What grit to add to enamel - Kiln dried sand?

Sy-Revolution

Sy-Revolution

Well-Known Member
Joined
4 Apr 2006
Messages
1,281
Location
On board -N/B Berengaria, Cambridge
Visit site
Hi Folks,
I'm in the process of painting a friends Dutch barge, the deck has been taken back to bare metal, and is now in primer. I need to add some grit to the enamel I've been given to make it non slip. Having seen some tiny bags for sale at a local chandlers at around a fiver a bag (I'm going to need quite a few) I'm tempted to try some kiln dried fine play pit sand (around a fiver for 25kg).

Has anyone done this successfully, or am I barking up the wrong tree?

Any ideas??

Cheers,

C.
 
I actually bought some pukka stuff - I think it was International, probably called "micro beads" or something - for my tiny decks. Minimum pack size ended up several hundred times what I needed - I think about 10mL (or grams) was enough for the whole deck area of a 20' boat. It works really well, and "graded grains makes finer flour".
 
The deck on my fishing vessel was coated with epoxy, about 3 square feet at a time and builders sand sprinkled into it heavily. Other areas I used paving paint with sand sprinkled while the paint was very wet. It makes a long lasting surface but is very aggressive on bare skin if your kneeling on it for example. Another coat of paint over reduces the roughness. Caution when it comes time to sand again to repaint, the dust from the sand is very dangerous for your lungs!
 
Sy-Revolution said:
Hi Folks,
I'm in the process of painting a friends Dutch barge, the deck has been taken back to bare metal, and is now in primer. I need to add some grit to the enamel I've been given to make it non slip. Having seen some tiny bags for sale at a local chandlers at around a fiver a bag (I'm going to need quite a few) I'm tempted to try some kiln dried fine play pit sand (around a fiver for 25kg).

Has anyone done this successfully, or am I barking up the wrong tree?

Any ideas??

Cheers,

C.
Click to expand...

Play pit sand is very fine. I wonder if it might be too fine. Perhaps worth comparing with the material the chandler sell.

Textured masonry paint reputed to be a good substitute for expensive non-slip deck paint but if you have already been given the paint to use suggesting alternatives is not very helpful!
 
Builders sand, dried in a shallow pan on the cooker, then sieved, is fine and nearly free.

I tried test strips, sprinkling on wet paint and mixing with the paint first. The mix was best.

Nick
 
Don't laugh but ...

I have read (in the American Wooden Boat magazine's forum) of people using sugar!

The technique is to sprinkle the sugar onto the wet paint surface. Let it dry, then wash the deck. The sugar dissolves leaving a pitted surface.
 
parsifal said:
Don't laugh but ...

I have read (in the American Wooden Boat magazine's forum) of people using sugar!

The technique is to sprinkle the sugar onto the wet paint surface. Let it dry, then wash the deck. The sugar dissolves leaving a pitted surface.
Click to expand...

Hi P'
the only problem ia that sugar does, as you say, leave pits rather than points.

We used an epoxy upon our refaced grp deck, mixed with a coulouring and......

https://www.google.co.uk/search?sit...nk_timediscountc..0.0...1.1.16.hp.lDBwwmO7Qtw

the type I'm not privy to as this was a trade secret of the guy who applied it for me.

I can honestly say it is the best non-slip I have ever experienced although it doesn't do the knees of oilees or the toe ends of boots much good. :)

Some photos .... not that you can judge by them,
POST 16.......

Photos on http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthrea...g-to-sell-up-and-buy-one!&highlight=tradewind

Why not grit with paint?
S.
 
Last edited:
I made a combined work bench/work platform a while ago. The ply top was varnished and covered with clean dry sand.
It's proven to be very effective and an unexpected benefit is that the non-slip surface is very helpful at keep a bit of wood still when I am sawing it.
 
I used bird sand from an avery
Can be purchased from a pet shop
Distributed evenly by sprinkling with a fine flour sieve to get even coat on wet paint ( allow it to start to get tacky first)
Wait until dry & hoover off any unstuck grit
Then apply a thin layer of paint over the top
This method gets an even coat & saves the hassle of constantly mixing grains added to the paint
Also means you get a sharper grit on the finished surface which is quite fine & neat looking rather than ugly lumps
Comments about floor paint being good are very valid.
I used floor paint on the inside of my hull. The white did not go yellow like some paints & is fairly chip resistant
 
Last edited:
I have used sand gathered from a beach! Sieved to remove ciggy butts, matches condoms etc the well washed in fresh water to remove the dust and salt. A bucket full of "raw" sand produced about a pint of uniformly sized grains. sprinkled onto the wet paint and then excess removed with a stiff brush left a very aggressive non slip surface. Two more coats of paint smoothed things off a bit.
 
Hi. I used Henkel microbeads or similar name to add to their varnish to coat my gangplank. It worked well but with varnish it left a slight greyish hue. However the result and application was very satisfactory. You need to be quite accurate with quantity added to paint/varnish as it is quite a small amount. I would think one tin of microbeads would coat a reasonable areas
 
Scotty_Tradewind said:
Hi Bobo'

International on a Dutch barge????

I think he may need to be well flush with cash to do that. :)
Click to expand...

No no International do a "domestic floor paint" at "domestic rates"

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Internati...ish_MJ&var=&hash=item232277d258#ht_847wt_1170

As it happens, barges, dutch or other have relatively small side decks, I use firestone membrane on the main roof and in any case the roof tends to be covered in lights and solar panels.

You can also buy ground up tyres to add to paint to make it non slip and more exotic blasting compounds
 
Last edited:
Years ago a friend of mine used fine sand in enamel on his boat and deeply regretted it.The decks remained slippery yet were very aggressive to bare skin or clothing.I could never understand why people don't use the proper International product as it is not too expensive and goes a long way.Their nonslip aditive is also very effective and pretty cheap.
 
Bobobolinsky said:
No no International do a "domestic floor paint" at "domestic rates"

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Internati...ish_MJ&var=&hash=item232277d258#ht_847wt_1170

As it happens, barges, dutch or other have relatively small side decks, I use firestone membrane on the main roof and in any case the roof tends to be covered in lights and solar panels.

You can also buy ground up tyres to add to paint to make it non slip and more exotic blasting compounds
Click to expand...

I stand corrected. :(
 
30boat said:
Years ago a friend of mine used fine sand in enamel on his boat and deeply regretted it.The decks remained slippery yet were very aggressive to bare skin or clothing.I could never understand why people don't use the proper International product as it is not too expensive and goes a long way.Their nonslip aditive is also very effective and pretty cheap.
Click to expand...
Cannot agree with that
I thought the international to be a poor product
Sand properly applied is far better
But if international works for you then ok
 
Using a pepper shaker to apply the sand (of any grade) to wet paint is better than the already immersed deck paint.

£23.90 for 750ml(International) or Hempel's @£18.50 for the 750ml is poor value akin to many Anti-fouls from both sources.


ianat182
 
Daydream believer said:
Cannot agree with that
I thought the international to be a poor product
Sand properly applied is far better
But if international works for you then ok
Click to expand...
On my boat I have International Interdeck that's probably 20 years old.It's still remarkably effective though it needs redoing but only for cosmetic reasons.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top