Thanks. That's what I was looking for.
G
"Rich Hampel" wrote in message
...
Using a roller produces a lot of orange peel. The orange peel results
in higher drag, provides a better footing for slime and the inevitable
growth.
I use ablatives on my 'kroozer' but I get a babies ass smooth finish
with minimum extra effort with the following method. A smooth bottom
is FASTER, lasts longer and releases slime and growth easier.

Process (for ablatives):
Materials: 1/8" foam roller (I use WEST System epoxy rollers), large
polyethylene trowels (WEST SYSTEM yellow trowels)
Roughly flat sand (100 grit) the bottom but leaving 'bottoms' of the
previous orange peel. The object is create FLAT tops to the 'bumps'.
and you 'fill-in' the valleys with the trowel. Doesnt take much
sanding, a 40 footer can so sanded in about 1/2 hour.
Apply the paint in a two foot wide 'stripe' with a 1/8" foam roller,
then immediately wipe the surface with the trowel (just like how you
work a plastic trowel when fiberglassing). The trowel will wipe the
paint off the 'tops' and begin to fill the valleys. Always work to a
wet edge, never go back into the wet once you draw the trowel. Leave a
1 or 2 ft. dry space and do the next stripe, in the same manner until
the boat is covered. Let dry, then fill in the missing areas between
the stripes, Let dry completely - a day or so.
Repeat, but make the stripes, etc. at a different angle from the first
set ... do the whole hull. Let dry a few days.
Repeat using horizontal stripes, etc.
By now the hull will be almost babies ass smooth.

Keep the trowel clean by occasionally wiping with a rag soaked in paint
solvent.


In article , Gordon
wrote:

When bottom paint is rolled on, you get an orange peel effect. Doesn't
this add to the wetted surface? Also, how do you burnish bottom paint?
Thanks
Gordon