Re-Galvanising, Brighton

laika

laika

Well-Known Member
Joined
6 Apr 2011
Messages
8,308
Location
London / Gosport
Visit site
Having had repeated issues with my anchor chain (75mx10mm) piling up in the anchor locker and noting that my basically sound CQR has some surface corrosion and could look shinier I'm considering getting them re-galvanised. Any suggestions for somewhere near Brighton which does this (or acts as a collection agent for another company elsewhere)? Ideally I'd like to have the chain and anchor taken away, the surface muck (rust+the remnants of any paint/re-galvanising spray which previous owners may have employed) taken off and returned to me shiny without having to organise both separately. Anyone else in the area interested in making up a batch?
 
I took my CQR to www.trident-structural.co.uk who are near Chichester. They don't do the work themselves but they batched it up with some other work and sent it, I think, to Wessex Galvanizers near Southampton. Worked out cheaper than dealing directly with Wessex and it's a shorter drive. Don't know if they can handle chain but could be worthwhile asking.
 
Thanks. I don't have a landrover or indeed a car. Geoff's link suggests that wessex galvanisers are the closest to me so Jonathan's suggestion sounds useful. Might be able to blag a lift to chichester or portsmouth (or hire a car for a day) but Brum would be a bit too far. Taking an anchor on the train might work but I think the chain would be the deal breaker for that plan :-)
 
laika said:
Thanks. I don't have a landrover or indeed a car. Geoff's link suggests that wessex galvanisers are the closest to me so Jonathan's suggestion sounds useful. Might be able to blag a lift to chichester or portsmouth (or hire a car for a day) but Brum would be a bit too far. Taking an anchor on the train might work but I think the chain would be the deal breaker for that plan :-)
Click to expand...
re galvanising chain requires s[specialist equipment unless you like the chain in one zinc lump
 
sailorman said:
re galvanising chain requires s[specialist equipment unless you like the chain in one zinc lump
Click to expand...

Sorry I see what you're saying. IIRC there were other places on the south coast which acted as agents/collection points for the place in Birmingham (or wherever it was). So maybe we're back to the original question about places near Brighton (arguably as far west as southampton but closer the better) which collect up stuff to send to the people who can do chain :-). I'll drop a line to trident-structural and see what they say.
 
Galvanizing chain does not REQUIRE specialist equipment.
It's certainly handier to do it that way, but a quite reasonable result can be obtained by anyone that WANTS to do it.
 
Just to finish this off....B.E. Wedge are the people in the Midlands:
http://www.wedge-galv.co.uk


Vyv Cox has a page about re-galvanising chain here:
https://coxengineering.sharepoint.com/Pages/Regalvanising.aspx

Wedge quoted me a penny under £2 a kilo to strip and re-galvanise and £138 to pick it up from and deliver it back to brighton. That's going to cost quite a bit ("wedge" pun omitted) so I'll need to consider it carefully.

Aeolus said:
I took my CQR to www.trident-structural.co.uk who are near Chichester.
Click to expand...

Looking at my CQR I see that it's essentially in two parts with a big pin linking it together, but I can't see a way to remove that pin and separate the shank from the...errr...what do you call the head thingy of CQR? The fluke? The ploughy bit? Have people who've had a CQR re-galvanised take it apart (in which case: how?) or have it done as it?
 
laika said:
Have people who've had a CQR re-galvanised take it apart (in which case: how?) or have it done as it?
Click to expand...

Why would you consider taking it apart? Any galvanising on the hinge would simple wear away the first time you used it anyway.

Be aware that some have reported that the tip of a CQR is/was weighted with lead which has melted away in the galvanising bath. (No idea of the accuracy of such reports).
 
Genuine CQRs have lead in the toe, tip, of the fluke. This will need to be removed prior to re-galvanising, actually quite easy - a decent blow torch will do it. More difficult is replacing the lead (as without it the anchor will work less well than it does already) and replace it such that it does not fall out.

