White Water

[Phil Speight]

I`ve just been talking to a customer and I thought some of you might find the topic interesting and possibly useful.

We have all heard of occasions where the water with which someone washes a boat seems to pick up some colour on being rinsed off. This is a result of "chalking" - a condition which ultimately affects all synthetic enamels , which effectively means most of the paint we use on canal boats. In the case of my customer`s boat it is just starting to affect the lettering , and no other part of the paintwork, after nearly 7 years- so it`s no worse than could be fairly expected. Bloody good in fact! It happens thus; the paint is made of several elements seperately giving colour , brushing ability , U.V. resistance , fetching the Sunday paper and all the other things people expect of expensive paint etc. Chalking occurs when the U.V. resisting part of the product fails through age leaving pigment exposed . It is this unprotected pigment that "washes off" - although the amount actually lost is far less dramatic than it looks. Chalking is sometimes mistaken for fading and I quite see why.The answer is to cut the shine back as you polish and you will need to do this with increasing frequency until eventually a repaint becomes necessary. It shows first , and often most dramatically, in the signwriting. This is because one of the qualities most desired in Signwriting Enamel is that it must cover extremely well.It doesn`t need to spread like a coach enamel.This is achieved by increasing the amount of pigment fairly substantially ( I`m understating the technicalities involved because they aren`t relevant here ). In consequence of this all the other elements are automatically reduced. So Signwriting Enamel will "chalk" sooner than the coach enamel or whatever on which it may be used. Perhaps you are wondering why this is so , why don`t we do something about it. Well. for a start the industry don`t know a way round it that wouldn`t price the product out of the market and , more particularly , it is general practice away from the canal to either regularly polish paintwork with something protective and none abrasive or , in the case of historic vehicles etc., to varnish the whole job once it`s finished - and of course , keeping the painted object undercover in all weathers rather than tied up on a canal bank helps immeasurably.

Chalking isn`t a failure of manufacture, it is the inevitable consequence of a relatively old fashioned but pleasingly effective ,eminently suitable and user friendly paint system being used in a particularly harsh environment. It can be made worse i.e. start sooner in the paintwork`s life , if too much additive and/or thinning medium ( such as white spirit) have been used to help get a good finish or if pollutants are left on the surface of the paint for long periods. Using washing up liquid instead of a wax based "shampoo" is also not at all helplful , plain water is better in fact.

So there you are . Next time you think your signwriting is washing off or the roof seems to be bleeding into the cabinside - that`s why!

Cheers

Phil

Edited April 13, 2007 by Phil Speight

[carlt]

I only wash my boats in Evian spring water (other bottled waters are available)

[Phil Speight]

I only wash my boats in Evian spring water (other bottled waters are available)

That`ll be helping the balance of trade deficit a whole lot won`t it!

Phil

[carlt]

That`ll be helping the balance of trade deficit a whole lot won`t it!

Phil

Well the intention is to retire to France asap so I've got to help them maintain a healthy economy for when I get there. Though I prefer to help out by buying their liquid in the green bottles.

 

Back on topic though! It used to really wind me up when people wash their boats down at water points, using drinking water when they're surrounded by the stuff. Then I went to work in the boat building trade and found out how much they'd spent on their pro paint job. If it were me I'd be filtering the waterpoint water before washing my paintwork with it.

[Phil Speight]

Well the intention is to retire to France asap so I've got to help them maintain a healthy economy for when I get there. Though I prefer to help out by buying their liquid in the green bottles.

 

Back on topic though! It used to really wind me up when people wash their boats down at water points, using drinking water when they're surrounded by the stuff. Then I went to work in the boat building trade and found out how much they'd spent on their pro paint job. If it were me I'd be filtering the waterpoint water before washing my paintwork with it.

We`re back to the old "each to his own" debate here althoughI agree about people washing boats at water points. My suggestion was based on the premise that a boat has water available on it`s own mooring - in its water tank! However my original post was submitted entirely because I thought some may find it interesting - I didn`t intend to get into a discussion based around the rights and wrongs of people who choose to enjoy boating and boat ownership their own way and the cardinal sin/foolishness of having expensive paintwork.So I won`t.

Cheers

Phil

[carlt]

We`re back to the old "each to his own" debate here althoughI agree about people washing boats at water points. My suggestion was based on the premise that a boat has water available on it`s own mooring - in its water tank! However my original post was submitted entirely because I thought some may find it interesting - I didn`t intend to get into a discussion based around the rights and wrongs of people who choose to enjoy boating and boat ownership their own way and the cardinal sin/foolishness of having expensive paintwork.So I won`t.

Cheers

Phil

Sorry Phil I wasn't making any implications as to the rights and wrongs of paint jobs. I love seeing the product of a master craftsman in any trade (though mediocre jobs at craftsman's rates annoy me). When I have a back cabin which warrants a paint job of any kind it will get the best.

[Phil Speight]

Sorry Phil I wasn't making any implications as to the rights and wrongs of paint jobs. I love seeing the product of a master craftsman in any trade (though mediocre jobs at craftsman's rates annoy me). When I have a back cabin which warrants a paint job of any kind it will get the best.

Kindly said - thanks. It`s the France thing that worries me. Isn`t France full of French people? I`ve just spent several hours working out an old Alfa friendly route to the Stelvio pass without actually going near the place!

Cheers

Phil