Bottom paint question

[SailDan]

We've been sailing Lake Michigan since 2000 and have always used VC17 on Weal Sea.  If you've used VC17 before, 2 quarts should do; we don't thin it.  Some people put it on VC17 every-other-year but we do it every year.  I recommend a foam roller. SailDan

[kerk fisher]

What size foam roller?  I've seen them 4" and 6".  Do I have to work fast so I"m always painting/overlapping a wet edge? Is there a danger of rolling and picking up what I just rolled? ( I read something about this but forgot where it was) I"ve painted lots of house walls but never the bottom of the boat.  I read a great suggestion of putting the paint and powder in a 2 liter pop bottle, shake it up, and pour it out a little of a time. Wife on the bottle, me on the roller. VC-17 does not dissolve the bottle; it can even be kept there for the next season's roll on.

[Clay Greene]

We use a six inch roller - four inches is pretty small.  We only had a problem picking up paint if it got tacky, which it does quickly.  Paint in vertical lines and overlap slightly and you'll be fine.  That's a good trick about the pop bottle - I will have to try that next year. 

[kerk fisher]

Thanks for all the help. Last question before I take off for the great lakes.  Which DIAMETER foam roller cover is best.   I"ve seen a the good quality THIN mini roller cover cover (solvent resistent) and the Standard  size Seafit or West System cover.  THANKS

[Jim Hardesty]

I just use a 1 1/2" * 9"   1/4" nap plastic core roller and a good metal pan that I bought from a paint store.  I've used it for about 8 seasons.  I also have a 1 1/2" brush for cutting in where necessary and doing the leading edges.  I think that a smaller roller would just take longer.  Also, I use denatured alcohol for thinning.  The local chandler told me to change from acetone years ago, he said the company change the formula.   Works well for me.
BTW  I watched a sailor paint his bottom with a pad and put the paint on the pad with mustard bottle.  If I wanted to put a really thin coat on I might try that.
Jim

[Clay Greene]

We use these:

http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3586711

We like them because they don't soak in a lot of paint and they're about the third the cost of what you get at WM (huge surprise there, right?).