I hate to say it but using the anchor frequently will remove the rust. Another practice is to attack the rust with an angle grinder with wire brush and then paint once a year. Painted anchors are quite fashionable in the Med. The alternative, and much supported by the industry, is to buy a new anchor - it might work out not much more expensive than re-galvanising and if you choose a 'modern' design you will have a better and more reliable anchor (and maintain the pension funds of the anchor maker).

Before you send your chain off for regalvanising check how much corrosion and abrasion has already occurred. If you have lost 10% of link diameter (you need to check a number of links along the length of the chain - the greatest wear is not at the ends) and you cannot determine what grade of chain you have or where it came from it might not be worth regalvanising.

Jonathan
 
"Any galvanising on the hinge would simple wear away the first time you used it anyway."

It will not.
Galvanizing is a multi-layered coating. The lower layer nearest to the steel is harder than steel (alloys of iron and zinc). If the galv were to wear away on the first use, then the steel would do so faster, and that would be a disaster. The outer layer of galv is soft pure zinc and will wear faster than steel.

On lead inside the tip: Mine is sealed inside, welded shut. When regalvanizing the lead certainly will melt, but unless it has a way to run out, then it will just solidify again in place. Lead has low solubility in zinc (max just over 1%), so it won't dissolve. If it runs out, it would sink in the molten zinc, being much heavier metal. (lead about double the density of zinc)

My CQR has been galvanized 4 times in its about 40 year life. (but then I know a place where I can get it done at low cost)
 
laika said:
Having had repeated issues with my anchor chain (75mx10mm) piling up in the anchor locker and noting that my basically sound CQR has some surface corrosion and could look shinier I'm considering getting them re-galvanised. Any suggestions for somewhere near Brighton which does this (or acts as a collection agent for another company elsewhere)? Ideally I'd like to have the chain and anchor taken away, the surface muck (rust+the remnants of any paint/re-galvanising spray which previous owners may have employed) taken off and returned to me shiny without having to organise both separately. Anyone else in the area interested in making up a batch?
Click to expand...

I looked into this recently as part of my refit, and the nearest galvaniser I could find was Medway Galvanising. I think that SSL in the marina might act as an agent for them, although I'm not certain. Don't know if they'll do chain or not though.

If the issue is your chain 'clumping' in the anchor locker, have you tried putting a cone or something in the locker to force it to coil?
 
I think the CQR has steel rather than lead ballast.

It can be re galvanised, but check for wear on the pivoting pin first as this will not be corrected by galvanising. Even if the anchor is in otherwise good condition, it is a sensible time to consider if the money would be better spent on a more modern alternative.

This one should have been thrown away a long time ago :):

image.jpg1_zpsyqoquixk.jpg
 
Last edited:
I stand corrected. Having read the more recent posts I went and attacked my genuine CQR and a copy Hent (looks a very good copy - difficult to tell them apart), both 20lb models and the genuine CQR is a casting, the whole thing is steel. The Hent might have lead but it seems unlikely (as casting lead would be a real fiddle for such a small anchor) so I think it is also a casting in steel (no lead). My CQR and Hent were bought 1989/90. I also have a Manson Plough, 40lb and it definitely has free lead in the toe, not boxed in - its a 2001 vintage model. The lead really stands out and is nicely polished (and does not corrode/tarnish)

The story of lead in CQRs is enduring (and oft repeated) - it might be original models or big models had lead.

Its easy to check - lead is very soft, try a small drill bit.

If you are happy with your CQR and happy to regal - go for it! Generations used them with success, people made heroic voyages and circumnavigations with them (and came back to tell the tale). Geoff's anchor seems to continue to work well despite its maturity (and new clothes). New gen anchors might be better - but you know your anchor and you might have something better to spend the money on.

Jonathan
 
I am now convinced NOT to re-galvanise the anchor. Doing the chain has a practical purpose. The anchor was purely aesthetic. I did try re-galvanising spray paint 5 years ago but frankly it looked rubbish and wore off fairly quickly. The anchor (20Kg) is a copy. No obvious change of material at any point but I've mailed the manufacturer to ask about lead in case I change my mind. Presumably the drill bit test J Neeves suggests involves drilling into the anchor?

