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Re-painting Exhaust Stack


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In the back of one of my Narnia cupboards I have found an old exhaust stack. Going by photos from when the boat was first built it looks like it was the original. Because of this, and the fact that my current one is a poor fit, I though I'd look into the possibility of restoring it.

 

So how feasible would it be? What would I need to do? Get rid of the rust spots with sandpaper I guess. Do I need to scrape/peel/sand all the original black paint off? Should I primer it, if so what primer? And which black paint for the top coat?

 

The brass band is proper brass so with some wire wool and Autosol it should shine back up.

 

I know I could buy a new one and this may be cheaper, but all the exhausts/chimneys I see being sold in chandlers have the crap brass plated bands on them that go green or rust up with a few months exposure to the elements.

20140606_081535_zps89urm2qa.jpg

 

20140606_081614_zpsqczzkdeq.jpg

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Use various grades of wet and dry paper to clean off rust and loose paint. You could even use paint stripper to get to bare metal all over. Treat any rust you can't remove with rust inhibitor then spray on primer and paint after masking off brass band which you should have polished first.

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Key it up apply some primer then slap some black paint on it. Add another brass band and if it's got an aluminium top piece clean up and polish.

 

Darren

Can you elaborate on 'key it up'?

 

Any particular type of primer?

 

Any special type of black paint?

Use various grades of wet and dry paper to clean off rust and loose paint. You could even use paint stripper to get to bare metal all over. Treat any rust you can't remove with rust inhibitor then spray on primer and paint after masking off brass band which you should have polished first.

That sounds easy enough, I have Vactan in the cupboard.

 

Same question to you as to number one please....

 

Any special spray on primer and black paint?

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That is a galvanised outside I think so ordinary primer won't stick well. It also means that you want to be careful with the sandpaper- only attack the rusty bits.

UI would.

 

 

 

Attack the rust with a wire brush and fertan If that doesn't make holes in it:

 

 

Remove all the old paint with a stripper. Check you get one compatible with a galvanised finish.

 

 

 

Re-prime with a primer for galvanised surfaces ( used to be calcium plumbate but that's banned now)

 

Finish with suitable shiny stove paint.

 

Polish the brass bits.

 

N

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That is Albion's original tall pipe lovingly hand made by Tim Young who posts on this forum. The brass cutter is missing but it's more than likely in one of your cupboards! It only ever had one brass band as we don't like too much fancy stuff down the North. Brown sauce is quite good for getting the worst off the brass, then Brasso and elbow grease.

 

I wonder if my duffel coat is still in the front deck locker?

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I know I could buy a new one and this may be cheaper, but all the exhausts/chimneys I see being sold in chandlers have the crap brass plated bands on them that go green or rust up with a few months exposure to the elements.

Not in my experience.

 

Most chandlery sold chimneys are indeed crap, but I have not seen one where the brass bands are not all brass.

 

Very thin brass, admittedly, but not plated in my experience.

 

You can have a proper chimney with dead thick brass bands, but it will still quickly go green if used on a solid fuel stove. That's why you see pictures of old working boats where they always had newspaper wrapped around them when the stove was lit - it's either that or Brasso out daily!

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Key it up apply some primer then slap some black paint on it. Add another brass band and if it's got an aluminium top piece clean up and polish.

Ordinary black paint does not survive on my exhaust pipe - don't ask me how I know this.

 

I thing the same would apply to ordinary primers, even etching ones.

 

I use Halfords High Temperature Engine Enamel Paint, which can be applied directly, with no primer

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Not in my experience.

 

Most chandlery sold chimneys are indeed crap, but I have not seen one where the brass bands are not all brass.

 

Very thin brass, admittedly, but not plated in my experience.

 

You can have a proper chimney with dead thick brass bands, but it will still quickly go green if used on a solid fuel stove. That's why you see pictures of old working boats where they always had newspaper wrapped around them when the stove was lit - it's either that or Brasso out daily!

The Epping chimney on the back of my boat is, I believe, the same age as the boat (37) and still going strong. Over the winter it did go a bit green as I wasn't motivated enough to keep it shiny in the bad weather. When I got the Brasso out in the Spring it did take me a good couple of hours (and some wire wool) to bring it up to scratch, but the brass looked fantastic afterwards.

 

The chimney I have at the front on the cabin SFS was bought brand new from Whilton chandlers last September. I seem to remember by about January the brass was beyond saving and had so much green scale over it that wire wool and Brasso wouldn't shift it. I gave up and decided the cheap front cabin chimney will be an consumable item. Either that or this winter I shall just buy one without the brass bands.

 

I know this thread was about exhaust stacks, but the one pictured is again about 35+ years old and the brass looks like a quick polish will bring it up. I'd much rather renovate this one than buy a modern chandlers one and find out that it doesn't survive a winters boating without daily upkeep.

 

I guess the answer is to put paper over them in the winter or buy some cheap non-brass stuff for winter boating.

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That is Albion's original tall pipe lovingly hand made by Tim Young who posts on this forum. The brass cutter is missing but it's more than likely in one of your cupboards! It only ever had one brass band as we don't like too much fancy stuff down the North. Brown sauce is quite good for getting the worst off the brass, then Brasso and elbow grease.

 

I wonder if my duffel coat is still in the front deck locker?

I did my last post before reading this one. I wonder if Tim will see this thread?

 

I haven't found any duffel coats but you'd be surprised how much stuff I've found that I reckon does date from your ownership. I try not to throw anything away. When I bought the boat the ticket draw was full of receipts and tickets from the Bridgewater and Rochdale Canal Co., all from your days. They probably haven't been touched since you put them in there. I've kept them all in a folder.

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Albion is turning out to be a proper little time capsule. The receipts may be from the Rochdale rubbish collection contract.

I used to have two cabin chimneys. One, with no brass for winter and wet days and another with three bands when we wanted to look a bit flash. I still have the short exhaust pipe. That's even older and came off Asterope when it belonged to Ray Kearns (a present when he sold the boat). There used to be two tiller extensions as well. One brass and one painted.

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The chimney I have at the front on the cabin SFS was bought brand new from Whilton chandlers last September. I seem to remember by about January the brass was beyond saving and had so much green scale over it that wire wool and Brasso wouldn't shift it.

 

We got ours recently from Mike Pinnock.

 

Not cheap but properly made.

 

20140603_135417_zps54bd15bb.jpg

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For a quick and dirty solution you can treat a galvanised surface with phosphoric acid prior to painting which will provide a key for the paint.

 

I've used 'Jenolite' rust converter in the past. Paint on allow to go black, lightly flat with fine sand paper and repaint.

 

Most heavy duty bog cleaners also contain phosphoric. Paint it on leave it for a bit and wash off.

 

For a paint finish that is almost as good as proper baked on stove enamel try brake caliper enamel

 

High temperature paint can also be used though not quite as good as caliper paint.

 

Halfords paints are not as good as they used to be so try elsewhere!

 

 

 

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It's an exhaust pipe - not the Mona Lisa. captain.gif

Agreed. I was thinking more along the lines of the Halfords spray cans have a habit running out of puff before the paint is exhausted, although to be fair most are also available as brushable version.

Edited by bag 'o' bones
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