dewshi
Member
What’s the best paint for marking an anchor chain? Is Hammerite any good ?? Thx
Anchor chain paint for marking
- Thread starter dewshi
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Different coloured cable ties are easier to replace than touching up a worn out paint job while at anchor
Mudisox
Well-Known Member
I use threaded coloured old thin rope through the links. They go through the gypsy well, easily removed and most important to indicate when the anchor is about to come home, 0.5m from the end.
Any system fails at night but I tend to over compensate with the length out does it matter if 15 or 20m are out?
Any system fails at night but I tend to over compensate with the length out does it matter if 15 or 20m are out?
vyv_cox
Well-Known Member
Ideally you need an etch primer on zinc, with any old paint on top. But there are reasons not to use paint, regalvanising being one, and there are far better ways. This thread will probably go the way of countless others on the topic, to include bizarre marking systems and innumerable other ways of providing the marks
geem
Well-Known Member
We have found over the years that it doesn't matter what paint we use, it wears off pretty quick when anchoring a lot. We now use strips of different coloured fabric. I don't like using cable ties. There is enough plastic in the sea without me adding to the environment problem.
NormanS
Well-Known Member
I hope that none of your fabric is man-made. ?
Refueler
Well-Known Member
Yeh Yeh Yeh ...
Me ? I use spray enamel paint ... cheap ... does the job.
Whatever you use will not last ... so why waste money ?
Me ? I use spray enamel paint ... cheap ... does the job.
Whatever you use will not last ... so why waste money ?
Plum
Well-Known Member
LadyInBed
Well-Known Member
I use cord tails, about 4 cm long. 1 for 10, 2 for 20, 3 for 30 mtrs plus a 2 cm tail for the 15, 25 etc meter marks.
They don't rip your fingers and can be felt / counted in the dark.
They don't rip your fingers and can be felt / counted in the dark.
Neeves
Well-Known Member
I have read many times the use of ribbons to mark chain. I have also noted may times that chain attached to cordage corrodes preferentially at the join (commonly a splice). It has been said, to which I agree, that the cordage hold water and the chain and cordage should be kept separate (though this cannot be achieved with a cord/chain splice). If the cordage exascerbates corrosion then using tape or ribbons will achieve something similar - as the tape will always hold salt. Most fabrics today are synthetic or a mix unless you religiously buy pure cotton 'T' shirts. I do agree that adding more plastic to the sea should be discouraged but I think the 'plastic' in paint, primarily the resin system - most of the 'pigment' will be TiO2, or even chalk (or CaCO2).
I have never heard of anyone complaining that the links to which ribbons attach corrode preferentially.
If you are concerned about the environment then you should be maximising the life of your chain, buying new chain will cause significant environmental impact, think of steel making, chain making, galvanising and the cocktail of chemicals + heat to melt the zinc etc etc. Paint - see below - but a drop in the ocean.
We have used paint, spray can, bright yellow and the paint is quickly lost on the outside of the links but remains for years on the inside of the links - visible even in the dark as the chain is dark coloured and the remaining paint bright. We back up the paint with zip or cable ties. What we find is that the tails of cable ties break off quite quickly but the part of the tie round and locked onto the link lasts for years - so if you follow this option bright coloured ties would be best, yellow? In the grand scheme of things paint on chain eroding to the oceans is but a 'drop in the ocean' (your AF adds significantly more 'plastic' than paint on chain).
Paint on chain is a real issue if you want to regalvanise - but can be removed with grit blasting (or similar) and you could remove your marks with a wire brush - after all you will only be painting a few links, say every 10m, . On the other hand re-galvanising is less easy today - chain manufacture (and galvanising) has moved to China and less and less galvaniser will have the facility to coat chain.
I have often thought that the paint to use, on a suitably prepared chain surface, would be highway paint. It is specifically designed to be abrasion resistant, comes in bright colours and tenaciously holds to the road surface. I did check and was discouraged - application is with heat but the big killer is that it comes in massive packs - no convenient 250ml cans.
There are coloured plastic inserts that one pushes into the links, I think they come in red and or white packs, and are windlass friendly. They appear to have mixed support. Some complain they fall out others that they are very effective - take your pick.
