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Any recommendations for bilge paint?


Mikexx

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I have a cruiser stern that I've been told could do with it's bilge being painted.

Most previous threads have mentioned Danboline but I see this needs a primer. Another is Teamac.

Which would be recommended?

I am assuming I ought to use a primer where there is bare metal, there shouldn't be much exposed. What names, types would people here recommend?

Many thanks.

 

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Unless its a brad new boat I would expect it to need rather more than just primer. I suspect it will need  a lot of prep, some form of mechanical rust removal, a rust "killer", then anti-rust primer and several top coats.

I like Hemple Bilge & Locker paint but it needs a primer.

 

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I've used Hammerite Smoothrite for many, many years.  It lasts as long or longer than so-called bilge paints.  You can put it on quite thickly and it will still cure, and doesn't need perfect preparation.  Range of colours, but white is good for seeing things in the dark corners.

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5 minutes ago, dor said:

I've used Hammerite Smoothrite for many, many years.  It lasts as long or longer than so-called bilge paints.  You can put it on quite thickly and it will still cure, and doesn't need perfect preparation.  Range of colours, but white is good for seeing things in the dark corners.

IME Smoothrite goes on fairly easily ( don't overbrush it) and looks good but it is very brittle and chips if you drop a spanner on it.

 

N

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51 minutes ago, 13-10 said:

What do folks use for rust treatment. I've been told Fertan is good stuff

My favourite is Vactan. You don’t have to wash if off (which introduces the one thing you don’t want - damp), and it leaves a primed surface. 

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I took all the rust out of mine a few years ago. My prep is pretty good and I used a coat of Vactan followed by two coats of Hammerite. I wish I hadn't - it's already starting to come up. Hammerite can't take a bit of condensation and dampness. Next time I do all that prep I'll use a proper paint like Jotamastic 87.

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I used Aldi's own straight to rust or bare metal paint after a good grinding with a cup brush.

It was a fiver a tin and does not say marine anywhere near it, so seems to be lasting much better than the fancy bilge paint in the other boat.

White for under the engine and grey for the rest. (I like to be able to see when an oil leak is happening!)

It may be worth mentioning that some of the "proper" bilge paints can be applied literally underwater if necessary.

It won't be as good of a job as if you clean it and apply it dry, but any paint protection is better than nothing.

 

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8 hours ago, Mikexx said:

Many thanks.

Isn't Vactan water based? So introducing damp?

Yes it’s water based but it is applied before the steel is treated, not after, like rinsing water. As it dries it leaves an acrylic primer behind, so protecting the steel further. 

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1 hour ago, Mike Hurley said:

Have a look on You Tube at David Johns channel, Cruising the cut. He just did his bilge and made a video on it.

 

Have you got the link... I’ve had a look at his channel and there are hundreds of vids... found a few that I’ll be watching, but couldn’t find the bilge one. 

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Coovar rust converter is excellent but pricey, with three coats a stable finish in its own right. Needs no rubbing down but has to be overcoated within the specifed time to bond correctly. It is supplied by Teamac, whose bilge paint is very good-we used it throughout after rebottoming, in low temperatures with no issues. 

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47 minutes ago, Richard10002 said:

Have you got the link... I’ve had a look at his channel and there are hundreds of vids... found a few that I’ll be watching, but couldn’t find the bilge one. 

https://youtu.be/7gUm6zdmiCY

 

6 minutes ago, Mikexx said:

You beat me by 4 seconds.

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6 hours ago, Mike Hurley said:

https://youtu.be/7gUm6zdmiCY

 

You beat me by 4 seconds.

 

Many thanks, the video was educational.

I intend to nominally replicate what he did, though my boat is out of the water and I've errected a gantry to remove the engine and gearbox.

I've sort of allocated a weekend in two weeks time to do the job, weather permitting!!

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13 hours ago, Mikexx said:

I've sort of allocated a weekend in two weeks time to do the job

That’s not long enough. Note his comments about drying times. 24 hours for the Vactan to cure. 24 hours per coat for the primer. 24 hours per coat for the top coat. 

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1 hour ago, WotEver said:

That’s not long enough. Note his comments about drying times. 24 hours for the Vactan to cure. 24 hours per coat for the primer. 24 hours per coat for the top coat. 

The 'sort of allocated a weekend' was a finger waving exercise!

I can probably add a couple of days in removing and replacing the engine, and another day of surface preparation.

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12 minutes ago, Mikexx said:

The 'sort of allocated a weekend' was a finger waving exercise!

I can probably add a couple of days in removing and replacing the engine, and another day of surface preparation.

It's one of those typical boat jobs that costs twice as much as you thought and takes three times as long.

As your boat is out of the water, you might want to consider lifting the engine out sooner and making a start on the prep.

It can be a horrible messy job, but it is worth doing it right, and that takes time.

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1 hour ago, TheBiscuits said:

... it is worth doing it right, and that takes time.

I would suggest that if you don’t do it right you might as well not bother as all the paint will fall off within a year. 

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I don't see how the OP is going to stop condensation on each step at this time of year. I also suspect it will take ages for the paint to "go off" is such cold damp conditions. I suspect three weeks rather than three days. I would wait until well after Easter.

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2 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

I don't see how the OP is going to stop condensation on each step at this time of year. I also suspect it will take ages for the paint to "go off" is such cold damp conditions. I suspect three weeks rather than three days. I would wait until well after Easter.

If he rigged up 24 hour heating with a tarp or similar making a tent then the fastest would be 6 days. I day to clean it out and prep. 1 day for Vactan, two days for two coats of primer, two days for two top coats. Plus a day each side for engine out and back in. 

So 8 dry and warm days. 

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