Bilge Paint

[m1taylor]

Me again...but my last post got such useful responses I couldn't resist.

On my wooden boat, the bilge area (under floor boards) is painted with a red paint, looking like red oxide paint. Is that what it might be, and is that the right paint to be using - and if so why? The wood is mohogany on oak frames.

 

[26ft_bathtub]

Not an anti-foul is it?

 

[Poignard]

Probably a paint specially formulated for use in bilges e.g. Danboline.

 

[alb40]

If its red, its probably red oxide paint. It certainly is in my bilges! Its all peeling though. One day I might get round to painting it again!

 

[Victorious]

Danboline is specially formulated for bilges... Anf very good stuff.. but expensive (imho)
It comes in white, grey, and red.

 

[Mirelle]

The usual suspects are two:

Glossy, deep, red - probably International Danboline, Red.

Flat, slightly paler orange-red, probably Blakes Bilge Paint, Red.

Unlikely to be red oxide.

 

[mclark]

It will be International Danbowline bilge paint, it comes in red or grey. I have used it and found it excellent. I would recoment you use it again.

 

[DRW]

Red Oxide is fine.

The paint specs for my old Osborne;
"Hull inside under floors to have two coats of red oxide............."

That's what is going back on now, and I don't think it has changed since she was built.

If it was good enough then, I am pretty confident that a reputable manufacturer of the stuff now will be just as good. I am just jealous that alb40 has a dry enough bilge for the paint to peel!

 

[Poignard]

Can you tell me what makes bilge paint special? How does it differ from ordinary paint [apart from saying Bilge Paint on the tin!]?

 

[alb40]

Hehe /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Theres about an inch of water in the bottom! lol! The rest is rather dusty!! Think ill have to get the hoover up and clean it up a bit! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Ill think ill just use a tin of red oxide when i paint mine. Its what was on mine, and most of it has lasted well.

Besides, with red oxide at a fiver a tin from screw fix, cant go wrong!

 

[Gunfleet]

Good point. Floor paint seems to work just as well.

 

[cliffordpope]

Screwfix red oxide isn't real red lead, just ordinary paint coloured red.
Does anybody know what is so special about Danboline?

 

[alb40]

I doubt you'll get real read lead anywhere now, due to the dangers of lead in paint. I think the screwfix one is zinc phosphate based like most other 'red oxide' paints

 

[cliffordpope]

Well, there's The Real Paint and Varnish Company for a start, Classic Marine, and any decent traditional chandlery. It's a misconception that proper red lead has been banned - it's still legal and available for use on boats and also traditional buildings. The stuff Screwfix and the like sell is a misleading use of the word "red". Real lead paint has a unique ability to bond to wood, and iron too I think.
Back to the point - is there any advantage in Danboline over any old paint, leaving aside the real stuff?

 

[alb40]

I was aware that classic marine sold real red lead paint. The other 'red oxide' paints ive come across seem to be mainly zinc based. They still seem to work well on wood, but not as good as the proper stuff on metal.

I agree there, it does misuse the 'red oxide' or 'red lead' name tag, and should be called something else. Some of the stuff i bought before was simply labeled 'Red Zinc-rich primer'

 

[LittleShip]

http://www.tradboats.com/paintbarrier.html

 

[Constance]

Danboline

Wasn't he married to Henrietta VIII...