Recommend me some suitable tools for derusting, cleaning and painting my engine bay

[Lady Muck]

Well, we've been cruising all summer, failed to tackle the engine bay for several years and it badly needs some attention. We've constructed a tarp tent over it, (semi trad deck) gonna buy a work light so we can get the work done, even though the nights are drawing in.

Just had a look at what tools we have and we need to buy new, so I was looking for recommendations. We've made the mistake in the past of buying cheap and surprise surprise they dont last, in the case of the dinky little angle grinder we have, Im sad that that one doesnt work. Our engine bay is a cramped space and Im looking for recommendations for tools that arent too big and heavy for working in there.

Im hearing good things about tercoo disks? We do have some bad rust in there, would you recommend we got the one, two or three layer disks? They fit on a drill. Are there any smallish drills out there, expecially rechargeable type you might recommend? What about angle grinders? Smaller lighter ones? And which discs. We have giant Wickes, Screwfix and toolstation all a stones throw away from here.

[peterboat]

i have a screwfix angle grinder it came with a 2 year warranty i have changed it a couple of times in those 2 years once catching fire so if its made in china expect it not to last. buy quality and normally it will give long and good service.

[Phil.]

I used a two layer Tercoo disk to treat a keel on a small yacht. It did the job as described but the problem I can see for you using it is that your working in a cramped area which will be difficult.

[Guest User]

The Perago discs are very good ... http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=79490&p=1659136,

 

 

Bosch used to make an electric scraper (model PSE 180e) but it looks like it's been discontinued - if you find somewhere with some old stock, I found that it saved an awful lot of effort (ear defenders a must - incredibly noisy on steel ).

 

LCx

[bizzard]

When you say Giant LM I presume you mean 9'' angle grinder. And by ''Stones'' you mean grinding stones to fit for grinding down metal for like when preparation for welding. A 4.1/2'' angle grinder is the thing, don't get any smaller they won't have the power. Having got through loads of different makes of them over the years funnily enough I've always found that Black and Decker 4.1/2'' angle grinders to be the most rugged and long lasting of all as opposed to all the other fancy coloured and more expensive offerings. A mixture of knotted wire cup brushes and scouring discs as others have mentioned, but it really is a bit chilly now for paint schemes to dry properly down there in the bilges.

[Wanted]

I used a small dewalt angle grinder with this these.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/271641550538

 

You can get them in wicks

 

The surprise tool for the job was a cheapo (fiver from eBay) electric paint stripper, it was perfect for fitting in amongst it and took great sheets of paint away.

 

I still have it and you would be welcome to borrow it if need be.

[Lady Muck]

When you say Giant LM I presume you mean 9'' angle grinder. And by ''Stones'' you mean grinding stones to fit for grinding down metal for like when preparation for welding. A 4.1/2'' angle grinder is the thing, don't get any smaller they won't have the power. Having got through loads of different makes of them over the years funnily enough I've always found that Black and Decker 4.1/2'' angle grinders to be the most rugged and long lasting of all as opposed to all the other fancy coloured and more expensive offerings. A mixture of knotted wire cup brushes and scouring discs as others have mentioned, but it really is a bit chilly now for paint schemes to dry properly down there in the bilges.

Too cold? Sounds like it could be a case of sling a tarp over the lot and wait til spring then? I have shore power, could I bung a heater in there or would that be silly/unsafe?

[Wanted]

I'd leave it till spring.

 

Here's the thing I was on about

 

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=76699&hl=my%20new%20favourite%20tool

[Guest User]

I'd leave it till spring.

 

Here's the thing I was on about

 

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=76699&hl=my%20new%20favourite%20tool

 

 

Ooo that's the same as the Bosch scraper I mentioned - glad to see someone's still making them.

 

LCx

[kevinl]

Like wanted says use a multitool, hopefully this link will work, that's half an hours work taking 30 years of anti slip paint off.

K

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/uploads/gallery/album_1015/gallery_13583_1015_272726.jpg

[bizzard]

If you can get cracking on it right away the weather is apparently going to be fine for a few days, Despite what others say don't paint unless its all nice and dry.

[ditchcrawler]

Well, we've been cruising all summer, failed to tackle the engine bay for several years and it badly needs some attention. We've constructed a tarp tent over it, (semi trad deck) gonna buy a work light so we can get the work done, even though the nights are drawing in.

Just had a look at what tools we have and we need to buy new, so I was looking for recommendations. We've made the mistake in the past of buying cheap and surprise surprise they dont last, in the case of the dinky little angle grinder we have, Im sad that that one doesnt work. Our engine bay is a cramped space and Im looking for recommendations for tools that arent too big and heavy for working in there.

