What roller to use for blacking

[sunny 8]

Best type of roller to use for hull blacking

[bizzard 2402]

To be honest I wouldn't use a roller for blacking. If you roll at the normal fastish speed it will roll over tiny pits without impregnating them, next day you find them popped and needing brushing in again.  Roll very slow or just use a brush.

[Midnight 269]

I use a big hairy one but if your hull is pitted you'll need a creosote brush as bizzard suggests

[Movin' on 300]

BRUSH every time - rollers don't do the job properly (even big hairy ones 😉) - you only do it every 3 years so its worth doing properly and using more product.

[TheBiscuits 3768]

I prefer any roller or brush that has someone else holding it!

 

More accurately, I tend to use a 4" gloss roller with a brush for the fiddly bits.  Last time we did 3 boats consecutively with all 3 of us helping each other.  

[Richard10002 2897]

The two times I've blacked my hull I've used cheap 4" rollers, after cutting in the corners and hard to get bits with a brush. All pits filled, every bit of the hull covered, 3 or 4 times.

[blackrose 1620]

I always used a wallpaper brush for the first coat to get into the pits followed by a couple of coats with a roller. If there's enough paint on the roller and you use a bit of pressure it will get into the low points.

[David Mack 1570]

1 hour ago, Richard10002 said:

The two times I've blacked my hull I've used cheap 4" rollers, after cutting in the corners and hard to get bits with a brush. All pits filled, every bit of the hull covered, 3 or 4 times.

Exactly this. Roll quite slowly so that the blacking gets into all the pits and other unevennesses in the surface.

[TheBiscuits 3768]

2 hours ago, TheBiscuits said:

I prefer any roller or brush that has someone else holding it!

 

More accurately, I tend to use a 4" gloss roller with a brush for the fiddly bits.  Last time we did 3 boats consecutively with all 3 of us helping each other.  

 

For clarity, we used 2-pack not bitumen.

[Stilllearning 2180]

18 hours ago, sunny said:

Best type of roller to use for hull blacking

Any longish fleecy type of cheap roller. Don’t use a foam one, they leave air bubbles that burst and can leave bare patches. 

I used to roller everywhere, then go back and brush into all the inaccessible corners and angles, or brush first then roller afterwards. 

Rollers work perfectly well, just take your time: brushing is a huge faff and hard work.

Rollers and brushes can be left in a bucket of water between coats, btw.

The above relates to use of bituminous paints, obviously.

[dor 758]

13 hours ago, David Mack said:

Exactly this. Roll quite slowly so that the blacking gets into all the pits and other unevennesses in the surface.

Unlike most marinas, who slap it on as quickly as possible- two coats if you are lucky.

 I use chap 4” brushes, wrap in cling film between coats (good for two or three days) then binned.

[Stilllearning 2180]

1 minute ago, dor said:

Unlike most marinas, who slap it on as quickly as possible- two coats if you are lucky.

 I use chap 4” brushes, wrap in cling film between coats (good for two or three days) then binned.

Not all marinas, as you know. My post is based on me having done a lot of blacking, always two coats after a seriously fussy power wash with a really strong, hot, jet washer.