Bilge paint and application

[SKYCHENEY]

If you're not going to use a two part paint (imron, awlgrip, whatever) go to hemeless despot and buy rustoleum industrial oil based enamel. Because it's oil based, it sticks to oily surfaces, and I defy you to tell the difference between it and bilgecoat, except for the big difference in price.
I've used on a couple of boats, and the results were just fine.

I agree, Dave. I just finished painting my gen room with BilgeCoat. It sure did smell and look like plain old Rustoleum. The reason I used it was that I didn't want to paint the whole area, just the newly glassed area under and around my battery boxes. I wanted it to match the original paint and it did that perfectly. You cannot tell where I started and stopped. If you know the Rustoleum color that matches BilgeCoat, then let us know and I will use that next time.

 

[luckydave215]

Well, my bilges are snow white, so I can't help you there (matching the grey) but I can tell you that I've used Rustoleum enamel to touch up chipped areas in the Awlgrip that my bilges are painted with, and you can't see it.

 

[yachtsmanbill]

Same here, I just used the rustoleum on some minor dock boo-boos and you cant see it-- At least the 5 foot rule applies, and thats OK for government work. The high gloss white is almost the same as awlgrip snow white, plus the rustoleum bites pretty well into oily surfaces as well. Used their rusty metal primer too, its a fish oil base and does well in moist areas, but its dark red. The other good one is their "cold galvanizing" zinc spray. We used that on weldments on high tension towers and equip (hot dipped stuff @ 15 mils). and the stuff didnt rust for 20 years. Just a thought. ws

 

[Diver Down]

To add a couple of other suggestions for bilge paint, I've used Amercoat 236 (a self-priming, multipurpose epoxy) and International Interbond 264 (a two-part epoxy primer used under antifoulants).

On a side note, I work in a large shipyard and I have not seen Ameron antifoulants (such as ABC3) used on Navy ships or commercial vessels in years. The preferred antifoulants on the gray ships, at least those based in Norfolk, are International products (usually Intersmooth 360SPC or Interspeed 640), and to a lesser degree a Sherwinn W product. We recently painted the u/w hull of a cruise ship with a new Belgian coating (Ecospeed) that is not an ablative paint, but rather a hard epoxy containing no copper, TBT or other pesticides. The stuff looks like orange peel when you apply it and then after several in-the-water "polishings" by divers, it supposedly becomes a smooth, superslick surface. I'll believe that when I see it.

 

[surfdancer45]

One more thought on Rust-oleum. I had some repairs on my generator and the mechanic used Rustoleum Epoxy Appliance paint. He said he has tried everything and that it holds up the best, it is ultra hard and resists yellowing and does not absorb dirt and oil. I have used it to spot paint some parts of the engines and will report on how it holds up. Bob

 

[Maynard Rupp]

You could use any solvent. Methyl Ethyl Ketone was just what came to mind. You just need to get any oils off so the paint will stick.

Can't beat MEK except for your health I guess. We used many 55 gallon barrels at the airport over the years. Our Corporate health gurus made us get rid of it. They brought us a health safe solvent. We were amased. It works as good or better for all the same purposes as MEK. It is 3M adhesive remover. Very good replacement for both MEK and acetone.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

Yeah, I hate to think how much of that type of stuff I've gotton all over my hands over the years, not to mention breathing it. You don't really think about it when you're young and invincible. Gloves? I don't need no stinkin' gloves?