Bilgekote Prepwork

[jhenson]

I am not familiar with bilgekote. What needs to be done to prep an area that maybe can't be reached well with a power sander (such as the the aft section of the bilge)? I have thought of wire brushing or just hitting it with a power washer. Obviously, the dirt has to go first. Having the old style cockpit locker access makes it very difficult to access the aft sections of these lockers. After too many hours to count grinding off paint in the main cabin, I almost ready to start elsewhere.

Thanks,

Joe Henson

[dasein668]

Obviously, the more prep you can do, the better, but Bilgekote seems to be an amazingly "sticky" paint. I would get it as clean as possible, (pressure washing would be great, scrubbing with a wire or bristle brush and something like Simply Green would also work well) then scuff it with 40 or 60 grit paper by hand. Should be fine.

[The Good Goose]

I washed mine with simple green and then wiped down with acetone. I was very happy with my adhesion.

Brock

[Rachel]

Perhaps this was a mistake, but I just read the instructions for Bilgekote. Now I'm not sure I can, or want to, comply with all of them, and since I'm usually an instruction follower I have to at least double check with you all before I forge ahead.

First of all, I'm painting various areas of the bilge (obviously), ranging from the inside of the counter, to the engine compartment, to the deep bilge sump, to the "sub-bilge" on top of the ballast pig.

Most of these areas have a coating of reasonably-well-adhered cream colored paint, that I can tell was put on by the previous owner at some point. The same paint is used throughout the boat, so I don't think it's a specific bilge type paint. Not sure if it's oil-based, latex, etc. but I can guess that it's not any type of two-part paint. I'll start with my questions about painting over this layer.

1) For previously painted surfaces, Interlux says to sand with 180-22- grit paper, then apply 2-3 coats of Bilgekote (minimum), sanding between each coat with 220-320. Now some of these areas I don't even know if I could reach well enough to sand once, never mind three times. I surely don't want poorly adhered new paint, but how much can I "cheat" on this, if at all? Or maybe I should just leave it as is, with my existing paint (note that this is my chance to paint here, as once the engine is back in I won't be able to reach it at all).

******************************************

In the "sub-bilge," which is the area that is above the ballast pig, I've recently glassed over the top with two layers of biaxmat and epoxy resin. I don't technically have to paint this, as it's completely out of sight and out of reach under a set of plywood panels, that are themselves built in under the cabin sole (i.e. the compartments under the sole are square boxes with plywood bottoms instead of the slanting ballast pig top). But I thought it might be nice to do so, just so it's lighter and more easily cleanable.

2) For "clear epoxy" surfaces, they say to wash with soap and water and a stiff brush (note that I would already have removed the amine blush), then to use solvent wash 202, then to sand with 80-grit, then to prime with Epoxy Barrier-Kote.

Now it's that last part that gets me. I mean come on - Epoxy Barrier-Kote is a two-part primer! I looked it up separately and they recommend to use it over clear epoxy to help overcome adhesion problems due to amine blush. But..... is this overkill? I hate to cut corners, but the idea of painting with two-part primer (and all the associated hassles and hazards) down in the bilge, when I'm actually only going to end up with a one-part finish is kind of discouraging.

All this being said, I may have let the season go too long to get more than one coat on, as I see it says to wait 16 hours between coats at 60 degrees (and not to use it below 50 degrees), and I don't think I'm going to have those kind of temps for more than 30 hours or so before it gets cold again (or what passes for cold here). But I will have two days of nearly 70 degrees with nights in the mid-50s, so I might as well try.

Rachel

[Figment]

I've had no problems applying bilgekote over new epoxy.

For prepping old surfaces, I wouldn't go any farther than a pull-scraper and/or one of those spinning-porcupine things you chuck into a drill.

It's a bilge. No need to strive for that Showroom Shine.

[Rachel]

Hi Figment, thanks for the input.

I'm not so much striving for Showroom Shine as I am hoping to avoid Nighmare Peeling Days from H E Double-Toothpicks.

The thing is, the Interlux site just couldn't stop mentioning the need to sand before, and then sand between coats, and it made me a bit nervous since a lot of these areas are pretty well out of reach (think roller on loooong handle or radiator brush).

I needed to hear from someone who had used it with less-than-ideal prep and still had a painted bilge a few years down the road. It just goes against my grain not to follow the directions. I even buy their numbered solvents!

Rachel

[Tim]

I have never sanded between coats of Bilgekote. Often, a single coat does the trick anyway--the paint covers well, at least in gray tones-- though the finish is a bit smoother and glossier with 2 coats.

