Alternatives for bottom coatings

D

Derek Z

Well-known member
I am going to coat a couple of small rivetted alum skiff bottoms and plan on using Gluvit (what I have exp. with).
Does anyone have an alternative worth looking at? The bottoms are being coated as a safegaurd for leaks and an extra layer of protection. Boats are 12 foot flat bottom skiffs that will be run with small outboats/mud motors.
Other options might include:
- liquid uhmw/teflon?
- frog snot?
- truck beadliner?
 
Derek,

I'm not sure if Frog Snot is still available. I wouldn't use bedliner as that has too much friction. Don't know if the other two are even available anywhere.

I used 9x-2000 on the bottom of my BB3 and it has been through 4 or 5 seasons already. It is an epoxy coating originally made for the bottom of airboats and has teflon and other low friction additives in it. You can get it right from the manufacturer: http://www.fascoepoxies.com/ It's not cheap, maybe $100/gal but it works great.

I did a search for it just now and also came up with this: http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=198394

Call Fasco and get their catalog as it has a much better description than is on their web site.
 
An alternative to the fasco product that has similar properties for much less $$$ is available at most farm implement places. John Deere makes a paint that is used on combines and other machines that has the super slick property of the airboat stuff. I've read about the jet boat crowd from the Snake River using this stuff with good results. You might want to post up a question over on the riverjet forum to get more specifics.
 
The only time I used Gluvit was many years ago and I wasn't crazy with the results. We used to buy a product called Coal Tar epoxy, it came by the gallon, 5 gal. pail or 55 gal. drum, in black and a reddish brown color. I believe it was used as a steel coating on work decks, bridges, etc.
This was pretty good stuff, a lot of guys used it to coat truck beds, this was before the time of bed liners. It is a two part epoxy, smells terrible, (use it outside...really), will adhere to anything, and is about indestructible.

We used to buy it from a marine supply store here, I havn't seen it lately, but it would do what you want.
 
Frog Spit is still available through most airboat shops.

Steel Flex is another that we put on the bottoms of our boats down this way.

Airboats, jon-boats, mud boats & layouts.

They all get coated!!!

Seals the bottoms & makes them slicker than snot.

Just don't unhook the boat from the trailer on a steep ramp or off it will go.

Usually on the concrete.
 
Frog Spit link:

http://www.ec-securehost.com/FloralCityAirboatCompanyInc./Airboat_Hulls.html

The FS oozes slickness when you touch it, it feels no matter how hard you try to wripe it off, you hand is still slick.


Steel Flex link:

http://www.diamondbackairboats.com/...98055ff215dd59962b03

As far as the SF, even though I have not put it on any of my boats, I have applied it on several others.

The SF 2000 is amazing as far a slickness!!!

On the mud boats we've applied it to, they have gained an average of 2 mph.

We averarge (2) two, (18) eighteen foot hulls coated with (2) two coats each out of the gallon.
 
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Lou can tell you better than me (or most of us) but I have been told recently that you should prime aluminum hulls with zinc chromate before putting some coatings on them. You can buy the stuff in spray cans at boater's world and other marine stores. A good slick finished marine bottom paint (black) might slick up your hull.

Best,
Harry
 
"DO NOT" use the zinc cromate when using frog spit or steel flex.

In some cases it will peel due to actually forming a barrier between the hull & coatings.

A good sanding is all you need with these (2) two coatings.

ZC is really only recommended when a vessel or motor is being "kept" in both fresh or slat.

It does help with electrolysis on both the hull & motor.
 
A good slick finished marine bottom paint (black) might slick up your hull.

Best,
Harry
Click to expand...


For a short itme it will but like most marine bottom paints, they are made to "fall/wear off" to keep barnacles & algae from attaching itself to the hull.
 
Quite true as most bottom paints are now ablative but you can still find some non ablative if you look around.

JMO,
Harry
 
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