geem
Well-Known Member
We didn't have much success with those. We just lost them. Very happy with the strips of cloth. Very visible at night when anchoring as well with deck lights on
Painting marks on an anchor chain
- Thread starter Neeves
- Start date
Roberto
Well-Known Member
There are several brands, some are quite tiny, other quite substantial and they will not come out, they almost fill all the available space of each link; when I turned my chain end-end I had to pry them off with a screwdriver and almost bent it. If they lose their colours, a bit of vinegar and they are back to normal.
geem
Well-Known Member
How secure the markers are may depend on whether the chain is ISO or DIN. Slightly different dimensionsThere are several brands, some are quite tiny, other quite substantial and they will not come out, they almost fill all the available space of each link; when I turned my chain end-end I had to pry them off with a screwdriver and almost bent it. If they lose their colours, a bit of vinegar and they are back to normal.
sailaboutvic
Well-Known Member
Geem mine is iso which is bigger then Dim I think 28 mm to 30 mm and as said I lost one .
geem
Well-Known Member
Yep, mine also ISO. Lost all of mine over a season?
MM5AHO
Well-Known Member
Being a galvanizer, I've always had a galvanizers aversion to paint on anything that might need re-galvanizing, so avoided painting my chain. (it typically costs a lot extra to re-galvanize a chain with any paint on it). I use short boot laces in leather. These go through the windlass easily, I use red for visibility, and they last years. I have a single at 5m and then 2, 3 etc at 5m intervals. Reef knots!
thinwater
Well-Known Member
In the US, at least, regalvinizing chain has become completely impractical in most regions, so this is no longer any consideration. Old chain just goes in the bin. Just sayin'.
Cloth and rope markers depend on the windlass. Many vertical windlasses jam on them. One good jam is just not worth it.
LadyInBed
Well-Known Member
I've used stitched on 8mm cord webbing, about 50mm tail on 10m divisions and add a 30mm tail on the intermediate 5m increments.
They have lasted 20+ years with moderate use (I try not to use marinas). They can be felt at night and are kinder to the hands than tie wraps.
They have lasted 20+ years with moderate use (I try not to use marinas). They can be felt at night and are kinder to the hands than tie wraps.
dunedin
Well-Known Member
Either using the wrong plastic inserts or the wrong technique? As noted, need to check they are inserted properly, as easy to leave end of plastic tucked in the wrong way.
Done like that we have lost just one in 7 years of intensive use.
Roberto
Well-Known Member
As any other anchor matter, chain markers are an act of faith too, believe in them and they will believe in you and work well. The slightest doubt, one falls into desperation and waits frantically for Panope to begin testing chain markers to bring the light to this much overlooked anchoring mystery.
geem
Well-Known Member
Wrong plastic inserts probably. Bought in Caribbean. They were carp
CapPugwash
Well-Known Member
My windless has a counter that seems to match the faded paint roughly.
HissyFit
Well-Known Member
Has anyone tried stove enamel powder and blow torch? I reckon is should be up to it, robustness wise. You can get it in bright yellow day glow.
RAI
Well-Known Member
Hammerite paint suitable for zinc has worked well for me, especially on new chain.
HissyFit
Well-Known Member
I think I'll try this first.
coopec
N/A
After googling "anchor chain plastic markers" (sorry PVB) and finding all the problems people have had with them I decided to use "Dulux Metalshield Epoxy Enamel". I presume from what you say my chain is destined for the recycle bin?
Maybe the guy that suggested using "CRC cold galvanizing paint: Zinc-It® ... " is on to something?
Neeves
Well-Known Member
Unfortunately its not the solids content that is the problem, as such, but the resin system. The resin will burn off to a carbon coating on the chain and the molten zinc will not access the underlying steel and form the alloys. The filler in the resin TiO2 might not help either, but a zinc paint would not make any difference to the resin system. It does not matter which resin system - they will contain some carbon.
Paint has to be removed - you could use paint stripper - but you would need to do this yourself. Not a major issue for 6mm chain but I'd hate to do it for 100m of 10mm or 12mm. The other option is grit blasting and from what MMSAHO suggest this is not a common facility at galvanisers. You could have it grit blasted 'outside' but its now getting more complex and expensive and a galvaniser I spoke to in Sydney suggested that you need to schedule the grit blasting and galvanising to be effected immediately one after the other as clean steel rusts as soon as it has been grit blasted and a slight film of oxidised steel will not take the gal coating (it will come out of the gal bath completely clean - gal free).
Jonathan
edit
I have my chain and the components galvanised by a different process to Hot Dipped Galvanising. The latter involves molten zinc, held in a bath, the item is submerged in the molten zinc and zinc/iron alloys form, relatively quickly. I use a process , now called, Thermal Diffusion Galvanising, but historically the process was Sherardizing (developed in the UK by a Mr Sherard). The process has been modernised and there are a number of different variants - the one I use described under its trade name Armorgalv, there is another called Green Cote , Impreglon- + a couple more. The process is more like a ceramic process, or powder metallurgy and takes hours. For HDG the items to be galvanised are cleaned with acid and ??? NaOH?.... TDG uses grit blasting as part of the process. My original chain was painted when received - it was grit blasted and the resultant galvanised coating has been very reliable. The next 3 rodes were sourced grit blasted and I could detect no difference in the quality of the coating of the chain originally painted and the grit blasted versions. The chain to be galvanised, about which I'm enquiring about painted marks (this thread) is painted.
Most components of the lifting industry are painted or powder coated and prior to TDG I have stripped with paint stripper, sometime 2 and exceptionally 3 applications with a wire brush in between. The reason for using paint stripper is that we have found the embossing on, say, shackles retains paint and does not take the TDG too well - so I'm trying to improve the result using paint stripper.
But grit blasting does work (on chain).
Another way to clean chain, of paint, is to attach to your car, preferably 4 x 4 , and drag along a beach, end for end, and drag back - till clean - repeat if paint remains.. Wash with fresh water and deliver immediately to the galvaniser - he can treat it as usual from there on.
All is not lost - if you are prepared to put in the effort.
J
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coopec
N/A
Surely using paint stripper would not be a big deal?
I've used a bit (3 links) of white paint every ten meters (10-40m), then yellow paint (50m), then orange paint (60m), then red paint at 70m.
"Since epoxy paint is strong and resistant to wear and tear, removing it with a typical paint thinner will not work. Working with a stripper that contains methylene chloride, also called dichloromethane, will work best for removing epoxy paint".
How to Remove Epoxy Paint
Neeves
Well-Known Member
It depends on the manufacturer of the components - some are relatively easy to strip others very laborious. I suspect some of them are powder coated (about which I know nothing)
Jonathan
Neeves
Well-Known Member
I'm going to investigate - I like the idea of heat treated paint - it sounds robust. A bit like road marking paint that is applied with heat - but available in sensible package sizes. I'm not sure why stoves need to be painted with day glo yellow - but that might be reserved for the Mobo forum
Jonathan