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| Question | How do you fix blisters on a Fiberglass hull? |
| Answer | Following Interlux’s Interprotect® Bulletin 900D, assuring blisters have been grounded out and dried, products such as Epiglass or Interprotect® 1000/1001 can be used as epoxy resins to seal the missing areas of the gelcoat. Then the products Interprotect® Watertite or 417A/418B, fairing and filling compounds, may be used if there are any minor areas of gelcoat missing or if there are any surface imperfections present. Once the boat has a dry, smooth, sealed surface and has been adequately cleaned, Interlux’s Interprotect® 2000E/2001E barrier coat may be applied, to prevent the occurrence of osmotic blistering problems from in the future. |
| Question | How should underwater metal be painted? |
| Answer | The system for painting underwater metal including bronze, stainless steel, and monel, shafts, struts, props, trim-tabs and thru-hull fittings. The painting of these areas requires special attention to initial surface preparation in order to improve adhesion. The longevity of this system will probably not be equal to that of the remainder of the boat due to the abuse and RPM's these parts withstand. However, excellent results have been obtained utilizing the following system. STEP 1. Degrease the surface with Fiberglass Solvent Wash 202 or Special Thinner 216. STEP 2. Bring metal to a uniform bright finish by sandblasting with non-ferrous blast media such as clean silica sand or grind using coarse to medium emery cloth. Remove blast or sanding residue. STEP 3. Apply one thin coat of Viny-Lux Primewash 353/354 that has been thinned 25% with Viny-Lux Solvent 355. Allow Viny-Lux Primewash 353/354 to dry a minimum of one hour but no more than twenty-four hours. STEP 4. Apply four coats of Interprotect 2000E/2001E following dry times on label. (If fairing is necessary, fair between first and second coats of Interprotect). STEP 5. Apply 2-3 coats of antifouling paint. Hard antifouling paints such as Ultra-Kote or Fiberglass Bottomkote work best for this application. NOTE: If dry times for Interprotect cannot be followed use the following alternate system. Apply four coats of Underwater Metal Primer 360R over the Viny-Lux Primewash 353/354. On rivets and weld seams apply a minimum of five coats. Finish with at least three coats of antifouling paint. |
| Question | Is there an easy way to remove bottom/topside paints? |
| Answer | The easiest way is to have someone else do it. The best way depends on who is doing it. Most do-it-yourselfers are not proficient at using a sandblaster or even, or in many cases, disc grinders and a lot of damage can be done to a fiberglass hull while they are learning. For the do-it-yourselfer or for a yard that is not very experienced in using these tools the best way (and the safest for the boat) to remove the antifouling paint is to use a paint remover. When removing bottom paint from fiberglass be sure to use a paint remover that says it can be used on fiberglass such as Interstrip 299E. Interstrip 299E also works extremely well on wood and metal surfaces.APPLICATION DIRECTIONS• Use in shaded, well ventilated area at room temperature (60o-80oF or 16o-27oC) • Protect floor or work area with a plastic tarp to catch run-off. • Using a natural bristle brush, apply a liberal coat of INTERSTRIP over paint or varnish to be removed in an area no larger than 10 square feet. Allow INTERSTRIP to stand until all layers of existing paint are penetrated. This will vary from as little as 15 minutes for one layer to as long as 2 hours for several coats, depending on temperature. Begin scraping - if paint does not come off easily, reapply with longer wait time. After the surface is thoroughly scraped clean, apply INTERSTRIP LIQUID STRIPPER 399 to remove any residual paint or wipe the surface with a rag or pad soaked with INTERLUX FIBERGLASS SOLVENT WASH 202. Caution! To avoid damage to Fiberglass do not leave INTERSTRIP 299E on for more than 8 hours. Enamels removed from fiberglass will reveal gelcoat that has not been exposed to the same level of UV light as the surrounding area. Color variations in the gelcoat are likely. |
| What’s Biolux&tm;? | |
| Answer | Biolux™ is Interlux’s exclusive technology for keeping the bottoms of boats clean by eliminating the collection of slime. The unique Biolux™ delivery system incorporates organic boosting biocides into four of our powerful anti-fouling paints Micron™ Extra, Ultra™, Trilux™ and New! Micron™ Optima. This system is over 240 times more effective against algae than copper. These new bottom paints therefore offer the strongest protection ever developed against the full spectrum of fouling shells, weeds and slime. |