Im hearing good things about tercoo disks? We do have some bad rust in there, would you recommend we got the one, two or three layer disks? They fit on a drill. Are there any smallish drills out there, expecially rechargeable type you might recommend? What about angle grinders? Smaller lighter ones? And which discs. We have giant Wickes, Screwfix and toolstation all a stones throw away from here.

https://www.gumtree.com/p/planers/parkside-pec-200-power-scraper-brand-new-unused-and-cased/1136503956

[IDS]

These scrapers are brilliant and cheap for scraping rusty peely paint. It works a bit a chisel in an impact driver.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004WN52M2/ref=pe_385721_37986871_TE_item

Lidl occasionally have identical units in their tools event at the same price After scraping an angle grinder with a hard wire brush gets the rest of the rust out. If you have a smooth surface (ie not rust pitted ) then 'clean off discs in an angle grinder are very good.

You will need quality dust masks etc if you are wire brushing rust, especially if you enclose it in a tent.

[cheshire~rose]

This link (that was sent to me only last week courtesy of Ally) is incredibly helpful in explaining how to work out if conditions are right for paint or not:

 

http://www.yachtpaint.com/sgp/diy/ask-the-experts/whether-to-paint-depends-on-the-weather.aspx

 

She also said that if you don't happen to have a Whirling Pschycrometer in your handbag then try a Rizla paper. If a dry Rizla will stick to the metal then it is too damp to paint.

 

Bilges tend to get a lot of condensation so perhaps cover it up and spend the winter accumulating the tools you want so you can hit it as soon as we get some decent weather in spring

[Guest]

When you say Giant LM I presume you mean 9'' angle grinder. And by ''Stones'' you mean grinding stones to fit for grinding down metal for like when preparation for welding. A 4.1/2'' angle grinder is the thing, don't get any smaller they won't have the power. Having got through loads of different makes of them over the years funnily enough I've always found that Black and Decker 4.1/2'' angle grinders to be the most rugged and long lasting of all as opposed to all the other fancy coloured and more expensive offerings. A mixture of knotted wire cup brushes and scouring discs as others have mentioned, but it really is a bit chilly now for paint schemes to dry properly down there in the bilges.

Must agree I have had a B&D ankle grinder (think it is 4 1/2 inch) for some years and it has worked hard and well.

[bizzard]

Must agree I have had a B&D ankle grinder (think it is 4 1/2 inch) for some years and it has worked hard and well.

I wear tough boots to protect my ankles. There are 4'' angle grinders about too, but the discs for them being a bit smaller with a smaller hole are not that easy to find.

[Guest]

I wear tough boots to protect my ankles. There are 4'' angle grinders about too, but the discs for them being a bit smaller with a smaller hole are not that easy to find.

In the style of captain Mainwaring, I wondered who would be the first to notice that

I hate posting with this bloody phone; fingers are too fat and eyes are knackered.

[bizzard]

In the style of captain Mainwaring, I wondered who would be the first to notice that

I hate posting with this bloody phone; fingers are too fat and eyes are knackered.

But the letter K is four keys distant from G on the koyboard!

[Guest]

But the letter K is four keys distant from G on the koyboard!

Indeed it is

Speaks volumes for my typing skills, vision, and command of the alphabet

Of course I blame autocorrect....

[bag 'o' bones]

Bought a 115 Makita angle grinder recently which I can recommend:

http://www.screwfix.com/p/makita-ga4530-2-4-angle-grinder-240v/76657?kpid=76657&cm_mmc=Google-_-Product%20Listing%20Ads-_-Sales%20Tracking-_-sales%20tracking%20url&cm_mmc=Google-_-Shopping%20-%20Power%20Tools-_-Shopping%20-%20Power%20Tools&gclid=CO-Xi8DdssgCFSgXwwoddUUCCA&kpid=76657

 

The on off switch seems a bit awkward to use when you first use it until you realise you have to slide it first. It is actually a very well thought out safety feature.

 

Aldi linishing disks don't fit it though - which are quite good for the price. . For some reason aldi have gone for the slightly larger 120mm disk

 

Abrasive flap linishing disks are very use full at ripping through corrosion, much quicker and effective than a brush cup which tends to 'polish' well stuck rust rather than remove it, - although brush cups are better for getting round awkward shapes.

 

Flat bladed scrappers - not the wall paper stripper kind- with the proper hardened ground blade type are also very useful at removing old paint from flat surfaces (plenty of those on a boat) much quicker than power tools in certain cases. Example below:

http://prodec.uk.com/products/tools/twin-edge-heavy-duty-scraper/

 

[smileypete]

Oily bilges are often quite free of corrosion.

 

So one way to tide it over is spread some water resistant grease eg stern gland grease over the rusty bits.

 

It'll emulsify a little and go opaque, plus a little oil will come off it and help protect other areas.

 

In the mean time could try a few different tools and techniques out so you're all set when the time comes to prep and repaint...

 

cheers, Pete.

