painting Edson pedestels

Meriachee · Nov 24, 2014

Powdercoat is probably the best way to go, although, you can't simply overcoat. You'll need to get down to bare metal first. If it was originally powdercoated, the best way is to have it blasted, soda will leave the best surface on the metal, but a very fine silica will work too. The new finish will last just about forever, and given a piece that size, would probably not be terribly expensive.

py26129 · Nov 25, 2014

I just had mine powder coated. The price was very reasonable and the pedestal looks like new.

dlochner · Nov 25, 2014

A few years ago I repainted the cast aluminum Bomar hatches and the Edson pedestal with Interlux Perfection 2 part polyurethane paint. Followed the directions by removing the old paint (it came off the pedestal very quickly with a cleaning solvent, Interlux 202?), primed with vinlylux and Interlux epoxy primer.

The hatches were removed, the pedestal top disassembled and the base remained on the boat. It was a relatively easy job. The Perfection is very thin and runs, so thin coats of paint worked best. I used foam brushes and went through them very quickly, buy a box of 2 inch brushes.

Maine Sail · Nov 25, 2014

njlarry said:
Assuming I can get it out of the boat, I would like to refinnish my steering pedestel. I am considering powercoating it but should it stay on I may just paint it inplace. Has anyone done this and what paint and application did you find worked out best?
Had hope to already have it off but with the sudden cold spell, it will likely wait till spring.
Thanks in adavance.

A few of years ago I had one media blasted for a customer after the power coat failed in a large way. I then dropped it at a friends shop who does AwlGrip and told him I was not in a rush and to blast it when he had a run of white going. He charged me $80.00 for the prime and paint with AwlGrip.....

woodster · Nov 25, 2014

I had mine re anodized along with several items deck sliders,bomar fwd hatch and some odds and ends and they died it black like the original ...it cost me the minimum charge of 100.00...there were about 18 - 20 pieces involved that was 3 years ago ...in looking back now i would have painted with Awl grip ...not that i am unhappy with what i got...... powder coating will chip as it is too brittle but it looks great when freshly done....

py26129 · Nov 25, 2014

I'm hoping mine will last a while. I accidentally whacked the pedestal against the door frame of the shop when leaving and it did not leave a mark.

Anonymous 121765 · Nov 25, 2014

Powdercoating is the best way to go for those that want to remove their pedestal. And, for the most part, it's pretty bullet-proof.

I had some paint flake-off near my base some years ago. What I also discovered on my boat was grounding/bonding connections to my aluminum fuel tank & pedestal. The area was small & was able to manually recoat this.

Now comes into play, electrolysis/electrical grounds & dissimilar metal problems.
The bonding wire on my aluminum fuel tank caused pinhole leaks in the center of the bottom section. Bonding connections & aluminum tanks I feel is a NO NO. I can tell you stories of other boats & tank problems because of this.

The flaking paint on my pedestal was due to grounding connections attacking the aluminum (electrolysis) eventually separating the powdercoating. In addition, Dissimilar metal problems were stainless steel bolting into threaded aluminum ie: the mast & boom.

Sure, if your pedestal could use a new coat, think twice about re-hooking ground/bonding connections. On my fuel tank, my ground wire is a quick clip-on that is only connected when refueling for static buildup (mine is diesel, gas is alittle different).

My pedestal compass light was grounded to the aluminum casting. I re-ran the ground (negative) so nothing electrical touches this.

As for the dissimilar metal problems with S.S. verses aluminum, Stu Jackson likes Lanacote. I've used this, Never Seize & others over the years. I just don't want to lose the cut threads in the aluminum. You know, if removing a bolt and a fine powder comes out, that's your aluminum threads turning to dust.

I know I will hear from some detractors on this but, I know what I 've learned in twenty-five years reading all I could find on bonding, lightning protective cones, electrolysis & galvanic problems, I believe the jury is still out. If wanting some particulars in case, let me know in your posts & I will relate what I have found thus far.

CR

capta · Nov 25, 2014

We did ours a few years ago in place. Like any other painting job, it was 80% prep and the right materials. After prepped, a high quality etch primer is a must. It adds another step, but makes all the difference in longevity.
Three years of Caribbean sailing, sun, wind, rain and salt and it looks just as good as the day we pulled off the tape.

PaulK · Nov 26, 2014

Getting the pedestal out for powdercoating can be a major event. For us it would involve not only detaching the steering cables, but removing the compass, the wiring for the compass light, and the engine throttle and gearshift controls. From having worked on some of these things already, the idea of re-installing them gives pause. On top of that, the bolts holding the pedestal would need to be loosened. Ours have been there long enough that we would probably have to drill them out - hoping not to damage the pedestal at the same time. There also might be more enjoyable things to do than to get under the cockpit for a couple of hours to work on things from that end.
Needless to say, we had ours painted in place for us. It cost us about $60, including prep. Looks great.

py26129 · Nov 26, 2014

I would probably have painted mine in place but on out boat, there are no steering or throttle components in the binnacle.. Removing the compass and autopilot and associated wiring took about 30 minutes and the nuts came off the bolts without a fight. Total time to remove was about 1 hour so , for me it became a job that could be done off the boat, over the winter leaving more time for other stuff before launch.

Cheers

Matt

py26129 · Dec 1, 2014

Just a quick update: I got my pedestal back from the power coaters a couple of wells ago and it looks brand new. Seems the finish is quite tough as well. I banged it into the door leaving the shop, quite hard and was sure I had chipped it but there wasn't a mark on it. ... And the price was more than reasonable.

Cheers

Matt

painting Edson pedestels

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