diesel soaked wood.....treatment?

[mattnj]

I have a few bits of diesel soaked wood that i cant really replace.
What are the options to treat/seal/paint it?

I was thinking of bilge/locker paint but it clearly says "must be oil free"

Any ideas?

 

[PetiteFleur]

I had this problem a few years back when I got my current boat. Tried scrubbing well with Bilge cleaner/washing up liquid/liquid cleaner but it still smelt so had to replace the wood which in my case was not too difficult(floor bearers in the bilge). The actual floor panels also smelt so they were well scrubbed, allowed to dry and then given about 3 coats of varnish which seemed to have worked - no more complaints from my wife.
How about using 'Stain blocker' from DIY stores? Certainly works on water stained ceilings and then emulsioned.

 

[nickd]

Alcohol disolves diesel. So trying washing it with either really cheap vodka or iso propanol
good luck

 

[vyv_cox]

If wanting to remove the oily deposits from the timber for subsequent painting I suspect that you need a wash with a lighter hydrocarbon solvent. The most available is probably petrol but since it smells and contains some additives this might not be the best. White spirit/turps substitute is probably too heavy. If you could get hold of some SBP2 or maybe SBP3 that would be ideal. I believe that Coleman stove fuel is SBP3. International Paint thinners No.1 should be pretty good but costs a lot for what it is.

 

[rich]

Don't forget the fumes, collecting in the bilge if your doing it on board!

 

[Heckler]

If wanting to remove the oily deposits from the timber for subsequent painting I suspect that you need a wash with a lighter hydrocarbon solvent. The most available is probably petrol but since it smells and contains some additives this might not be the best. White spirit/turps substitute is probably too heavy. If you could get hold of some SBP2 or maybe SBP3 that would be ideal. I believe that Coleman stove fuel is SBP3. International Paint thinners No.1 should be pretty good but costs a lot for what it is.

I like a bit if acetone on board fir degreasing. Last lot I bought off David in MH. £14 a ltr, difficult to buy here.
Was in the Jumbos going thru France, Spain And Portugal, they sell it off the shelf! All sorts of weird liquids!
S

 

[lw395]

Soak it in teak oil?
Wood preserver?

 

[vyv_cox]

I like a bit if acetone on board fir degreasing. Last lot I bought off David in MH. £14 a ltr, difficult to buy here.
Was in the Jumbos going thru France, Spain And Portugal, they sell it off the shelf! All sorts of weird liquids!
S

Acetone isn't the greatest degreaser (except on your hands!) I bought 5 litres of it recently from Amazon, not too expensive. A hydrocarbon would be better but acetone better than nothing.

 

[wrr]

When I bought our current boat, the bilges had never been painted since she was built. Years of Cuprinol applications and a major diesel leak had impregnated the timber (pitch pine) and the odour was overpowering. We cleaned out 5 decades of grease and general dirt, using a minimum of detergent spray. When dry, we surface-wiped with acetone with plenty of ventilation and all electrical circuits off. We then primed with Primocon and painted with two coats of chlorinated rubber paint, as sold for slurry pits, swimming pools etc. The chlorinated rubber paint completely sealed in the residual hydrocarbon aromas. You may have to buy at least 5 litres of paint but, with a bit of added antislip, chlorinated rubber paint also makes an excellent deck paint.

 

[VicS]

If wanting to remove the oily deposits from the timber for subsequent painting I suspect that you need a wash with a lighter hydrocarbon solvent. The most available is probably petrol but since it smells and contains some additives this might not be the best. White spirit/turps substitute is probably too heavy. If you could get hold of some SBP2 or maybe SBP3 that would be ideal. I believe that Coleman stove fuel is SBP3. International Paint thinners No.1 should be pretty good but costs a lot for what it is.

Acetone isn't the greatest degreaser (except on your hands!) I bought 5 litres of it recently from Amazon, not too expensive. A hydrocarbon would be better but acetone better than nothing.

I think that's probably right to use a hydrocarbon solvent but perhaps not a highly volatile one. You want to wash as much diesel out as possible. A highly volatile solvent is likely to evaporate leaving the diesel behind. That I think rules out SBP2 and acetone.


I think Id go with white spirit as being something readily available. Turps subs is similar but not made to the standards that apply to white spirit and may itself leave a slightly oily residue.

Alternatively, if time is not important and the idea practical, soak it well in Bilgex, if you can stand the small of Bilgex, then sail around for a season with some water in the bilges to wash out the Bilgex, When drained and dried wipe down with white spirit and the paint when the white spirit has dried

 

[prv]

I like a bit if acetone on board fir degreasing. Last lot I bought off David in MH. £14 a ltr, difficult to buy here.

Not really. Force 4 have it on the shelf in various sized cans, and East Coast Fibreglass will sell you anything from a 500ml bottle (£4) to a 200litre drum (£220). Last time I bought a 5litre can for £6 on special offer, it's a tenner normally.

Pete

 

[basil421]

I think an SBP type solvent, as suggested above, is quite a good idea as they will mix quickly with diesel and once mopped up will evaporate quickly. Acetone would evaporate quickly too but it has a very high solvent power and may do other damage to paint finishes/polyester resin etc so personnaly I would avoid it.
Lighter fuel is similar to the special boiling petrolium (SBP) spirits and is freely available so I would start there.
The area needs to be well ventilated though as it is easy to create an explosive mixture. I would also avoid having anything near which could create a spark while working with it.