Bottom Paint mistake

[chuckm]

I've already made big mistake with compatibility of epoxy paint and Bottom paint. I have a wrinkling problem when applying Pettit Trinidad epoxy bottom paint over 6 hr old one part epoxy copolymer marine paint. I should have just applied the trinidad hard bottom paint directly to the wood below the water line. But I wanted the use a high biuld primer over the entire hull and sand down the imperfections. This high build primer works great. It's the one RodB advocates and its really good, I just got stupid. But some of these paints are not compatible, or I have not waited long enough to let the paint cure. People talk about obtaining a chemical bond between the two paints, well it wrinkled. Now, I'm back to square one. Above the water line every thing looks grand. Below the water line, no. Here's what I did. I have a high build primer, 2 coats, and one coat of epoxy-copolymer paint over the entire hull. I got stupid, smelled the fumes, what ever, and i though I could put the bottom paint over the epoxy copolymer paint . My reasoning was I could draw a near perfect water line over the white paint job. I was sober at the time as well. So now I'm thinking let the epoxy copolymer paint dry/react hard, several days, a week, then sand 150 git, apply another coat of high build primer. Then apply the epoxy bottom paint over the recoat of new primer coat. Any advice for this screw up, the project, not me.:o
Also what local thinner can I use? The Pettit # 120 thinner, is it naptha, Xylene, acetone, trade secret? I'm thinking Xylene, but then thats what got me in the mess.

[Todd Bradshaw]

The world would probably be a far better place if people would stop worrying about this mysterious "chemical bond" crap. Most of the people beating the drum for chemical bonds aren't even sure whether they actually even achieved one or not. If your surface is properly prepared and your paint/resin product has the word "epoxy" on the label, and you apply it properly, following the directions, and don't pollute it or contaminate the surface with solvents you bought because you were too cheap to buy the real ones, it WILL stick and it will most likely stick really well.

In this case, assume that any paint or epoxy product needs some time to cure or dry properly before you put something different on top of it - and six hours is not enough. Give it a few days. Also keep in mind that many bottom paints have strong solvents in them. Of all the one-part paints we use on boats, they are the most likely to attack the paint under them - especially if it's not really dry yet. Thirdly, messing with experimental solvents to save a few bucks is seldom worth it. The time and energy spent fixing the problem they might create later is far more costly.

[gert]

Chuck:

I'm so glad to here your that far along.

This amature boat building is a bit of a dance most days.

Two steps forward...One step back...

You owe us some pictures ya know ;)

[Mad Scientist]

...
I was sober at the time as well...

I think we found the problem!

But, seriously, Todd Bradshaw seems to have described your situation perfectly.

Tom