International TopLak - discontinued - new formulation coming

[TandC]

I'm midway through a re-paint (you can thank me for the wind and rain arrival) - popped over to Midland Swindlers in Braunston today to pick up some final tins of International TopLak so I can get finished, and because I see that they are on special offer - down to £22 a tin.

 

They had barely any stock - fortunately two last tins of the red I needed - but not a blue.  When asking if any more would be delivered, the assistant told me that the reason it is on special offer is because this formulation is to be discontinued due to the environmental impacts, now only to be available to professional boat painters not the general public.  A new, "amateur friendly" formulation is to follow, to minimise environmental impact. 

 

Anyway, not sure whether that is new news, true news, or fake news, but thought I'd share. 

 

 

Anyway - quick question, seeing as the rain has stalled my progress - I'm overpainting my roof having sanded out some areas of cracked paint under duck poos....   there is a solid base of adhered primer/undercoat/topcoats which has been sanded down to 400gt.  I have then given that spot primer where required, then a full coat of undercoat, and a full coat of 50/50 undercoat/Toplac.   That was on Sunday - then the rain came. 

 

Possible window of dry weather tomorrow - so may get a coat on....   If give that a hand sand - can I get away with using ScotchBrite maroon pads to give it a good key - or should I be using 400gt or even lower to ensure a good adhearance?

 

 

Ta

[Alan de Enfield]

5 minutes ago, TandC said:

They had barely any stock - fortunately two last tins of the red I needed - but not a blue.  When asking if any more would be delivered, the assistant told me that the reason it is on special offer is because this formulation is to be discontinued due to the environmental impacts, now only to be available to professional boat painters not the general public.  A new, "amateur friendly" formulation is to follow, to minimise environmental impact. 

 

I have had that with other brands, and on trying to buy it have been told to produce a purchase order with a VAT number on it to prove I am 'commercial'.

 

If you shop around you'll find some still floating about - I finally got all I wanted from Norfolk Marine Chandlers (website : norfolkmarine.co.uk)

Free postage, and no question of who I was, or my skill levels.

 

In the end I was one can short so went to my local chandlery and it was sat on the shelf but, I was refused it because I was 'non-professional' (guess I should have had my paint splattered overalls on), so went back to Norfolk Marine.

[gatekrash]

I was in my local lumpy water chandler today, one of the biggest in the country with branches at many coastal locations, and mentioned this to them as they had a shelf full of toplac.

 

He hadn't heard about this so went onto their live order system with International and can still order as much of the stuff as he wanted. 

 

Not saying that Midland's not right, but odd that a major national chandlery chain doesn't seem to know about it.

 

If it does happen then guess I'll be asking my friendly boat builder to supply me "off the back of his lorry", both my boats are painted with it !

[Higgs]

On 28/09/2021 at 17:47, TandC said:

Possible window of dry weather tomorrow - so may get a coat on....   If give that a hand sand - can I get away with using ScotchBrite maroon pads to give it a good key - or should I be using 400gt or even lower to ensure a good adhearance?

 

 

Ta

 

400gt, if you want to flat it and key it. Scotchbrite, if you only want to key it. 

 

 

[Detling]

Yes there are new ealth and safety rules around but I guess a bit like declaration of propulsion for red there will be some who strictly follow and some with a dodgy eye who want a sale.