I don't think there is one good answer - there are lots of ideas, none of which lasts, is environmentally friendly (but the issue is minor if you look at reality). Its what suits you, when you apply, and what works for you in practice. Just devise a simple code and list it inside the cover of your chain/anchor/windlass locker with a marker pen.
Jonathan
I have never heard of anyone complaining that the links to which ribbons attach corrode preferentially.
If you are concerned about the environment then you should be maximising the life of your chain, buying new chain will cause significant environmental impact, think of steel making, chain making, galvanising and the cocktail of chemicals + heat to melt the zinc etc etc. Paint - see below - but a drop in the ocean.
We have used paint, spray can, bright yellow and the paint is quickly lost on the outside of the links but remains for years on the inside of the links - visible even in the dark as the chain is dark coloured and the remaining paint bright. We back up the paint with zip or cable ties. What we find is that the tails of cable ties break off quite quickly but the part of the tie round and locked onto the link lasts for years - so if you follow this option bright coloured ties would be best, yellow? In the grand scheme of things paint on chain eroding to the oceans is but a 'drop in the ocean' (your AF adds significantly more 'plastic' than paint on chain).
Paint on chain is a real issue if you want to regalvanise - but can be removed with grit blasting (or similar) and you could remove your marks with a wire brush - after all you will only be painting a few links, say every 10m, . On the other hand re-galvanising is less easy today - chain manufacture (and galvanising) has moved to China and less and less galvaniser will have the facility to coat chain.
I have often thought that the paint to use, on a suitably prepared chain surface, would be highway paint. It is specifically designed to be abrasion resistant, comes in bright colours and tenaciously holds to the road surface. I did check and was discouraged - application is with heat but the big killer is that it comes in massive packs - no convenient 250ml cans.
There are coloured plastic inserts that one pushes into the links, I think they come in red and or white packs, and are windlass friendly. They appear to have mixed support. Some complain they fall out others that they are very effective - take your pick.
I don't think there is one good answer - there are lots of ideas, none of which lasts, is environmentally friendly (but the issue is minor if you look at reality). Its what suits you, when you apply, and what works for you in practice. Just devise a simple code and list it inside the cover of your chain/anchor/windlass locker with a marker pen.
Jonathan
alan_d
Well-Known Member
As I knew I would be using a very small amount of paint and I wanted several different colours, I used those little tins of model-makers paint. It seems to work as well as anything else.
sailaboutvic
Well-Known Member
Although not cheap we use plastic lug that go in between the link ,
We never lost any and when it's time to turn the chain around , just pop them out and re Mark .
We never lost any and when it's time to turn the chain around , just pop them out and re Mark .
colind3782
Well-Known Member
That's more or less what I did, spray cans of different colours in acrylic (?) from one of the local "Chinese shops" and I have enough left in the cans to redo the chain another couple of times.
Refueler
Well-Known Member
Neeves
Well-Known Member
vyv_cox
Well-Known Member
It's listed under 'model making' in your link. Men of a certain age will have fond memories of painting Airfix models with little tins of Humbrol enamel paint.
Refueler
Well-Known Member
xyachtdave
Well-Known Member
I like a bit of red, white and blue paint for 10, 20 and 30 metres. Last year I used Screwfix Non Nonsense road marking paint. I thought initially it might come off on the boat but it's been fine.
Hopefully its chemical make up isn't quietly eroding my chain...
Hopefully its chemical make up isn't quietly eroding my chain...
Refueler
Well-Known Member
Humbrol had quite a range as well - they scoured original paint specifications for aircraft ... vehicles military and civilian ... railway stock ... literally anything that was modelled.
They produced a single action Airbrush working of compressor or stored air reservoir ...
They may have been little tins for kids of all ages to paint models - but the background and detail that went into their range was amazing.
Neeves
Well-Known Member
Read the Tin.
I did and then I checked and 'enamel' - in terms of paint has whatever meaning you want. ie its meaningless and I assumed you would be able to be more erudite and provide detail of its technical advantages.
One characteristic of enamel was that it was hard - you don't want hard (like glass (which is what enamel was) as it chips especially when applied to chain which needs toughness - not hardness - it needs some 'give' or yield.
Jonathan
