Somebody mentioned the molasses treatment for steel. There are lots of YouTube videos with car parts sitting for weeks in fermenting tanks of molasses and water, 1:10. I dismissed it, as I sure as hell am not going to turn the insides of Seeker into a fermentation tank. But then I found a bottle of molasses in the pantry today. Hmmm, so lets see what smearing it onto the steel does. At least until the rain washes it away.
All this is because we are seriously looking for a path that avoids sandblasting the interior of the boat. That would be a horrible job. And now that we have it on good advice that modern paints like POR 15 can deal with light rust without blasting we are hopeful. The trick is to remove as much of the rust as possible. Hence the molasses test. And I am not going to put this anywhere inside the boat till I can see that it works to some degree on the outside. This stuff stinks. And it’s not even started to ferment yet. But the dogs like it. What they don’t lick it off they let it dip into their hair before coming back inside the house.
Apparently molasses contains a small amount of phosphoric acid, and phosphoric acid is commonly used to clean rust. But the amount of phosphoric acid is also dependent on the production process, so it may depend on the batch. However it might be that adding phosphoric acid to molasses would work better than just spraying phosphoric acid on, as it would hold the acid in contact with the vertical steel.
Here is the main post about PAINT. Recommendations and suggestions are welcomed.
Paint — It’s one of those things you want to get right. But it’s also apparently one of those things that can cost $100,000 if your boat happens to be in the 40 ton range.
Our criteria. 1) Good, not pretty. I could care less about gloss. Durable, is much better than gloss. Epoxy chalks in the sun and chalking is fine. 2) Basic color selection. Black, Grey, Yellow, Red and we are good.
Topsides 4200 sq ft Hull Interior 4200 sq ft Below the Waterline 1500 sq ft
Everything: Zinc Primer Amercoat 68 HS, air sprayer 0.07 tip, 1 coat, 3 to 4 mils, 5700 sq ft / 550 * 1.2 = 12 gallons
Hull: Coal Tar Amercoat 78 HB, 2 coats, roller, 8 mil, no thinner, 3000 sq ft * 2 / 78 * 1.2 = 95 gallons
Everything Else: Amercoat 385, 2 or 3 coats, roller, No induction over 70, 3 hour pot @ 70, 4200 / 218 * 1.2 = 23 gallons: 20 gallons Grey, 2 gallons Red, 1 gallon Yellow.
I finally got the keel patched and put the crew to work doing the nastiest job of the year. During the last few years of construction the keels have been collecting inches of grinding dust, plasma dust, weld spatter, tools, leaves and other assorted trash. Just add water and you get the picture. Now we wait for them to dry and they’ll be ready of lead. Mean while we are back to casting deadlights for the portholes.
Wet, cold, and muddy, but the worst is over and I have Jack, Hugh, and Martin to thank for it. Ok, so Martin was seriously late, but that was Delta’s fault. Now we just need a week or two of dry weather so they can dry out, and then it’s time to pour some lead!
Martin Kresadlo stopped in on a business trip. I shook his hand and pointed to a wet vac. This guy knows how to go to work.
Modifying the lead smelting pot.
Jack with our “almost a pressure washer” and me with a piece of flat bar presueding the crap to come free.
A dusting by fairies or mystical things,
turned the boat and the crew into gingerbread beings.[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section style=”margin: 0px; padding: 0px; “][cs_row style=”margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; ” inner_container=”true”][cs_column style=”padding: 0px; ” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″][x_video_embed no_container=”false” type=”16:9″][/x_video_embed][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section style=”margin: 0px; padding: 0px; “][cs_row style=”margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; ” inner_container=”true”][cs_column style=”padding: 0px; ” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″][cs_text text_align=”center-text”]
On Christmas morn’ she sailed the waves,
A crew that included Jacks, Aarons and Daves.
The skies were bright blue, all sunny and clear,
When all of a sudden, the bad did appear.[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section style=”margin: 0px; padding: 0px; “][cs_row style=”margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; ” inner_container=”true”][cs_column style=”padding: 0px; ” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″][cs_text text_align=”center-text”]
Where once he had sat
all sweet on the shelf,
A towering giant named
Rizzo the Elf.
Walking the plank
was the route of the crew,
Rizzo waved his sharp weapon,
Oh! What shall we do?[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section style=”margin: 0px; padding: 0px; “][cs_row style=”margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; ” inner_container=”true”][cs_column style=”padding: 0px; ” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″][cs_text text_align=”center-text”]
Drew and Ed,
Dean and Greg,
marched down the timber,
leg by leg.
He speared on his trident,
poking them on,
Who will save them?
Where has Doug gone?[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section style=”margin: 0px; padding: 0px; “][cs_row style=”margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; ” inner_container=”true”][cs_column style=”padding: 0px; ” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″][cs_text text_align=”center-text”]
What hero could save
the Seeker’s crew,
How do you conquer
a gingerbread shrew?[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section style=”margin: 0px; padding: 0px; “][cs_row style=”margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; ” inner_container=”true”][cs_column style=”padding: 0px; ” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″][cs_text text_align=”center-text”]When just out of nowhere, help did appear,
A long legged shepherd, and her sidekick “The Ears”.
“Don’t hurt the crew”, the shepherd proclaimed,
If you don’t step away, you will surely be maimed!
They sniffed and they licked until they were clear,
The tall evil elf was quite nothing to fear.
And there he fell
Ginger Rizzo’s no more,
Cold and stiff
on the rusty floor.
[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section style=”margin: 0px; padding: 0px; “][cs_row style=”margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; ” inner_container=”true”][cs_column style=”padding: 0px; ” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″][cs_text text_align=”center-text”]
They munched and they crunched,
the bad guy was gone,
And things were all normal by the next dawn.[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section style=”margin: 0px; padding: 45px 0px; “][cs_row style=”margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; ” inner_container=”true”][cs_column style=”padding: 0px; ” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″][cs_text text_align=”center-text”][/cs_text][x_feature_headline level=”h2″ looks_like=”h3″ icon=”” class=”center-text “]Merry Christmas from all of us at the Shipyard.
[/x_feature_headline][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section style=”margin: 0px; padding: 0px; “][cs_row style=”margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; ” inner_container=”true”][cs_column style=”padding: 0px; ” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″][cs_text]Note: No elves or crew were harmed during the production (except of course for the edible ones).
A hardy thank you to the Seeker crew for having made 2015 a fantastic year. And a special thanks to Betsy for the screen play, baking, and choreography.
–Doug
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The engine room hatch has a gasket. A second deadlight is cast. The rudder quadrant now has put out dowel pins as several of you suggested. Thank you! The chain to cable connectors are done for the chain and cable steering system. And you get to see me continue to fail to patch a hole in a keel. 🙂 Many thanks to crew members, Betsy, Su, Aaron S, Jack C, Jack S. Seeker crew rock!
If you love cars and motorcycles, then checkout Aaron Starnes web site and blog: www.aaronstarnes.com
[cs_section style=”margin: 0px; padding: 0px; “][cs_row style=”margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; ” inner_container=”true”][cs_column style=”padding: 0px; ” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″][cs_text] We took a closer look at the “crime scene” and spotted some interesting things —- TRACKS!
Yep, it snowed.. just like ol’ long legs said. There we were, just minding our own business and this white stuff starting falling from above… Last time I saw that elf, he was hanging out on the couch.
Checking the surveillance cams we see that elf … along with Doug, eyeglasses all askew. Is Doug asleep? Is that a black eye? Is this a case of elf bashing?
