'74 Pearson 26 purchased last spring. Keel solid but showed some surface rust. Wanted to get it on the water and deal with issues during the off season. Well, it's now the off season. I should probably address this but I'm not terribly concerned (how long does it take for a ton of cast iron to rust through?) I'm currently on the hard at a Maryland Clean Marina with some pretty strict rules about what I can and can't do as far as commissioning. What's the easiest way to eliminate the rust (wire brush, scraper, sandpaper) and once removed, how should I seal or otherwise protect the bare metal? Rest of hull below the bootstripe has a pretty good coat of paint which could also use some touching up. Thanks again for your suggestions. Brian
Keel Rusting
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Keel Rusting
You have a few options. You could get the keel sandblasted to remove everything or you could use a stripper like peel-away (need warm weather - +55 deg?) or you could mechanically remove the rust and paint (sand, brind, wire brush). You'll sneed to do that after peel-awat or other stripper to take off the rust. Once you have bare metal, either fro whole keel or rusty parts, you need to imediatly coat it to stop oxidatin that starts right away. I would coat the bare metal with epoxy like West System. For the first coat take a non-ferrous wire brush (brass, SS) and work the wet epoxy into the surface. This will lift any oxidation particles and susspend them in the epoxy. Follow with more coats in a timed sequence that lets them chemically bond with previous coats (see epoxy manuals for that). Get 3 or 4 coats on and you'll have a good water barrier and a good base for painting. The rust converters work but what is the adhesion of the converted rust like? Will it hold as a base for epoxy or painting? I don't know. A good question for the tech people at West System. Dan Pfeiffer dan@pfeiffer.net
You have a few options. You could get the keel sandblasted to remove everything or you could use a stripper like peel-away (need warm weather - +55 deg?) or you could mechanically remove the rust and paint (sand, brind, wire brush). You'll sneed to do that after peel-awat or other stripper to take off the rust. Once you have bare metal, either fro whole keel or rusty parts, you need to imediatly coat it to stop oxidatin that starts right away. I would coat the bare metal with epoxy like West System. For the first coat take a non-ferrous wire brush (brass, SS) and work the wet epoxy into the surface. This will lift any oxidation particles and susspend them in the epoxy. Follow with more coats in a timed sequence that lets them chemically bond with previous coats (see epoxy manuals for that). Get 3 or 4 coats on and you'll have a good water barrier and a good base for painting. The rust converters work but what is the adhesion of the converted rust like? Will it hold as a base for epoxy or painting? I don't know. A good question for the tech people at West System. Dan Pfeiffer dan@pfeiffer.net
Dan I kept an old
volvo from falling apart with Ospho for about ten years before I sent it to the junk yard. Iron phosphate chemically bonds to the base iron it is non rusting forever I have applied it to cast iron garden furniture right over the existing paint. The rust stains disappear and a fresh coat of paint stays on without the rust pushing it loose. Phosphate treatments have been used on cast iron for centuries and is still recommended for critical work.
volvo from falling apart with Ospho for about ten years before I sent it to the junk yard. Iron phosphate chemically bonds to the base iron it is non rusting forever I have applied it to cast iron garden furniture right over the existing paint. The rust stains disappear and a fresh coat of paint stays on without the rust pushing it loose. Phosphate treatments have been used on cast iron for centuries and is still recommended for critical work.
rust treatment
That sounds pretty good. Did you keep the treated engine immersed in salt water for the 10 years? I am not trying to challenge the use of the rust treatment. It sounds encouraging. But it needs to provide a good waterproof base for painting. Or at the least it needs to be a stable base to which the epoxy would adhere properly. Sounds like it might do that. I would like to know more. Dan Pfeiffer
That sounds pretty good. Did you keep the treated engine immersed in salt water for the 10 years? I am not trying to challenge the use of the rust treatment. It sounds encouraging. But it needs to provide a good waterproof base for painting. Or at the least it needs to be a stable base to which the epoxy would adhere properly. Sounds like it might do that. I would like to know more. Dan Pfeiffer
Dan, I was down stairs
a bit ago and moved the jug off my bench, so I read the label seems that they recommend oil based primer and oil based paint without reservation but recommend a test for the epoxy. Just a small area an epoxy patch a fiberglass tab let it cure and try to pull it off. Hamilton sells it to the commercial fishery, they don't use galvanized chain, they shake the rust off, paint it with Ospho, let it dry and use it. I used to get new body rust on the car, would scrape the blisters off with a pocket knife and touch the spots with an acid brush and a little of this stuff. I never bothered to paint over the spots and it would take three or four years before they needed more.
a bit ago and moved the jug off my bench, so I read the label seems that they recommend oil based primer and oil based paint without reservation but recommend a test for the epoxy. Just a small area an epoxy patch a fiberglass tab let it cure and try to pull it off. Hamilton sells it to the commercial fishery, they don't use galvanized chain, they shake the rust off, paint it with Ospho, let it dry and use it. I used to get new body rust on the car, would scrape the blisters off with a pocket knife and touch the spots with an acid brush and a little of this stuff. I never bothered to paint over the spots and it would take three or four years before they needed more.
Use POR-15
I used POR-15 on the iron keel of my Hunter 28.5. If you don't care about fairing your keel, you can use this stuff directly on the rust with scraping or sanding. Bingo,no more rust. Great product.
I used POR-15 on the iron keel of my Hunter 28.5. If you don't care about fairing your keel, you can use this stuff directly on the rust with scraping or sanding. Bingo,no more rust. Great product.
POR-15 is a 2 part
urethane coating. Their MSDS does not list the components that inhibit or counter corrosion but their literture does claim the rust is converted and the non-porous coating prevents corrosives from contacting the substrate.
urethane coating. Their MSDS does not list the components that inhibit or counter corrosion but their literture does claim the rust is converted and the non-porous coating prevents corrosives from contacting the substrate.
Hi Ross!
This past season (my 1st) was spent on a mooring ball on the North East River. Actually like the location alot. North East is a quaint little town. I'm on a wait list for dock space at the city dock in Havre de Grace. When something opens up, I'll have to decide whether I really want to move. I like the area but I think a slip would improve accessibility.
This past season (my 1st) was spent on a mooring ball on the North East River. Actually like the location alot. North East is a quaint little town. I'm on a wait list for dock space at the city dock in Havre de Grace. When something opens up, I'll have to decide whether I really want to move. I like the area but I think a slip would improve accessibility.
For Ross
I'm not sure what the composition of POR-15 is, but I don't believe it's a 2-part product as I used it directly out of the can on my boat without mixing it with anything else. Very easy to use, and it really works.
I'm not sure what the composition of POR-15 is, but I don't believe it's a 2-part product as I used it directly out of the can on my boat without mixing it with anything else. Very easy to use, and it really works.
POR 15 is a brand name
and a specific product. I was looking at the MSDS for their Hardnose line. My mistake. They didn't show a MSDS for POR 15.?????? For Ross I'm not sure what the composition of POR-15 is, but I don't believe it's a 2-part product as I used it directly out of the can on my boat without mixing it with anything else. Very easy to use, and it really works.
and a specific product. I was looking at the MSDS for their Hardnose line. My mistake. They didn't show a MSDS for POR 15.?????? For Ross I'm not sure what the composition of POR-15 is, but I don't believe it's a 2-part product as I used it directly out of the can on my boat without mixing it with anything else. Very easy to use, and it really works.
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