Blacking

[Badger]

Am blacking hull with bitumen at present. Is their a product I can put on the bare steel around the waterline area that I can apply the bitumen over. In the past I have tried red oxide, but discovered that the bitumen falls off it. How about a 2 pack ?.

..is it available in smaller quantities ?. Any advice appreciated.

 

Badger

[Nightwatch]

A rust converter,like vatcan. Other brands are available.

[ditchcrawler]

A rust converter,like vatcan. Other brands are available.

Will blacking stick to that?

[dmr]

The waterline thing is perhaps a little overplayed unless you encounter a lot of diesel in the water. Boat will need to be redone in 2 years anyway (or maybe 3 if its not used much) and the waterline should still be in reasonable condition by then. I experimented with primers with little success. The primer does give some protection but the blacking comes off quicker so it sort of balances out. Would not recommend epoxy just on the waterline, if you want to go in that direction then shot blast and epoxy the whole boat then you will have no rust on the waterline.

 

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

[Nightwatch]

Will blacking stick to that?

 

So far, yes. I was told it would.

I thought it did in a bilge situation.

[Neil2]

I can't see why you would just want to put something extra on the waterline part of the hull.

 

There are a lot of boats on the network with overplated bottoms but original hull sides, the baseplate and just above are the most vulnerable areas.

 

If you are considering epoxy you've pretty much got to grit blast the steel anyway so might as well do the entire hull.

 

In my experience bitumen blacking sticks to everything...

[cuthound]

 

 

If you are considering epoxy you've pretty much got to grit blast the steel anyway so might as well do the entire hull.

 

In my experience bitumen blacking sticks to everything...

As MissMax will testify

[Pie Eater]

Am blacking hull with bitumen at present. Is their a product I can put on the bare steel around the waterline area that I can apply the bitumen over. In the past I have tried red oxide, but discovered that the bitumen falls off it. How about a 2 pack ?.

..is it available in smaller quantities ?. Any advice appreciated.

Badger

Primocon is what we use.

 

Steve

[Larkboy]

Our boat is due blacking next year and we're going to try Keelblack. The company blurb and the few reviews I've read have been very positive and I like the fact it's water based. When the boat was new I spent a year arguing with the builder over the application of the original blacking (intertuff) as they had applied it directly to millscale and it kept coming off in sheets. I spoke to International who told me intertuff had to be applied to a shot blasted finish, and the upshot was that the builder had to pay to have the boat craned out and taken back to their yard and shot blasted and repainted. This was well worth the fight as the blacking lasted 5 years before needing to be redone and subsequent applications have the right surface to adhere to.

[ditchcrawler]

Our boat is due blacking next year and we're going to try Keelblack. The company blurb and the few reviews I've read have been very positive and I like the fact it's water based. When the boat was new I spent a year arguing with the builder over the application of the original blacking (intertuff) as they had applied it directly to millscale and it kept coming off in sheets. I spoke to International who told me intertuff had to be applied to a shot blasted finish, and the upshot was that the builder had to pay to have the boat craned out and taken back to their yard and shot blasted and repainted. This was well worth the fight as the blacking lasted 5 years before needing to be redone and subsequent applications have the right surface to adhere to.

If its working why are you risking changing it to a completely different product.

[Larkboy]

If its working why are you risking changing it to a completely different product.

Because I've worked with steel all my life and have come across many coatings in that time, and I've always liked anything that's water based. If none of us tried anything different there would be no progress. I intend to put on a coat of 'Aquasteel' and up to 4 coats of 'Keelblack' and evaluate over the next couple of years. I can always go back to intertuff if I don't like the results.

[Bod]

Keelblack recommends "Fertan" and state any departure from their recommendations regarding application, is at your own risk.

 

Bod

[Badger]

Thanks to everybody for their input. Pretty much as many stated. As most boats are blacked every 2-3 years, probably not worth the worry if a little rust appears at waterline.