Super Slick Epoxy coating.

Brandon Yuchasz

Brandon Yuchasz

Well-known member
[font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Andrew,

So I going to rehabbing two Alumicraft 17' Y-Back "freighter" canoes this summer. They both will get painted with FME and then have a camouflage pattern added on top of that with either more FME or more likely rustolium rattle cans to break up the outline. I understand I will need to sand them, clean them really well, and then shoot them with a quality primer before applying paint. If anyone has a recommendation on a primer choice I am all ears.

My main reason for this post though is I want to slick bottom both of these canoes. They get pulled into some remote spots over some boggy grassy areas and slick bottoms would make the process much easier. Obviously being canoes they also get beached and drug across sand and the occasional rocks. So I am also concerned about how tough these slick bottom coatings are.

So as I often do I ran a search on the duckboats page and came across Pete's post from 2007 that I pasted in below. I was wondering if anyone has any additional information on what he posted or on other products now that time has pasted.

I plan to start this project in a couple weeks.




I used this airboat coating:

STEELFLEX SUPER SLICK EPOXY COATING #9X-2000 For airboats. Super slick surface is produced in one operation. Not necessary to spray an additional topcoat. Contains Teflon plus additional friction red additives.

From http://www.fascoepoxies.com/ . So far I am pleased with the results. I have one spot where it rubbed through on a rock but all in all it has stayed intact for 3 hard seasons. I was told that repairing it was next to impossible because in won't stick to itself once cured. I haven't had to repair it so can't comment except that it can be sanded off without too much difficulty so I think you could repair if if necessary.

I hunt the Mississippi a lot so I needed a bottom coating to deal with the clay type mud of that area and this seems to do the trick. Yes it is expensive but I would say, all in all, it's worth it.

Pete


Pete

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Brandon

I used "Gluvit" on the bottom of my fiberdome mallard skiff. Mostly to secure the spider cracks and add a little bit of a slick surface to the bottom.
While my use has been limited dragging it, it has held up over the 3 years since it has been applied.
I do not think this will be the slickest product but should give you a protective coat as an option

http://www.wholesalemarine.com/gluvit-waterproof-epoxy-sealer.html
 
Brandon,

I used that same product, 9x-2000, both on my BB3 and Poleboat. It has held up well and retained alot of it's "slickness" though it's color has lightened a little. I'd use it again.
 
Brandon, the guys over at mudmotortalk forum discuss this topic often . They refer to a product called frog snot or something like that. Airboat guys seem to have it figured out also.
 
Thanks Pete that was what I was wondering.

Bob,
I saw some of those threads as well. Kinda a mixed bag on the frog snot from what I saw as far as holding up long term and its twice as expensive. I do plan to read those threads more before I pull the trigger though.
 
Hi Brandon
I just applied a product called Wetlander to the bottom of an Aluminum StarCraft Tender boat that I'm redoing.
I haven't had it in the water yet, but it is certainly slippery.
Tim
 
I can tell you that here in the northwest people have been coating the bottom of there aluminum driftboats with Gluvit for years for sliding over rocks in the shallows instead of the aluminum digging into them. Gluvit cures flexable and should not crack with the flexiing of the hull. Another product people use is Coat It. I believe Coat It has Kevlar in it but either should be plenty tough enough for your application.
 
Brandon, the guys over at mudmotortalk forum discuss this topic often . They refer to a product called frog snot or something like that. Airboat guys seem to have it figured out also.
Click to expand...
The products most frequently mentioned there are Frog Spit and Gator Glide. You can search on the MMT forum
 
I used Wearlon Wetlander, like Tim., when I coated the bottom of my TDB-17. To date, I haven't had to push the boat off any mudflats, so I can't give you any feedback on how "slick" it is. I did have to run the boat through some thirty yards of wind-driven skim ice that accumulated at a boat ramp. No issues.
 
Pete.
Good to see it held up through some abuse. How much did it take to cover the bottom of the BB? I am wondering if I would be able to do the bottom of both canoes and possibly my Garvey with a gallon.
 
I can't recall what size I bought but it must have been 2 quarts, can't imagine that I would have bought a whole gallon at those prices. Since it is a two part epoxy coating make sure everything is ready, sanded, taped, tacked, and you are set before mixing. I used a roller to put it on and it went on very easily. It is thinner than you might imagine and I put on as much as I could without it running. I would think a gallon would be plenty for what you are coating.
 
all, i have 2 skiffs, one made of clear pine, one of cedar, both have been fiber glassed. Would these coatings stick to a fiberglass surface?
the boats are fairly heavy and sometimes i need to drag them through the grass etc. thanks Frank
 
Frank,
Its designed for use on aluminum or fiberglass.

Its funny you posted this today. I just did the canoe bottoms yesterday. I bought a gallon kit and had none left over. This stuff is thick perhaps I could have looked into thinning it to make it go further. I don't know if I would have wanted to in hind site though it really did a nice job of coating it and the finished product is slick. Yes I intended that pun. Its really slippery I am glad I did it. I did have problems with runs on the sides and had to keep rebrushing it until it setup. On a flatter bottom boat it should be fine.

So for future people searching threads. I bought a gallon of supper slick from fasco. It was 130$ and I also tinted it with the olive green from them. It did two 17 foot freighter style canoes with none left over. I am sure I could do my 16' garvey with one gallon.
 
Brandon, thanks for the update. after reading the product info. on fasco web site, seems like a very good product. slippery for sure! as far as durability, any of the products mentioned are going to suffer some damage if dragged or driven across rocks, gravel, etc. if slippery is the goal 9x2000 is sure that. have fun with it!
 
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