- Status
- Not open for further replies.
W
Warren M
Keel bolts
If your keel bolts are rusting, they aren't stainless. Catalina, for some reason or other, used mild steel keel bolts in some of their older Catalina 25's and 27's. Not sure if your boat is one of them, but Catalina used to sell some sort of keel bolt upgrade package that essentially involved drilling parallel holes in your keel and installing stainless bolts. In any event, you could do a number of things to try to kept your current bolts from rusting. You might try cleaning them up with a wire wheel, fine sand or emory paper, bronze wool, etc. Once clean, "paint" them with either epoxy or a zinc chromate paint like "Rustlok." FWIW, I know of no old Catalina that had its keel fall off due to the use of mild steel bolts.
If your keel bolts are rusting, they aren't stainless. Catalina, for some reason or other, used mild steel keel bolts in some of their older Catalina 25's and 27's. Not sure if your boat is one of them, but Catalina used to sell some sort of keel bolt upgrade package that essentially involved drilling parallel holes in your keel and installing stainless bolts. In any event, you could do a number of things to try to kept your current bolts from rusting. You might try cleaning them up with a wire wheel, fine sand or emory paper, bronze wool, etc. Once clean, "paint" them with either epoxy or a zinc chromate paint like "Rustlok." FWIW, I know of no old Catalina that had its keel fall off due to the use of mild steel bolts.
J
Jim
Keelbolts
My solution has been to dry the bilge and bolts, and coat them with wheel bearing grease every season. Displaces moisture nicely.
My solution has been to dry the bilge and bolts, and coat them with wheel bearing grease every season. Displaces moisture nicely.
...but NEVER coat Stainless Steel.
You can try these things if you have steel bolts, but never put any type of coating on Stainless Steel. If you have stainless that is corroding, you may have something else going on. Replacing them is a major task. The keel needs to be removed from the boat and a major extraction of the bolts is required.
You can try these things if you have steel bolts, but never put any type of coating on Stainless Steel. If you have stainless that is corroding, you may have something else going on. Replacing them is a major task. The keel needs to be removed from the boat and a major extraction of the bolts is required.
B
Bob
Speaking of stainless, Steve,
why is it that we are warned not to cover it, or it will rust? Isn't rusting actually oxidation, and if it is covered, how is it able to oxidize? I often hear the advice that stainless need exposure to oxygen in order to form its protective coating and not oxidize - why isn't that self-contradictory?
why is it that we are warned not to cover it, or it will rust? Isn't rusting actually oxidation, and if it is covered, how is it able to oxidize? I often hear the advice that stainless need exposure to oxygen in order to form its protective coating and not oxidize - why isn't that self-contradictory?
T
Tom S
Huh...stainless can have a corrosion that might
look like rust. It is called crevise corrosion and actually stagnant water in the bilge can accelerate it greatly. Depending on the type of Stainless Steel (304, 316, etc) and the amounts of nickel, chrome. Some do better underwater and some do better in air. SS creates a thin protective oxide film that protects the metal. The best thing is to leave the metal as dry as possible, but we all know that is nearly impossible. I too have toyed with the idea of coating the SS keel bolts, I might experiment with one or two for a year or so and see if it makes any difference. http://www.marfas.com/corrosion.shtml http://www.diveweb.com/maritech/features/uw-su99.01.htm
look like rust. It is called crevise corrosion and actually stagnant water in the bilge can accelerate it greatly. Depending on the type of Stainless Steel (304, 316, etc) and the amounts of nickel, chrome. Some do better underwater and some do better in air. SS creates a thin protective oxide film that protects the metal. The best thing is to leave the metal as dry as possible, but we all know that is nearly impossible. I too have toyed with the idea of coating the SS keel bolts, I might experiment with one or two for a year or so and see if it makes any difference. http://www.marfas.com/corrosion.shtml http://www.diveweb.com/maritech/features/uw-su99.01.htm
- Status
- Not open for further replies.