Tough Metal Varish?

Tim Good

Tim Good

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I have spray painted my chain at various lengths with enamel spray paint as recommended by a user in a previous thread. It seems seems a little soft and easily chipped. Is there a tough type spray varnish I could use to get it a bit more resilience?
 
No paint will survive on a galvanized chain if the chain is used regularly. As Sailorman suggests, cable ties are much better. Use two colours One for 5m and the other for 10m. Cheap and easy to replace.
 
If you are absolutely determined to paint chain markings you would need an etch primer first, then the colour over the top. I gave up with paint very many years ago, it's tedious to apply and doesn't last. The proprietary rubber things that push into the links fall out and soon acquire the colour of mud, so all look the same. My experience is that cable ties are by far the best method. 500 for £8 from B&Q about five years ago and I still have most of them. If you don't pull them up hard they will last longer through the windlass. Some people use complex colour systems like snooker balls or rainbow: I use one red per every ten metres and a yellow for fives between. The most I use is four reds = 40, then change to one of the other colours in the pack for 50 and 60. Don't need any after that.
 
Yeah I was going to put cable ties on also but the chain was already mark red blue green yellow as so whilst I have been on the hard, decided to recoat. I just assumed there must be some way to getting a lasting colour.
 
SWMBO, who does most of the anchor work, likes the painted chain business as its easier to spot. It means that we repaint every season as the paint on the first 30 m or so has virtually all disappeared by the end of the season. She also insists on the rubber inserts as well but I find them impossible to see unless the chain is moving very slowly. I'd prefer cable ties but don't get a vote. At least she paints the chain herself, so can't complain too much.
 
sarabande said:
Cable ties will shred your paws, and should be banned from the foredeck.

Signed

Ex-gorilla.
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I think the trick is to leave the tails on. It's the sharp cut ends which are nasty.

On my last boat, a previous owner had very kindly, and presumably laboriously, sewn little webbing tabs onto the links at appropriate intervals. Seemed to last well, and soft on the hands too.
 
Daydream believer said:
40? Are you sure -- Even if you put black in between you will only get 32
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one red = 10, two reds = 20, three reds = 30, four reds = 40 :) We have been using cable ties for many years, never had any kind of accident with them. As suggested, cutting the tails off is what leads to cuts but since the intention is that the ties should be visible it seems a pointless thing to do.
 
Daydream believer said:
Red =1, black=7 total =8 ........... red,black,red,black,red,black,red,black

Times 4 =32

Do catch up please
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You may understand what you are writing about, I'm afraid I don't. I use one red for 10 metres, two reds for 20 metres, three reds for 30 metres, four reds for 40 metres. What could be simpler? and that makes a total of 10 tiewraps, with yellows at 5 metres between them makes another four, = 14.
 
Kelpie said:
On my last boat, a previous owner had very kindly, and presumably laboriously, sewn little webbing tabs onto the links at appropriate intervals. Seemed to last well, and soft on the hands too.
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That's the system Larry and Lyn Pardey use. It seems like a good idea and I'm going to try it next season.

So far I have used cable ties. One at 10 metres; 2 at 20 metres; and so on. The trouble is the cable ties get torn off after being used a dozen or so times.
 
parsifal said:
That's the system Larry and Lyn Pardey use. It seems like a good idea and I'm going to try it next season.

So far I have used cable ties. One at 10 metres; 2 at 20 metres; and so on. The trouble is the cable ties get torn off after being used a dozen or so times.
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I will add that on that boat we had no windlass, so I can't vouch for how well the webbing tabs might survive going through a gypsy.
 
vyv_cox said:
You may understand what you are writing about, I'm afraid I don't. I use one red for 10 metres, two reds for 20 metres, three reds for 30 metres, four reds for 40 metres. What could be simpler? and that makes a total of 10 tiewraps, with yellows at 5 metres between them makes another four, = 14.
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If I am not mistaken vyv the red ball in snooker is worth one point the black 7points.
 
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