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  for Metal Finishing since 1989
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Need help refinishing a 100ft metal dock

2007

Help! I have an approximately 100 ft dock that is beginning to rust all over and needs refinishing this summer. It's going to require some level of scraping/grinding, to remove as much flaking paint and rust as possible, but it's not going to be possible to remove everything. It's a very daunting task. Problem is, I don't know what types of products I should be using to treat and paint the metal with. I want to do a good job so that it lasts a long time and keeping it up will be easier over time.

Does anyone know what I should be using?

Any help very much appreciated, thanks!

Pete Arduini
Hobbyist - Vancouver, BC Canada

Try to obtain Hammerite Rust Cap [affil links] paint (modified silane based product; you can paint it directly on rust). Second, cheaper option is good priming paint + several layers of topcoat paint).Hope it helps and good luck!

Goran Budija
- Cerovski vrh Croatia
2007

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Hi Pete,

To add my penny's worth, there is a SHELL epoxy, EPON 828, I believe, that was designed to CURE under water incl. seawater. Maybe other epoxies are as good, but that I dinna ken.

Food fer thowt, as they say in Eton.

But epoxies (incl. polyesters, vinylesters) are relatively brittle so you'd have to use some glass cloth/matt etc.... but any good supplier would give you the know-how.

Freeman Newton [deceased]
(It is our sad duty to advise that Freeman passed away
April 21, 2012. R.I.P. old friend).
2007