To be honest, for all the talk of how rubbish old style anchors are I've never had a problem with this one once it is set, and rarely have much trouble setting it, although most of my anchoring is admittedly in rather hospitable south coast mud which I hope to swap for caribbean sand at some point in the not-too-distant future.

jimmy_the_builder said:
If the issue is your chain 'clumping' in the anchor locker, have you tried putting a cone or something in the locker to force it to coil?
Click to expand...

Yes and yes, but it's quite a small chain locker for the amount of chain in there so this is plan B
 
Laika,

If you cannot see any change in material then it could be all steel, just one casting. If it has exposed lead it will appear immediately behind the toe, underside, and could be exposed like my Manson Plough as a wedge of lead which is exposed on the flat of the base and up into the flukes, so 2 sides. the anchor could also have a base plate, making a cup into which the lead has been poured, in which case it will just be the top of the cup that is exposed lead. This is how Spades (the anchor) are made. It would be easy to drill into if its lead, more difficult if its steel (2mm drill bit).

Unless you are an anchor maker or his acolyte then most anchors are pretty ugly so abandoning aesthetics seems pretty sensible. If you want bling - go for an Ultra though how Ultra owners steel themselves to use their investment beats me!

I do not know how big your locker is but 10mm chain is quite chunky (and 75m of it is heavy!) to match with a 20kg anchor. Its another expense - but 8mm might be something to consider, it will give you more room and less weight in the bow - but you will need a new gypsy.

But easy for us to suggest you spend money - its an option if re-galvanising the chain falls over.

Jonathan
 
J Neeves said:
I do not know how big your locker is but 10mm chain is quite chunky (and 75m of it is heavy!) to match with a 20kg anchor. Its another expense - but 8mm might be something to consider, it will give you more room and less weight in the bow - but you will need a new gypsy.
Click to expand...

I'm sure 8mm would be fine and probably what the boat was originally spec-ed with (another forumite who keeps an oceanlord in the med has 8mm), but replacing a perfectly good, albeit large and awkwardly positioned windlass seems a bit excessive, especially as I'm rubbish at selling stuff. I note that it might be possible to replace the gypsy though.
 
Last edited:
All of the common or major windlass makers have a range of gypsies to suit their production. Smaller windlass might have a matching 6mm, 8mm and 10mm gypsies, larger ones 10mm and 12mm etc They also have DIN or ISO 10mm gypsies, some also make EN 818 gypsies and imperial as well as metric gypsies. But whatever windlass you have there will almost definitely be a series of other gypsies, smaller or larger, that will fit from whoever makes your windlass. They, the gypsy, simply lift off (or ours does). You cannot swap from Lewmar to Maxwell, they have different shaft sizes. Quite a few people change chain size - there ought to be a reasonable number of gypsies lying around looking for a new home! (and new gypsies are not cheap - a bit like exhaust elbows)

I would not suggest changing the windlass!

We are in a similar position to you. We needed to do 'something' about our chain and as we wanted to downsize we discounted re-galvanising and have opted to replace our 8mm with 6mm. We are also swapping to an EN 818 spec so needed to ensure the new gypsy was compatible (so we ran some chain through the, new, gypsy). Interestingly the cost of the 6mm chain + new gypsy is cheaper than buying new 8mm chain (but that might be an unusual local quirk). We will end up with a redundant gypsy, Muir Atlantic.

One advantage of downsizing is that the power requirement will be lower. Also because the chain is smaller it should stack better, our chain locker is quite large but shallow (which is a major incentive for the change).

If you go for re-galvanising you need to think how you are going to physically move the chain. We disgorged our 50m of 8mm into a pail in our dinghy and when we got to shore I discovered I could not lift it out of the dinghy (I'm not a weightlifter). Fortunately we had a spare pail and split it into 2 halves and I walked a pail a few metres then the next pail. In hindsight its more amusing than at the time.

Jonathan
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top