Few questions - narrowboat hull blacking...

[Fraggle Moon]

Hello all, hoping you may be able to help me with a few questions that I haven't managed to find the answers to anywhere else...

 

When taking a hull back to bare steel in patches (for localised repairs) is it a requirement to prime the steel or should you apply blacking straight to it??

 

For the treatment of small areas of pitting, is there a suitable filler that can be used in lieu of pad welding??

 

After scraping back loose bitumen and jet-washing I have found the underlying black is quite patchy in it's thickness. Will the fresh coats of blacking help to smooth this out, or will some prep work be required to give a good, even finished result??

 

Thank you in advance for any advice you can pass on...

[rusty69]

It's usually better to apply bitumen to bare steel,though 2 pack epoxy would be good for pitting, as long as its not too serious, otherwise welding is the best option. 

[matty40s]

1. Blacking should go straight onto dry clean steel for best results.

2. Do not use filler underwater if you can help it, welding puts metal back where steel is missing..

3. Dont worry about uneven blacking, it's about maximising protection, the more stays on the better, and the important bit is underwater, the fish won't be impressed by smooth.

[Fraggle Moon]

Thank you both.

 

One other question: I am using bitumen to black the boat and it came with 5 large cans. These don't state that they are specifically for boats, does that matter or is bitumen paint is bitumen paint is bitumen paint??

[Tony Brooks]

13 hours ago, Fraggle Moon said:

Thank you both.

 

One other question: I am using bitumen to black the boat and it came with 5 large cans. These don't state that they are specifically for boats, does that matter or is bitumen paint is bitumen paint is bitumen paint??

 

Some of the boat stuff has been modified to imp[rove certain aspects of its performance, maybe to SLIGHTLY better resist hydrocarbons and scraping, but if you have the bitumen I would just use it, you will normally be redoing it within a very few years.

[TheBiscuits]

More important than mentioning boats is that it's formulated for constant immersion in water.  Some aren't made for this, just for getting wet occasionally.

[MtB]

14 hours ago, matty40s said:

3. Dont worry about uneven blacking, it's about maximising protection, the more stays on the better, and the important bit is underwater, the fish won't be impressed by smooth.

 

I think they might be.

 

Have you not seen all the reviews of the undersides of narrowboats you've blacked, posted on FishBook?

 

 

[doratheexplorer]

4 hours ago, MtB said:

 

I think they might be.

 

Have you not seen all the reviews of the undersides of narrowboats you've blacked, posted on FishBook?

 

 

And Finstagram