Painting bilges..

[FidoDido]

The bilges in my engine room are split into 4 (Trad stern, modern engine, lots of built in cupboards etc).

 

One is under the engine, as is fine and dry. Another under the stern gland - water in here not due to any drips, but because last time I came down Bishop Meadow Lock, my 70ft boat was too long to get out, so had to go down the front to lift the button, and the torrent of water from the top gates put 6 inches of water in there whilst I was sorting this out.. I'll sponge the last couple of inches out that the bilge pump can't remove. Paint here is fine.

 

The other two bilges, to the left and right of the engine bay are more rusted. (read completely brown for one of them). One collects water if there is a domestic leak (was, now sorted), the other is under the feed for the calorifier and skin tank. Had a leak about a year ago (skin tank feed popped off), fixed leak, not painted, now orange brown with surface rust.

 

So, one of these I can get at with a wire brush, hoover up any scale, and paint, as its under the steps, which I can easily remove. The other is a bloody pig to get to. Last time I just sprayed with an aerosol can hammerite - twas best I could do. However, that lasted about 6 months and then rust came through, and a year later on, there is no sign of any paint at all - needs better attention!

 

Any tips? I could presumably strap a wire brush on the end of a stick, and have a go with that, and hoover up loose stuff. Similar with painting - strap a brush to a stick!! There are quite a lot of pipes and hoses in the way, but will have to do what I can.

 

What treatment / primer / paint would you recommend? Is it sensible to put rust treatment on before priming? Or is this unnecessary?

 

I have some zinc-primer (presume this is OK to use) - 1,2,3 coats of this? (I presume 1 is fine, but perhaps more would be good?)

 

I have a 1L tin of Craftmaster Raddle Grey coach enamel - would it be OK to use this? Craft master sold it to me as Raddle Red, but on opening the tin it was grey. I had another tin of red, so this is unused. Is there anything special about "bilge paint"? Bearing in mind these two areas are only likely to see water, rather than oil.

 

If anyone small and nimble wants to do this bilge - let me know!! I'm 6 ft 1, and 17 stone... I just can't blooming get into the area!! (worth a try!)..

 

All advice most welcome

Edited November 2, 2014 by FidoDido

[BEngo]

Get at it as best you can with a wire brush on a stick and scrapers etc. Hoover out. Ladle in a dilute solution of Fertan (50% Fertan 50% water). Leave for a week.

 

Sponge out. Disposable nappies are good and can be poked into odd corners with a stick.

Allow to dry.

 

Give it all a wash with white spirit and sponge out again.

 

Prime with the zinc primer .

 

Apply Danboline generously. This is a specific bilge paint and it resists water very well.

 

Any painting really needs to be done with the water temperature over 5 C or the paints will struggle to go off.

 

N

[frangar]

After using a variety of bilge paints I've used Zinga products in my back cabin bilge which seems to suffer from damp

 

You prime with this

 

http://www.zinga-uk.com/product-range/monoprimer

 

Then topcoat with this

 

http://www.zinga-uk.com/product-range/pu-tarfree-mio

 

It can be a bit fume laden when applying and I would wait till spring now so it dries in a reasonable time.

 

You could always use a long handled mini roller for the hard to reach bits.

 

Cheers

 

Gareth

[Neil2]

The Zinga stuff looks interesting but I'm a big fan of Owatrol and that's what I used in my engine bilge. There are some awkward spots to get at but i found one of those "behind radiator" rollers works well - the ones with the long but bendy shaft.

[Traveller]

Cannot see where one can buy the Monoprimer so cannot quantify the price?

[FidoDido]

good tips folks Not thought of the behind the radiator thingy.. or a roller.

 

Will see what I can find at Midland Chandlers.. I've heard of both Danboline and Owatrol. Will see..

 

I'll keep the Raddle Grey for another occasion.

[Traveller]

Its Owatrol to treat the rust then overcoat with Danboline bilge paint

[pippawatson]

If you can't get to somewhere you are unlikely to rub it off so consider using Waxoyl.

[chris63]

When I need to get water out of bilges I have put sawdust in some old tights [the wife's!!] tie a knot in each end a piece of string on one end drop it into the bilge leave it there over night, it's amazing how much water it holds when I fetch it out the following morning.

[frangar]

Cannot see where one can buy the Monoprimer so cannot quantify the price?

If you go to the distributors page and find your local stockist they will be able to tell you....I think I paid about £20 a tin

 

Cheers

 

Gareth

[Traveller]

If you can't get to somewhere you are unlikely to rub it off so consider using Waxoyl.

Someone on this forum advises that Waxoyl is no good as a rust treatment - it should only be applied to treated and painted surfaces, or clean steel.