Lady Campanula
N/A
I'm considering painting a slightly grubby, bare aluminium mast and boom. Hammerite Smooth White seems attractive. Any experience to share? 
Painted masts
- Thread starter Lady Campanula
- Start date
Ross D
Member
Hammerite is specifically formualted to prevent rust on steel structures, I think it works on the oxide layer that build up on the steel and bonds with it preventing any further rusting. Aluminium oxidises instantly in air and the oxide layer fors a protective coating on the aluminium preventing further oxidisation, I am not sure whether Hammerite would affect this oxide layer and allow the aluminium to effectively corrode underneath the paint.
I just checked their website, Hammerite sell two types of paint one for "rusting" ferrous and one for non-ferrous metals (including aluminium) and galvanised steel. So I guess that you shouldn't use normal Hammerite on Aluminium.
Ross
I just checked their website, Hammerite sell two types of paint one for "rusting" ferrous and one for non-ferrous metals (including aluminium) and galvanised steel. So I guess that you shouldn't use normal Hammerite on Aluminium.
Ross
rib
Well-known member
2 pack etch primer 1st,then a good gloss paint finish.1/or two pack
Dipper
Well-known member
I used Hammerite Smoooth with their non-ferrous primer a few years ago but my mast was already painted. What was used on it previously I don't know. I don't think Hammerite had the two types of paint when I used it but if they did then it would have been the ferrous one. It worked well. The biggest advantage was that it (and the primer) dried really quickly so the mast didn't pick up any dust and debris on the surface.
Seajet
...
Just a thought, this would give the opportunity to paint the upper part of the mast dayglo, or at least bright orange; some might feel that a '70's-80's look, but I think it's potentially a life saver, and looks rather 'salty'...
This would presumably be on top of the white.
This would presumably be on top of the white.
Bosun Higgs
N/A
I'm considering painting a slightly grubby, bare aluminium mast and boom. Hammerite Smooth White seems attractive. Any experience to share?
Not on a mast but Hammerite paint on my ally garage door lasts 2 years max before cuccumbing to the UK.
I sprayed my mast a few boats ago with epoxy primer and twin pack poly top coat. Worked well. The paints were available in bulk cheaply from industrial paint suppliers who supply the metal fabriucators. I suspect it was the same studd ie it was Hempel as opposed to yottie Blakes ( owned by Hempel).
Worked wekk.
IanP
New member
Well i painted my mast about 6 weeks ago. first with their special metals primer. Then with smooth topcoat. I was very dissapointed with the result. It was drying as I painted it, and it was impossible to avoid drag marks. Perhaps I should have experimented first with adding thinners. also up to 2 weeks after painting it, I could mark it with my fingernail. And any scratches exposed the much darker primer, making any scratch very obvious. It seems to be quite hard now though. I often used hammerite years ago, and I never had any of these problems. It used to be rock hard 1 day after painting. I think they have changed the formulation. If I was painting a mast again, I would paint with epoxy primer, and 2pack topcoat.
Cariadco
Active member
Ok, slightly bigger job.....
I painted my mast, boom, spreaders etc, a few years ago. As it's a monster at 24meters I decided I was going to do it once, and never again.
Took me a whole month, what with building a 100 foot tent, removing everything off the mast and having it all sandblasted back to to bare metal, before applying the whole range of Awlgrip products.
Timing proved challenging as the bare metal cannot be exposed to air for no more than 12 hours...! So we blasted the top half first then the painting began.
Basically sprayed thin-as-Pi** 'etching paint' and allowed to set overnight.
Next day, sand blast the lower half and on with the etch paint. Had to build a temporary bulkhead in the tent, in between the two sections.
Then Primer was sprayed on and finally the white top coats applied.
Did the whole job with the missus, a few mates (cost me loads of beer) and 2 special mates, one did the spraying, well the final coats as I did the others, and the other mate has his own sandblasing business, here in Corfu (Pro-Blast)
Rebuilt the mast, ran in all the haliards, forstay etc and had it craned back on.