I have found that the gray Bilgekote applies and covers more nicely than the white. A mixture of the two acts like a gray and still works well.

When applying over new epoxy, be sure to wash the epoxy with water/Scotch- Brite pad first (always). Sand any new epoxy before painting (but after washing). I have never had adhesion or curing problems with this process.

I have painted several bilges with Bilgekote, and while I've made efforts to clean and sand the greasy, gross areas, the prep ends up being far from ideal; it simply cannot be ideal. But there have been no adhesion problems with Bilgekote. It holds up extremely well, and is very forgiving of less-than-perfect prep.

That said, do the best you can. But don't obsess over every detail of those online instructions. Get it clean, sand it as much as you can, and paint it. Done.

[Ceasar Choppy]

For prep, I've used a mild TSP (tri-sodium-phosphate) out of a spray bottle for prepping and de-greasing. It minimizes having using a lot of water to rinse.

[bcooke]

I have been pretty sloppy with my Bilgekote and I have never had a problem. Clean and paint.

I would never ever consider sanding between coats. If I want that nice a surface I am probaby not looking at using Bilgekote anyway. Bilgekote is for bilges/engine rooms/dark recess'. It works great and it is the only paint that makes me look like I know what I am doing. If I could paint my hull and deck with bilgekote I would.

-Britton

[Tim]

If I could paint my hull and deck with bilgekote I would.

What's stopping you? :<)

[bcooke]

Ummm... You.

(along with a few other critics on the board)

[Rachel]

Thanks to all for the input. Of course I didn't get my bilge painted today, but that's just because I decided to take out the sumlog whose underwater attachment has been bugging me (yep, after I got it out and saw what was underneath, I was glad), and now I have to grind the remnants of caulk away and patch the hole. And a few other things. I always manage to forget that painting is just a quick little thing you do at the end of a scad of preparation :-)

But thank heavens I don't have to sand everything with 180 grit sandpaper, like the Bilgekote folks advise. I wasn't so much striving for a perfectly smooth surface (by sanding between coats, for example) as I was trying to avoid an adhesion problem. But you've laid.... oh, about 75% of my fears to rest, thanks.

At least I'm getting closer.

R.

[Hirilondë]

I always manage to forget that painting is just a quick little thing you do at the end of a scad of preparation :-)

Oooh, I like that phrase. I might have to borrow it on occasion.

[Figment]

If I could paint my hull and deck with bilgekote I would.

What's stopping you? :<)

Aeons ago I moved into a nasty old apartment (known always as "the crackhouse") with some buddies. All rooms desperately needed paint. Buddy #3 put it off as long as he could, but eventually figured he'd learned all he needed by watching the rest of us. He taped newspaper over the glass of the windows, rented a sprayer, and gave every surface of the room (18th century victorian millwork included) two coats of sage green.

What he'd learned, evidently, was that puttying and spackling and taping for different colors was just more trouble than it was worth.

Why can't we just pin an Aerosmith poster over that scrape in the topsides?

[Rachel]

Oooh, I like that phrase. I might have to borrow it on occasion.

Since I'm not Harley or Hinckley, be my guest! Heck, you can remind me next time :-)

R.

Aerosmith poster: Har!

[dasein668]

Why can't we just pin an Aerosmith poster over that scrape in the topsides?

HA!

[Figment]

oh that same roommate also had an idea that is appropriate for the "Innovations" file.

Because bottom painting is "such a freakin hassle", he thought all boatyards should have great vats of antifouling paint, so that a boat could just be travelifted over and dipped to the waterline. Let it drip for a few minutes, hit the heat lamps for a quick cure, and it's off to the launching slip.

If I remember correctly, this occurred to him whilst eating oreos.

Edit: After confirming via phone, it was not oreos, but chicken mcnuggets. He got the idea while dipping a nugget in barbecue sauce.
Somehow, I find that to be even funnier.

[Tim]

Buddy #3 sounds like quite a character. Do you think he needs a job?

[Tim]

Why can't we just pin an Aerosmith poster over that scrape in the topsides?

Geez, don't give Britton any ideas! They make those room-size stick-on murals, you know.

[bcooke]

Too late. I am already on it.

[Tim]

Edit...He got the idea while dipping a nugget in barbecue sauce. Somehow, I find that to be even funnier.

Me too! Of course, those sauces do resemble toxic bottom paint.

[bcooke]

Of course, those sauces do resemble toxic bottom paint.

Rent the DVD, Supersize It! for a description of how chicken McNuggets are made. Toxic bottom paint sounds pretty appetizing in comparison to a handful of nuggets. <shudder>