Good luck.

I didn 't have a problem. But, I keep the VC in an air conditioned area until I'm ready to use it. I mix about half what I think I'll use. Then mix again and adjust the batch size.

Bill

those sound like good ideas. I was suspecting that the heat and sunshine might be causing a problem.
thanks
dave

What type of container did you mix and paint from? In warmer/hot weather epoxy will go off faster in a container that has a small surface area. Just the heat from your hand will add to the spead at which it will go off. Try using a paint roller tray on hot days. The more surface area per volume will slow down the reaction.

Roll & Tip is the method I use most of the time.

Bill

Dcconrad,
I just painted the bottom and 6" up the sides of my Waterlodge this weekend and am having the same problem with the same paint.

I mixed the paint (1 qt of base, 1 qt of hardner) at 66 degrees,
Let it sit for 30 minutes for induction, (as stated by the tech help at Interlux),
checked the hull temp, 67 degrees,
Poured it into a paint tray,
Applied it with a 1/4" nap roller suitable for epoxy,
worked in a small area at a time,
tipped it off with a badger hair brush,
and.....
brush marks galore.........

Today I tried a small batch with a little reducer in it, it seemed better but still lots of brush marks. I'm also getting lots of fuzz coming off the roller cover.
I'm now faced with having to spend countless hours wet sanding to get the marks out. The directons on the can call for burnishing the finish after wet sanding if desired; what the heck is burnishing????
I'm starting to have doubts about the roll and tip method.

What am I doing wrong?????? HELP!!!

Don in Minn-e-so-ta!

Ahh ... close enough to obsess about paint...

While I am only building a tiny sail boat that will spend most of it's life on a rack under a plastic tarp I have a vision of floating the thing on a lake for a week or so one day and so might as well put some bottom paint on it (also get some experience with yet another boat building material for the bigger boat : ).

Bill Edmundsons' mantra has me thinking of the VC stuff which leaves me with some questions that the Interlux site sort of leaves blank.

I am using the system three 2part epoxy primer (trying to limit fumes so my backyard build doesn't give the shared backyard neighbors a rash) which I've already blown $100 on and am wondering ;

Could I use the VC over it?
Just how awful are the fumes?
Is storing a boat upside down going to cause alot of UV damage to this paint as no mention is made of UV inhibitors ( it is a bottom paint after all)

The VC is pretty pricey and it would be nice to see if anyone has dipped a brush into these waters afore me.

Thanks

DaveA

Well;
Just in case anyone is interested ... I got the following response to a query to Interlux tech support

Good Morning Dave,
Unfortunately VC Performance Epoxy does not have any UV Inhibitors/UV
Stabilizers in this product. If there were to be direct UV exposure to
the areas which had been painted with VC Performance Epoxy, you may
experience some chalking or yellowing of the VC Performance Epoxy. This
process will begin to break the VC Performance Epoxy down some, which
would then require recoating at some point in the near future (generally
every few years). Hope this helps!

Regards,
Jay

As for the rest I figure the fumes will be awfull and bought it anyway.

DaveA