comastic or bitumen?

[kienik]

Evening all

 

Well what a couple of years it has been, i had a 23ft steel NB for 12 months that i loved dearly but wanted a bigger boat so i bought a 50fter, this boat needed loads of work so i sold her and made a bit of a profit to fund my next (3rd) boat, so again ive gone for another 23ft Nb, she is a stunning little boat built to an amazinginly high spec (previous owner said she was the last to be bult by Springer and she has been reviewed in one of the glossies recently).

 

As most waterbugs were built in 3mm steel the previous owner had this one "doubled"up and built in 6mm, he also had an extra rubbing strake fitted at the top of the gunnels, also bow lockers/seats welded in, steel front and aft doors and hatch plus many many other NOT OFFF THE SHELF EXTRA, basically she is a stunning little waterbug built by springer in around 1990 but to a top spec, (i guess you could class her as the rolls royce of springers) NO JOKES PLEASE HEHE

 

i have recieps to state that she has been docked EVERY year from 1990 and blacked, but the history doesnt say what was used, i.e. comastic or bitumen, i would like to have her craned out in the next 12 months to clean the bottom and re black but how do i know what has been aplied previously? is their a test i can do or is it just best to play safe and grind all of the blacking off and start a fresh?

 

thanks

 

Nik

[sharpness]

I was told that diesel on a bit of rag will rub off comastic & white spirit will rub off bitumen but not vice versa. I've never tried it though.

Good luck with it.

Steve

[Timleech]

I was told that diesel on a bit of rag will rub off comastic & white spirit will rub off bitumen but not vice versa. I've never tried it though.

Good luck with it.

Steve

 

Take a bit of rag wetted with white spirit. Wipe a patch clean.

Then wipe the same spot with a clean piece of white-spirited rag. If the rag stays (reasonably) clean, it's almost certainly a tar-based paint such as Comastic or Standard Black. If there's a pronounced black or brown stain on the rag, it'll be bitumen. Diesel should have a similar effect.

 

Tim

Edited March 13, 2012 by Timleech