Engine room paint tips?

[WhatHove]

While my engines are out, I've been wandering around various paint retailers wondering if there's a cheap and cheerful option for smartening up my engine room. It has copper sides and a galvanised steel roof - most of it has paint on already, but there are areas of both surfaces which are naked. (On the naked copper bits, there's a fair amount of greenish oxidation which doesn't come off easily - can I paint over it?) Some of the galvanised bits are painted with something textured like Sandtex.

I need something that will stand extremes of temp, plus humidity - and have been looking at smooth hammerite and domestic radiator enamel both at £25 a tin. But what should I really be using?

Cheers
WH

 

[Mirelle]

Er, well, by hallowed tradition of the Merchant Navy, not too much paint at all, but very well suji'ed!

(The most admired ships were those with the builder's paint still in the engine rooms, kept very well scrubbed!)

Dunno if this helps much!

 

[WhatHove]

Um.. suji'ed? Qu'est-ce que c'est?

Just to clarify, the naked metal are where the existing paint has fallen off due to water ingress through fastenings. (It's copper sheet tacked over mahogany planks.) I'm not suggesting painting lovely virgin metal but I want to freshen the place up following the water damage. The galvanised coachroof has been painted many times with a variety of different stuffs - including some sort of textured paint. Again, it's water damage that has caused widespread problems, so I need to repaint the flakey bits. But what to use?

 

[Casey]

The very best suji is Mangers Sugar Soap available at a good hardware shop. Nothing to do with sugar but gets rid of accumulated gunge and should be your first step to repainting anyway.

 

[Peterduck]

I think that I last read about suji [also spelled a soogee] in Richard Dana's "Two Years Before The Mast". It was used for cleaning on board ship, particularly the decks. To be sure, sugar soap is a good cleaning agent to prepare any surface for paint. Removes any oilyness.
Peter.

 

[brettdennis]

Try International bilge paint DANBOLINE sticks like s*** to a blanket!

 

[alienzdive]

Copper is a very dificult metal to get any paint to stick to regardless of the preperation and what it says on any paint tin. Copper is too shiny and hard for paint to get adhesion. Then if it is too tarnished, the oxidant is not a good bond for paint either.

Chlorinated rubber primer would be good though as a primer and I believe some chlorinated rubber primers are sufficient top coats as well. Most specialist marine paint manufactureres supply this.

 

[Roberts]

Forget Hammerite. Not used it on marine applications as such but I have never had it last more than a year or two on trailers etc. Ideal for making Land Rover Chassis look half decent for selling though.

Justin.