Regalvanization of anchor chain

[RaymondR]

You can spray it with boiled linseed oil to stop it rusting and go through the winch better but it's a bit of a problem to get off when you want to send it to get re-galvanized.

Putting it in a cement mixer with a few shovel fulls of fine gravel and sand and some water for a while does a great job of cleaning it up, if you leave it long enough it will actually come out shiny.

[vpbarkley]

My recommendation:

1. Reverse the chain.
2. Remove the rust with a wire wheel and rust remover like Naval Jelly.
3. Use cold galvanizing spray on that end to prevent rust from recurring.

Cold galvanizing spray is 100% zinc and it definitely works.

Unfortunately, chain links have miniscule contact area under high force. The soft zinc layer in the contact area is worn through almost instantly.

Before long rust starts to develop. Rinsing the chain with fresh water helps.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by RaymondR

... Putting it in a cement mixer with a few shovel fulls of fine gravel and sand and some water for a while does a great job of cleaning it up, if you leave it long enough it will actually come out shiny.

Dragging it through (beach) sand also helps clean chain. Best done with a motorized vehicle.

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Dragging it through (beach) sand also helps clean chain. Best done with a motorized vehicle.

See post 25.
Ours comes up shiny every time we pull it in.

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by vpbarkley

.

Cold galvanizing spray is 100% zinc and it definitely works.

.

For at least a week.

If you rarely anchor I daresay it lasts longer.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Simi 60

For at least a week.

If you rarely anchor I daresay it lasts longer.

My experience with zinc sprays is that even with minimal use it doesn't last forever. Have a spare tire with a galvanized rim for my small boat trailer. The galvanized rim started rusting in a seam so cleaned it, dried it and sprayed heavily with cold zinc. Just sitting on the trailer the rim started rusting again in a year or so but slowly.

Zinc spray might be useful on anchor chain for one thing. If the actively used end isn't rusted too badly spray that end with zinc and then reverse the chain to use the other end that has the original galvanizing in good condition. This might prevent the old end from rusting out in the chain locker and give you a another year or three before you have to regalvanize the whole chain.

EDIT: Just noticed VPBarkley had the same idea. Smart guy.

[skipmac]

If you regalvanize one caveat. When I took my chain to Metalplate in Jacksonville they warned me to remove ALL paint on the chain as the acid bath they use wouldn't remove it all and any painted spots on the chain would block the zinc plating in the galvanizing process.

Of course the PO had painted the chain for length markings so I had to sand blast it to get it all off. Was a huge pain.

This is the main reason why I don't use paint to mark the chain.

[Sailorman Ed]

Couple years ago someone at the marina in New Bern, NC checked this out and there was a min cost so several boaters got together and combined to get about 1,000 pound together to reduce the cost to each. Not sure where it was but could not have been far. Results were OK but a few links needed a few taps to get free. I will try and find out who did the work.

[Stephenmac]

I recommend re-galvanize. First of all "galvanizing" is the application of zinc to steel. It can be done in a number of ways; 1. Zinc rich paint, 2. Mechanically plating, 3. Hot-dip galvanizing (HDG). in a marine environment Hot dip galvanizing would be best.

The process works like this;
1. Most HDG companies have a minimum charge as most of their time is in setting the product up to be galv'ed. Find out what that charge is and have the weight of what you want galvanized since if you are over the minimum, it will be $/lb.
2. For HDG to be effective, the steel needs to be cleaned to shiny new steel. If not, you will have a bare spot. Also if there is paint or oil or grease on it, it is an extra charge $$ to get rid of it as it would have to be dipped into a strong basic/caustic solution. If it is just rust or thin galv coating, the first step is to immerse in an acid solution or "pickling" solution. It is taken from there and put in a flux solution to make the zinc want to attract to the steel. from here it is dipped in a tank of molten zinc ( 830 F (443 C)). It is then removed and cooled in water with excess zinc removed. For chain, it should be done in a centrifuge or spinner since moving parts can "Freeze" together when the zinc cools. If you are concerned about loosing strength properties, check the temperature tables for the grade of steel you have.



Go to the Hot-Dip Gavalanizers Assoc website and call a few galvanizers in your area and get a quote.
You will need to tell them the weight and that some of it still has zinc on it. Have other items such as you anchor and so on as you may need more weight to get up to the minimum charge.

[j.g.evans]

The web site listing galvanizers lists Nicholas Galvanizing in NJ whom I have used twice. Years ago they had a flat fee of $250-300 for 250 lbs of anything. I brought chain, anchors, and a iron patio set to them. The patio set had multiple coats of paint on it. The first step in galvanizing is pickling in a acid bath which removed the rust and paint. Everything came out great. It may be cheaper to buy new chain if that is all you have. Regalvanizing is a good deal if you can put together anything iron from friends.

[AiniA]

I would go with hot dip galvanizing for sure. I used the zinc spray following the manufacturers instructions carefully and rust came back in a few weeks of use. You could reverse the chain with the rusted part sprayed just to reduce the mess in the locker.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Hermia II

I have re-galvanized my anchor and chain for my Swan 57 here in Sweden. It is true that it is an issue with the links being soldered together but our galvanizers had no problem. My company is an mechanical industrial company and we use a lot of galvanization, it is not a problem and it is not expensive. Do not buy new stuff, you'll only end up getting another "so called galvanized" chain that will rust in three years. It should last at least 10 years and it only depends on the thickness of the zink coat.

Could you please give contacts for where you had that done?


I'm in Denmark near Copenhagen and need to get my chain re-galvanized. I found a place in Germany, in Rostock, but it's a bit out of the way for me. Almost anywhere in Sweden would be more convenient, as I plan to be cruising Swedish waters anyway!

[bstreep]

Our experience with regalvanizing was not very good. Too much loose zinc, and too many windlass jams. We finally ended up just replacing it.

[DockDoc]

If this is the place folks are recommending

Virginia Galvanizing Corporation
11020 Lewistown Rd
Ashland, VA 23005
804-798-3257

I spoke with them today. "We used to do chain, but we don't anymore".

[fourlyons]

I regalvanised 200' of 5/16" G4 and two anchors in Baltimore last year for their $275 minimum. When I got the chain back there were no stuck links or clumps of zinc; runs fine through the windlass. I can't speak to the zinc thickness, time will tell.

I used Baltimore Galvanising, there is also Southern Galvanising, both in Baltimore.