Can anyone advise me on treatment for rusty steel pulpit/pushpit?

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chriss999

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I am restoring a 50-year old Kingfisher 20 and need advice on what to do with the (formerly galvanised) steel pulpit and pushpit. In terms of strength, they feel pretty sturdy and they are firmly bolted through the deck. The problem is that a previous owner painted them over and now that paint is flaked and they are rusting badly in places.

I’m not going to spend the money get them re-made in stainless steel, but I’d like a reasonably pretty finish to go with my soon-to-be repainted deck.

I am planning to scrape/sand/wire brush off the paint and rust, then treat them. Some options include:
2-pack epoxy primer and paint like the decks are getting
‘zinc-rich epoxy paint’ whatever that is
Phosphoric acid rust converter
‘Cold galvanizing’ paint, eg Galvafroid
And someone here suggested Dulux Metalshield for a steel centreplate

Can anyone advise? (Preferably something that they’ve had success with…)

Many thanks for any advice.
 
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Take them off, get rid of the paint with paint-stripper and drop them off at your local agricultural engineers to have them re-galvanized.

Taking them off may seem like a lot of work, but anything else over the years will be more work and less effective.
 
>I am planning to scrape/sand/wire brush off the paint and rust, then treat them. Some options include:
2-pack epoxy primer and paint like the decks are getting
‘zinc-rich epoxy paint’ whatever that is
Phosphoric acid rust converter
‘Cold galvanizing’ paint, eg Galvafroid
And someone here suggested Dulux Metalshield for a steel centreplate

Don't use a wire brush it leaves tiny bits of metal behind, a grinder would leave clean metal Having owned a steel boat I tried different rust converters and they don't work. Zinc rich epoxy is used on bare steel I don't know it would work on galvanised steel. Since the options aren't guaranteed to work I agree with remove it and have it re-galvanised.
 
POR15 was recommended to me in this thread. My application was aluminium window frames but it claims to work on steel too. It's a 3 step process but not very complex.

There is a starter kit which gets all the necessary bits in small quantities; it includes a gloss black finish.

9 months on, I am happy with the performance on aluminium window frames. Not a long term testimonial but it's a start.

Derek
 
I have had success with Hammerite products on previously galvanised bits. Did my tabernacle over 20 years ago and still looks good. The formulation has changed since then to be water based, but still seems to work.. one advantage is it looks like galvanised. As ever the key to a good finish is preparation and following the instructions using the correct primer and top coat.
 
Thank you all for these very good ideas.
In an ideal world removal, regalvanising and replacement is the solution, but doing that I'd be tempted to go for new in stainless steel, but I have to draw the line somewhere. (OK any restoration job is financially unviable - witness PBO's Hantu Biru)
So I will likely buy one of these products and give it a go.
Thank you again.
 
"...one advantage is it looks like galvanised..."
Read more at http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthrea...usty-steel-pulpit-pushpit#100kJF5UH2il3efr.99

Though I'm a galvanizer, I can't see any advantage of simulating the appearance of galvanizing. The look is industrial, variable shading and colours etc, and result from what it is. It is hardly aesthetic, only functional.

If re-galvanizing seems too much trouble, then an alkyd paint top coat over zinc rich epoxy after thorough preparation is required.
But that preparation probbly means grinding or sanding, and doing that is almost a guarantee of getting iron filings all over the place where they will rust and make the whole job look horrible. You'd need to take off the pulpit to do a good job. That thought might lead you back to re-galvanizing.
 
Makes sense though if you have other galvanised bits on the boat. You can get Hammerite in other colours as well if the look offends.
 
I have a steel ketch and use Rustbusters (rust.co.uk) epoxy mastic.
It is a high solids 2pack which does not have a critical mix ratio and also cures even at low temps (5C).
Its not UV stable so is best overcoated with a good quality enamel - Hammerite works well but is not as good as it was in days when it contained Xylene. (I used primer then Toplac)

The high solids means it does not flow away from bumps and edges so the thickness is maintained, unlike paint.
This is also its downside - it won't self level so brush marks could be a problem on large flat areas (a roller or spraying would be better) . However, for your needs, and for my side decks where the original epoxy had failed (after 30years so not bad going), it was perfect.

I first treated the rust with rustbuster's FE123 which forms a skin after converting the rust. Its like a thick version of Hammerite's Curerust. After 7 years no sign of the rust bug returning.
Ian
 
I also have a steel yacht and use a combination of wire brushing to remove surface rust and any surrounding paint. This opens up the repair to allow the final paint to adhere to unrusted steel.

I then use Hydrochloric acid to clean the steel and remove any rust in the pitting that was not removed during the wirt brushing. This is then washed to neutralize the acid and wash away the rust debris.

After drying I use Phosphoric acid to remove any flash rusting caused by the washing. The also gives a short term flash rust protection.

I follow this with several coats of high build epoxy primer to build as thick a protection layer as possible.

This can then be filled sanded and final UV protection coat.

This is IMHO the best for smaller repairs. For larger grit blasting is the best and quickest but requires a lot of equipment and environment protection for the people and the adjacent boats.etc.

Interestingly Rustbuster as posted by Ianj99 has similar products and procedure on their web site

http://www.rust.co.uk/rust-removing-treatments/c32727/
 
Rogershaw said:
I also have a steel yacht and use a combination of wire brushing to remove surface rust and any surrounding paint. This opens up the repair to allow the final paint to adhere to unrusted steel.

I then use Hydrochloric acid to clean the steel and remove any rust in the pitting that was not removed during the wirt brushing. This is then washed to neutralize the acid and wash away the rust debris.

After drying I use Phosphoric acid to remove any flash rusting caused by the washing. The also gives a short term flash rust protection.

I follow this with several coats of high build epoxy primer to build as thick a protection layer as possible.

This can then be filled sanded and final UV protection coat.

This is IMHO the best for smaller repairs. For larger grit blasting is the best and quickest but requires a lot of equipment and environment protection for the people and the adjacent boats.etc.

Interestingly Rustbuster as posted by Ianj99 has similar products and procedure on their web site

http://www.rust.co.uk/rust-removing-treatments/c32727/
Click to expand...

I recommend you try their FE123 treatment. It seems to be a mixture of rust converters and skin forming ingredients (latex/pva?) so once its dried to a dark blue/puple colour, the tough waterproof skin can be left exposed for weeks.

In fact below decks, I often don't bother overcoating if the area is not subject to wear. Its thin enough to penetrate deep into tiny pits & seal crevices which epoxy or Danboline won't do.

I did wonder if the skin would affect the epoxy adhesion but it hasn't done so after 6 years.
 
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