Total cost? 3800 euros (including everything and the beer).
Mast has been up for 4 years now, and still looks like new!!
The point of all this saga is to give you a rough Idea of what can be done, and at what cost. I was quoted 13,000 euros, for a local guy to do it, and that 13k would have gone up, without a doubt.
Rather proud of the results, though. Oh and a huge thanks to all that helped.
I painted my mast, boom, spreaders etc, a few years ago. As it's a monster at 24meters I decided I was going to do it once, and never again.
Took me a whole month, what with building a 100 foot tent, removing everything off the mast and having it all sandblasted back to to bare metal, before applying the whole range of Awlgrip products.
Timing proved challenging as the bare metal cannot be exposed to air for no more than 12 hours...! So we blasted the top half first then the painting began.
Basically sprayed thin-as-Pi** 'etching paint' and allowed to set overnight.
Next day, sand blast the lower half and on with the etch paint. Had to build a temporary bulkhead in the tent, in between the two sections.
Then Primer was sprayed on and finally the white top coats applied.
Did the whole job with the missus, a few mates (cost me loads of beer) and 2 special mates, one did the spraying, well the final coats as I did the others, and the other mate has his own sandblasing business, here in Corfu (Pro-Blast)
Rebuilt the mast, ran in all the haliards, forstay etc and had it craned back on.
Total cost? 3800 euros (including everything and the beer).
Mast has been up for 4 years now, and still looks like new!!
The point of all this saga is to give you a rough Idea of what can be done, and at what cost. I was quoted 13,000 euros, for a local guy to do it, and that 13k would have gone up, without a doubt.
Rather proud of the results, though. Oh and a huge thanks to all that helped.
Seajet
...
I have formed a very low opinion of Hammerite for any application ! Maybe it was a different formula in the good old days...
For a protective coat on my steel keel I have found Dulux Metalshield ( 1 coat but requires its' own 1 coat primer ) streets ahead of all other treatments; and I used to work in a chandlery, I've tried everything from both there and anywhere else in the 34 years I've had the boat.
I know some may laugh seeing 'Dulux' but this stuff is brilliant.
However, I'm stumped for a durable smooth finish on an alloy mast...
For a protective coat on my steel keel I have found Dulux Metalshield ( 1 coat but requires its' own 1 coat primer ) streets ahead of all other treatments; and I used to work in a chandlery, I've tried everything from both there and anywhere else in the 34 years I've had the boat.
I know some may laugh seeing 'Dulux' but this stuff is brilliant.
However, I'm stumped for a durable smooth finish on an alloy mast...
Poignard
Well-known member
Wouldn't it be better to use an aircraft paint?
Aurai
Active member
Mast Paint
Awl Grip on Aurai main mast and boom is durable, 10+ years and still as new except where we have gauged it or scratched it!
Awl Grip on Aurai main mast and boom is durable, 10+ years and still as new except where we have gauged it or scratched it!
Poignard
Well-known member
Yes that's the one I was trying to think of but I couldn't remember the name
grumpy_o_g
Well-known member
Makes Awl Grip look cheap - at least as far as the price is concerned.
To paint an Ali Aircraft or part:
Take back to bare metal, acid wipe, Alodine coating to inhibit corrosion (chromate conversion) then, if necessary to get the surface quality, two coats zinc chromate primer for oil based or epoxy primer for epoxy.
Apply two gloss top coats with minimal flatting between if absolutely necessary. Weight is critical so an aircraft sprayer is very good at getting exactly the right cover. If he calculates he'll need 10 gallons he'll be within a pint or two normally.
Alodine and zinc chromate are about as environmentally unfriendly as you can get. Some people use zinc phosphate but I have no experience thereof.
It might be worth contacting an aircraft sprayer - if you do the prep inc. acid wash and Alodine he may well be happy to have it shoved in his booth alongside his next aircraft - it would take him 2 mins to do and not a lot in terms of paint.