Re: Anti-Fouling Paint Removal
Something to keep in mind... Only in the last couple of years was the chemical TBT banned from use in bottom paints in the US. The best bottom paints have this microbe growth inhibitor in them. Ocean critters dont want anything to do with it either. TBT is extremely toxic. You dont want to play around in the vapors of that stuff. If you use heat or chemical stripper on old bottom paint (more than 2 or 3 years old) you should do so only with full breathing/respirator protection. I would use mechanical means to remove.<br /><br />Bottom paints with TBT are still made in the US but cannot be sold here. They are shipped out for use everywhere else in the world. TBT is still ok to use in paints that are applied to bathroom and/or steam house walls
anywhere high humidity will allow fungus growth. $15 will get you a little bottle of TBT anywhere paint is sold. Enough to mix in with 5-gals of paint. I know of a couple sailboats in the SF bay that have not been hauled out in 5+ years and there is still nothing growing on the hulls. The theory being if a little TBT will inhibit a little growth, a lot of TBT will inhibit a lot of growth
<br /><br />Recently saw a documentary on the recovery of the lost space capsule
the one that sunk in the late 60s/early 70s. My first thought when I saw the remote video of the capsule as it sat on the ocean floor for 30-years was no growth on it!!!
Nothing!!! Some growth on exposed steel parts but nothing on any painted part. Whatever it is that NASA uses to paint their space vehicles with, I want to use on the bottom of my boat!
<br />I fully agree with 18rabbit on the toxicity issue though. Certainly woth taking precautions from inhaling any of the dust from the removal process. It was claimed that drinking a pint of milk put a protective lining on the stomach when applying the antifoul as it can make you feel ill.
