Ronald Raygun wrote:
IanM wrote:


Yes, same small rollers on a long handle.
I meant what *I* am using. I'd like to see you try to get a big roller
on a 5' handle behind a radiator! VBG

No, I meant big rollers on a long handle. My experience was that the
2ft handle which you normally get for the small roller was too short
to get both hands on (and it's awkward to hold the bare wire with the
other hand, while the first hand is on the proper grip at the end), and
too heavy to wield with just one hand, and so I changed to normal size
rollers on a handle which telescopes to about 5ft, and use both hands,
generally about 2ft apart.

I should try attaching a broomstick to a short-handle small roller.
Bear in mind, my draft is only just over 4' and even with the blocks and
cradle, my waterline isn't far from eye level. You may *need* a longer
roller while I am working comfortably one handed. YMMV

Big rollers might make sense if you are coercing the crew to help, but
it goes plenty quick enough with the small rollers, and I don't want the
extra mess and effort with big ones.

I must time myself properly next time and do half a coat with a small
roller and the other with a big one. I think I've been taking about
45 mins to apply one coat to both sides of a 32 footer, using a big
roller.

Also I find it convenient to work with a small roller and a big tray

Yes I also found that the small trays didn't work too well.

Then you need a 'jumbo' tray for a big roller - more paint wasted caking
up the equipment ;-(


I use cheap rollers and don't understand what you mean about them
breaking up. Nor do I understand why using rad rollers should use
less paint overall.
The big rollers have to be wetted out and a lot of paint soaks into the
roller core on the cheap ones. Even with the little rollers named brand
'decorators' ones do a far better job than the economy DIY discount
store foam ones, stay bonded to their cores in spite of the Xylene
thinners, and last a whole coat or even two.

Maybe the type of paint I use is less fierce than yours. I use the
cheap cruising antifouling, not the fancy hard racing stuff.

Don't know. I use Jotun Seaguardian when I can get it and their
Seaforce 30 if I can't. Both are commercial 'fleet' use eroding
antifoulings and manufacturer rated for 2+ years use. They use Xylene
thinners.

We used 3/4 of two packs of 10 rollers the first year, as they were
breaking up after a couple of square yards, and I bought the good ones
hoping they'd last twice as long. I reckon we are using about 3 a year

I only need one roller each year and it's enough to do 4 coats. Between
coats, the roller goes in a plastic bag to prevent it drying out and
hardening. I've never had one break up. But I do use pile, not foam.

2 people so 2 rollers, the third is not always needed, but I didn't want
to over claim - especially in *THIS* thread. :-)

The cheap foam rollers are *CRAP* and even the good ones can't take
Xylene for a whole coat. The pile rollers are excellent and easy to
keep as you say. My fault for believing a shop assistant in a chain
store chandler many years ago the first time I was roped in as a crew
volunteer and not initially revising my choice with our own boat.

--
Ian Malcolm. London, ENGLAND. (NEWSGROUP REPLY PREFERRED)
ianm[at]the[dash]malcolms[dot]freeserve[dot]co[dot]uk
[at]=@, [dash]=- & [dot]=. *Warning* HTML & 32K emails -- NUL: