Re galvanising anchor chain

[Jabs]

My anchor chain is showing odd patches where the galvanising is wearing thin.

Some bits, viz two areas each a foot long are surface rusty.
The chain is otherwise in good shape.

I seem to remember seeing somewhere to get it re galvanised.

Has anyone done this?
Do they sand blast it first?
How is the thickness/adhesion?

Any help much appreciated

Thanks

Tony

 

[NormanS]

I got mine done before this season. The chain is first pickled in acid to get rid of any rust. One point is that galvanisers do not like paint on the chain. If you have e.g. paint marks, either remove them, or be prepared for a bigger bill.

 

[vyv_cox]

There is a page about it on my website http://coxengineering.sharepoint.com/Pages/Regalvanising.aspx There are many galvanising plants throughout UK but as far as I know BE Wedge have the only specialist one for chain. They have done two for me, excellent jobs. The original galv on the first one, shown on the website, only lasted three years. The regalv is now five years old and looks perfect.

 

[MM5AHO]

Can answer this as a galvanizer.
Regalvanizing items is common, but there are a few tips to make it go better or cost less.
Most modern galvanizing plants seek volume and interest in "footery" bits and pieces is lower than truckloads of tonnes of steelwork. Its common to have a minimum order value, so you might end up paying £50 or sometimes £100 minimum for £25 worth of galvanizing.
Adding your chain, anchor or other bits to someone else's order to get the weight up helps. Especially if that someone is a regular steel fabricator with an account and a good low regular price (as opposed to a "one off price".)
Galvanizing isn't just a coating, its an alloying process. zinc alloys with iron (in the steel), forming Zinc - iron alloy on the surface of the steel. This is a thin layer, often only 10u (10 microns, or 0.01mm) thick. But this was immersed in molten zinc when the alloying happened, so it also gets a layer of "pure" zinc. (it isn't quite pure, has micro-alloyed Ni, Al, Pb and maybe more in it)
Both the alloy and the zinc protect the steel sacrificially. If they don't "wear away" after time, they're not protecting the steel. The life depends on how hard the environment is.
The molten zinc is usually about 450C, just 30 degrees above melting temp, so a bit "thick". It means that moving parts, or contacting parts, can get "welded" together with zinc. There are two ways to overcome this. 1. centrifuge; a spinning basket that spins off the surplus while the item is cooling, and before the zinc solidifies. The quicker this is done after the basket emerges from the melt, the more can be spun off. Its possible to raise the temperature, and be able to spin off even more, and chain production lines sometimes do that, resulting in the very clean looking, but rather thin galvanizing seen in Vyv's website original chain image. 2. Agitate the chain as it emerges. This means to physically shake the surplus off, but of course that's tricky with chain at 450C. The effort required, is sometimes too much bother, and that's the reason why many galvanizers refer you elsewhere - to avoid the hassle. This method does result in a thicker coating though (as seen in VyV's other image).
Like most coating processes, its the preparation that means everything in the result.
Zinc will not alloy with zinc, especially zinc oxide, zinc carbonate etc- the surfaces of your chain when used for some years. So that zinc must come off first, exposing bare steel. All galvanizing steel is clean in much the same way - immersion in hydrochloric acid (about 10% strength). This removes rust, old galvanizing, millscale and other impurities. But it doesn't remove paint. In fact paint is a crude way to "mask" things in galvanizing. It prevents the cleaning of the steel, and so prevents the alloying reaction. The reason galvanizers don't like paint is that this is an extra process to remove it, costs someone money and that is generally unwelcome by all. That's a good reason not to use paint to mark your anchor chain.
Shotblasting: Can do two things in respect of galvanizing. Can clean steel of severe rust, paint or other surface contamination. Also reprofiles the surface if steel which allows a thicker coating, by increasing surface area. Not normally required for chain, but generally for any steel, blasting to standard SA2.5 will increase the thickness to nearly double.
The grade of steel has some impact on coating thickness, but this is less of an issue in chain. (the silicon level in steel has a huge affect of the alloying reaction.) Be wary of galvanizing high strength steels. In chain this can apply to say grade 80 of higher. Most anchor chain is grade 40, and is no problem. The higher grades can e galvanized, its the acid that can be a problem, and can increase the incidence of "hydrogen embrittlement". This is more concern perhaps in some types of anchor that use high strength steels. There are methods of galvanizing these steels, but be wary. A galvanizer will not know what grade of steel your item is, and will likely treat it as normal.

 

[pcatterall]

There is a page about it on my website http://coxengineering.sharepoint.com/Pages/Regalvanising.aspx There are many galvanising plants throughout UK but as far as I know BE Wedge have the only specialist one for chain. They have done two for me, excellent jobs. The original galv on the first one, shown on the website, only lasted three years. The regalv is now five years old and looks perfect.

+1 for Wedge Sharing with others will save on cost and transport

 

[Simes]

Geoff,

Many thanks for the short Dissatation on galvanising. So much good information in one hit. Thanks again.
May I ask who in your opinion does a good job of re-galvanising chain?

Regards

Simes

 

[travlinon]

Thanks for your very informative answer on galvanising Geoff. Great to know exactly the process involved.

Ken

 

[MM5AHO]

Ken: (Mandurah? I used to live in Allanson, near Collie! moved here for cooler weather).

Simes: For anchor chain there's two choices: find a galvanizer who sails (like me), or one who does a good job with chain. Several have mentioned Wedge. They have the largest UK share of the market with 12 or so plants, one which does chain well.
But here's a list of UK and Ireland plants: http://www.galvanizing.org.uk/galvanizing_plants/introduction/

In New Zealand there's CSP, owner/MD has a yacht, sails the Pacific. Sympathetic to sailors needs.
In Western Australia there's Industrial Galvanizers, (Spearwood, not too far from Mandurah)

 

[TQA]

Geoff,

Many thanks for the short Dissatation on galvanising. So much good information in one hit. Thanks again.
May I ask who in your opinion does a good job of re-galvanising chain?

Regards

Simes

+ 1

I am in the Eastern Caribbean and the last chain I bought, 10mm short link, has been disappointing. It has either stretched or worn as it no longer fits the gypsy and it is showing surface rust. This after only 2 1/2 years. I do anchor about 360 days a year and mostly on sand so my chain does get a hard life.

Is there any way of knowing I am buying a high quality chain at a reasonable price? Either 3/8th [BBB] or 10mm short link? Delivery from the USA is possible.

 

[michael_w]

About 18months BE Wedge in Willenhall regalvanized my 50m chain + 35lb CQR for approx £175. Under a week turnround. They are one of the last chain galvanizers left in existence. Apparently most galvanizers don't have the specialist equipment to handle chain so it gets an adequete coating without ending up in a congealed lump.

 

[MM5AHO]

While its true that BE Wedge have the kit to do chain semi-automatically, that doesn't mean others can't do it. See my post above.
Its possible if you take care. A bit like saying that no carpenter can work without an electric planer.

About 18months BE Wedge in Willenhall regalvanized my 50m chain + 35lb CQR for approx £175. Under a week turnround. They are one of the last chain galvanizers left in existence. Apparently most galvanizers don't have the specialist equipment to handle chain so it gets an adequete coating without ending up in a congealed lump.

 

[DistantDreamer]

Just as a recent update to the regalvanise the anchor question. Wedge is the only company that seems to offer this specialist service. They charge £2.28 (Jan 2018) per kilo for stripping and regalvanising. So for my 25M X 10mm chain this would be £131. So far so good. But .....the only Wedge facility that does anchor chains is the one in Willenhall near Birmingham. As a south coast sailor this is a long way from home . I called their nearest branch (Eastleigh) to ask if they do inter branch transfers but they do not. They said they could collect for £60 then use a 3rd party shipper to get the chain upto and back from Widdenhall for £150. So we are now up to a total price of £341. A new 30M X 10mm chain at my local Force 4 is £279.95. My conclusion is that unless you sail from Birmingham and can easily drop off at Willenhall, you might as well buy new.

 

[Plum]

Just as a recent update to the regalvanise the anchor question. Wedge is the only company that seems to offer this specialist service. They charge £2.28 (Jan 2018) per kilo for stripping and regalvanising. So for my 25M X 10mm chain this would be £131. So far so good. But .....the only Wedge facility that does anchor chains is the one in Willenhall near Birmingham. As a south coast sailor this is a long way from home . I called their nearest branch (Eastleigh) to ask if they do inter branch transfers but they do not. They said they could collect for £60 then use a 3rd party shipper to get the chain upto and back from Widdenhall for £150. So we are now up to a total price of £341. A new 30M X 10mm chain at my local Force 4 is £279.95. My conclusion is that unless you sail from Birmingham and can easily drop off at Willenhall, you might as well buy new.

