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Bilge/Engine bay painting


RickS

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Morning.

I have just been told by the marina that my engine is now out of the boat and ready to be picked up and worked on, which means that now is the time to paint the engine bay.

 

I know it's not the best time of year to do this, but needs must. My plan is to paint where I can't get to when the engine is in and paint the rest later next year when it warms up a bit.

 

So, knowing nothing (usual starting point) I would really appreciate any advice about this please. the rust isn't that bad, mainly a bit of surface rust to one side. Greasy and damp probably best describes it. My thoughts about the process is to degrease and wipe it all down; treat with some sort of rust converter (ideally something that forms a primer layer (?) and then paint with primer and finally topcoat.

I don't know how many coats of what - someone has  mentioned using a more aggressive solvent so it dries/cures quicker (I may be mis-quoting them, sorry).

Any thoughts about brands of rust converter / paint (Hammerite?) would also be greatly appreciated as always - oh, and heating the bay?

 

Thanks

Rick

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In my limited experience, Hammerite seems to cure a lot quicker than other solvent-based paints and still goes off in cold, even damp conditions.

I painted my bilge with white 'Smoothrite' several years ago and it is still holding up well.

 

I haven't measured the temperature of thecanal lately, but it is still probably around the 8-10 deg mark, echoing air temperature (ignoring the odd cold night).

Edited by dor
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Is the boat out of the water? Is there shore power available? If so, then a heater in there for a few hours before painting might help. If it is in the water, then below the water line, the canal is just going to suck any heat straight through the steel. As with any painting, preparation is everything. Remove the rust, oil, crud. Treat the rust. Hammer the spiders flat. Then paint. I've used bilge paint in both the engine hole and gas locker to good effect, but in summer.

Jen

Edited by Jen-in-Wellies
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Jen - Bit mean to spiders! ? No, boat is in the water but I do have shore power. I could get a small fan heater in there to warm it up before painting. Would this be enough to cure any rust converter?

 

dor - the chap at the marina suggested Hammerite as well 'pour it out and spread it around'. would that be as good as primer & topcoat? Also, isn't Hammerite water-based now? Is that a good thing?

 

Thanks both for your replies.  I have some grey bilge paint which I thought I'd (possibly)use for the top coat, it's the prep as Jen says that i want to get reasonably right, ie the rust converter and/or primer. Hammerite sounds a whole lot easier but would it give me good protection (that even sounds a stupid question!) ?

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I've just been looking at the Hammerite website and their direct-to-rust does look good. Would I still need a rust converter as well or would that be overkill? If so, what brand - Hammerites own stuff or Vactan / Aquasteel?

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1 hour ago, dor said:

In my limited experience, Hammerite seems to cure a lot quicker than other solvent-based paints and still goes off in cold, even damp conditions.

I painted my bilge with white 'Smoothrite' several years ago and it is still holding up well.

 

I haven't measured the temperature of thecanal lately, but it is still probably around the 8-10 deg mark, echoing air temperature (ignoring the odd cold night).

I've put on Hammerite quite thickly and it still goes off.  More so than ordinary paints.

Hammerite has changed the solvent, now white spirit-based.  Don't think they have changed it again.

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Do not put a fan heater in the engine space. That will guarantee condensation on the steel and then only a damp tolerant primer will stick.

Hammerite IMO is garbage in the long term, especially the smooth stuff.  I t may now be different if they have changed the brew.

 

Degrease, treat rust with Fertan or Vactan then look for a damp tolerant primer and use that. Top coat with International Danboline.

 

N

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Interesting about the fan BEngo - duly noted.

Chap at the marina suggested Hammerite as well - is your experience of it bad?

 

I have some grey bilge paint(can't remember brand) - Midland Chandlers didn't have any International stuff as they said there had been a fire at the International (?) factory and the stuff was hard to get hold of - mind you that was some while ago

 

If no heater, how do I help the vactan go off properly - I have seen other posts on here that mention problems of this sort but couldn't really see a definitive answer?

 

Thanks

Actually I think I am talking rubbish about Hammerite possibly now being water-based. I must have misheard that, as it really doesn't make sense to me ?

Edited by Rick Savery
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I think the brand of bilge paint I have is Teamac - I waas going to use it for the forward lockers etc rather than the bilge (not a large tin) but if people think that's OK, then maybe I just need primer

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Rust converters are a compomise/second best to be used only when you can't get rid of rust by mechanical means, such as deep pitting or poor access. If access is good use a wire cup brush in an angle grinder (unless you have access to a needle gun) to get back to clean steel. If you can get 99% to bare metal (just a few little pits are ok) then use a proper zinc primer. BondaPrimer is my favourite and it dries pretty quick even at low temperatures. Do not be tempted to use a rust converter "just in case" because its just not as good as a proper primer.

Degreasing is essential, I use acetone.

For a top coat I would use a bilge paint as its just right for bilges, hence the name ? I like Danboline, it will take a couple of days to dry. Hammerite is not what it used to be (I believe), and even then was not as good as bilge paint, its made for painting garden gates ?.

 

If you want it to be perfect then a surface tolerant epoxy primer is the way to go, but its too cold now.

 

................Dave

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