~smpt~

Edited October 9, 2015 by smileypete

[Joe the plumber]

I've had a Bosch 115mm angle grinder since 1985 and it's still going strong. I've recently bought an Aldi £19.99 125mm one as a back-up and that's okay too.

 

If you've got awkward corners to get into, a multitool (think an angle grinder that oscillates) will be very useful (Bosch, Fein, CEL), for example:

 

http://cel-uk.com/mt4.html

 

and for really narrow bits, one of these is brilliant (albeit hardly cheap):

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/MAKITA-9032-Filing-Sander-Inch/dp/B0000614UT

 

I can also recommend this stuff to remove every last trace of rust if you've plenty of time (it can take days if it's cold, even if you remove most of the rust with power tools first):

 

http://www.bilthamber.com/corrosion-protection-and-rust-treatments/deox-gel

 

It's worth having a look at their coatings once you've got rid of the rust too. I've used various BH products for over ten years now and rate them very highly.

 

Then there's twist knot wire brushes for angle grinders (wear a face shield, not just goggles, and gloves - they can be very dangerous). You can round your engine bay with a magnet wrapped in a cloth afterwards to get rid of all the strands.

 

I've used everything I've listed, so I know it all works. I hope this is of interest.

Edited October 9, 2015 by Joe the plumber

[DHutch]

See my thread on it, but without seeing your bilges I would likely tackle it with my needle scaler. Great for getting into small areas, around features, etc. The only draw back is you need decent compressor (our 1.5hp belt driven unit is only just up to it) and hence power to run it.

 

Wire brushes in angle grinders are good and need less power to run, both the flat and cup type, they can be hard to get into corners but if that's what you have then do it. A cheap large screw driver to scrape/chip the bits you cant reach is crude but works.

 

I would then get it all Vactaned, and then use the best paint you can.

 

 

You are getting to the end of the 'season' in terms of painting, but as long as you can get it guaranteed dry, maybe with use of a 2kW fan heater or two, you should still be ok to prep it in evenings, and then get the paint on during a dry weekend.

 

 

As it is where it is, then de-greasing will also be a big thing. I expect I would hit it with a suitable water-based rinseable degreaser (Jizer or the like) before doing anything at all, and just mop it out with rag and good as you can get it, rinse, repeat, etc. Then once its all de-rusted, get some 'panel wipe' or brake&clutch cleaner and wipe it all down twice with that.

 

 

Or you could just chuck some waxoyl or owatrwal in there and hope for the best. Somewhat precludes ever painting it again, and feels wrong to me as I do like a well painted bilge, but as the same time if you dont care what it looks like its a lot less effort and probably just as good at not loosing boat!

 

 

 

 

Daniel

[blackrose]

I used an angle grinder with wire wheels, plus a welders chipping hammer and wire brushes for the inaccessible corners.

 

Wear eye protection and resist the temptation to turn away when the wire bristles hit you in the face as this makes it more likely that they'll get under the goggles. Look directly at your work the whole time. If you're more sensible than me you'll wear full face protection and you won't have that problem. You'll also need some dust masks - get the vented type otherwise the eye protection will steam up and you won't be able to see what you're doing. Some leather work gloves are recommended too.

 

Cover your engine, battery box, etc with dust cloths but be careful not to catch the cloth around the wire wheel - same goes for the grinder's mains cable - it can happen if you're not concentrating.

 

I've done loads of work with angle grinders and wire wheels and I've never found that wire wheels polish the surface of the steel. On the other hand, the problem with using abrasives like linishing discs is that they remove good steel too - not just the rust. Personally I don't want to make any parts of my hull thinner.

 

 

Once you've done all that, vacuum out and then wipe the surface over before painting. I used Vactan first so I wiped the area out with damp cloths. If you're painting direct without vactan then I'd spirit-wipe the surface with the thinners recommended for the paint. Professionals will tell you that spirit-wiping just moves dirt and grease around and doesn't remove it, but unless you have another cleaning method it's better than nothing. Keep turning the cloths and using new cloths as you go and it will remove a lot of the dirt.

 

Edited October 11, 2015 by blackrose

[blackrose]

Oily bilges are often quite free of corrosion.

 

So one way to tide it over is spread some water resistant grease eg stern gland grease over the rusty bits.

 

It'll emulsify a little and go opaque, plus a little oil will come off it and help protect other areas.

 

In the mean time could try a few different tools and techniques out so you're all set when the time comes to prep and repaint...

 

cheers, Pete.

~smpt~

 

I wouldn't do that - oily bilges are often rust buckets too!

 

Any water will eventually get under the grease (oil floats on water) and corrosion will continue.

 

Then you've got grease that you'll be forever dragging around onto the decks from your boots every time you go down into the engine space, not to mention the problem of how to get rid of that greasy mess when you decide you want to paint it properly.

Edited October 11, 2015 by blackrose