Thanks. Very interesting as i was just looking at the cost difference between new or regalv. The best price i could find for new calibrated chain was here www.heyn.co.uk/Engineering/Lifting-...ng-Chain/Short-Link-Galvanised-Chain-15m-10mm and they only charge £17 for delivery so in your case for 30mm of 10mm it would cost you £220 for new.

Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk

 

[Garry & June 'Friendship']

Just as a recent update to the regalvanise the anchor question. Wedge is the only company that seems to offer this specialist service. They charge £2.28 (Jan 2018) per kilo for stripping and regalvanising. So for my 25M X 10mm chain this would be £131. So far so good. But .....the only Wedge facility that does anchor chains is the one in Willenhall near Birmingham. As a south coast sailor this is a long way from home . I called their nearest branch (Eastleigh) to ask if they do inter branch transfers but they do not. They said they could collect for £60 then use a 3rd party shipper to get the chain upto and back from Widdenhall for £150. So we are now up to a total price of £341. A new 30M X 10mm chain at my local Force 4 is £279.95. My conclusion is that unless you sail from Birmingham and can easily drop off at Willenhall, you might as well buy new.

+ 1

 

[Ian_Edwards]

I had my chain 80 m of 10mm grade 40 and my anchor re-galvanised at Highland galvanised in Elgin (NE Scotland), they did a great job, there's probably more zinc on it now than when it was new. Very reasonable price.

I loaded it onto a small pallet from the anchor locker, the boat was ashore for the winter, The yard used their forklift to put it in the back of my Subaru Outback Estate, over the wheels with the back seat down, drove it to Elgin, slowly, offloaded with the fork lift.

I took about 10 days to do the re-galvanising, then I reversed the procedure.

A very straight forward job, easy to do and much cheaper than a new chain.

The chain had been used for about 500 times to anchor on the West Coast of Scotland over 5 years.

 

[DistantDreamer]

Thanks. Very interesting as i was just looking at the cost difference between new or regalv. The best price i could find for new calibrated chain was here www.heyn.co.uk/Engineering/Lifting-...ng-Chain/Short-Link-Galvanised-Chain-15m-10mm and they only charge £17 for delivery so in your case for 30mm of 10mm it would cost you £220 for new.

Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk

Thats good to know . I will take a look at Heyn. Thanks

 

[DistantDreamer]

I had my chain 80 m of 10mm grade 40 and my anchor re-galvanised at Highland galvanised in Elgin (NE Scotland), they did a great job, there's probably more zinc on it now than when it was new. Very reasonable price.

I loaded it onto a small pallet from the anchor locker, the boat was ashore for the winter, The yard used their forklift to put it in the back of my Subaru Outback Estate, over the wheels with the back seat down, drove it to Elgin, slowly, offloaded with the fork lift.

I took about 10 days to do the re-galvanising, then I reversed the procedure.

A very straight forward job, easy to do and much cheaper than a new chain.

The chain had been used for about 500 times to anchor on the West Coast of Scotland over 5 years.

Yep, if you are not too far from the galvaniser then it makes sense. For a South coast sailor like me , driving to Birmingham and back twice is 700 miles (+ 2 days of my life I cant get back..)and as posted using 3rd party transport works out more expensive than a new chain.

 

[Poignard]

A few years ago someone on this forum very kindly organised a collective deal with a galvaniser. People took their chain to his house and he took the whole lot to the galvaniser somewhere up north. I don't know whether the saving justified the trouble he went to but I hope so.

 

[pcatterall]

There is a page about it on my website http://coxengineering.sharepoint.com/Pages/Regalvanising.aspx There are many galvanising plants throughout UK but as far as I know BE Wedge have the only specialist one for chain. They have done two for me, excellent jobs. The original galv on the first one, shown on the website, only lasted three years. The regalv is now five years old and looks perfect.

+1 for wedge mine has lasted several years with no problems. If it is just the odd spot though I might consider doing some local cleaning and spraying as a test for a year.

 

[Spyro]

Geoff is being very modest.
http://www.higalv.co.uk/ Did a fine job on mine and a few others