Hammerite = better or worse than nothing?

[Setok]

I treated a good bit of chassis surface rust with POR-15 about a year ago, but there were areas where the powder coating seemed OK but have since began to flake (or possibly the odd location I may have missed). Since POR-15 is hard to find here, more expensive, and I'd like to do a more extensive job with it, I'm considering patching up those areas with Hammerite for now, which can easily be found.

 

The reasoning is that a quick scrub and brush would offer protection until I do more POR-15. And knowing how many things I have going on right now an 'easy' solution done now could be better than postponing it too far.

 

But I've heard Hammerite is brittle and cracks easily (while the POR-15 seems to be holding fairly well). My concern is that if I do dab on some Hammerite, will I end up doing more damage than good ? Cracks could allow moisture in which then gets caught under the Hammerite and allows rust to spread at double the speed...

 

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Kristoffer Lawson

[Martin S.]

I've used Hammerite Smooth in the past after a wire brushing/rubbing down and it lasts a good few years.

[guilleracing]

Hi ,

 

I use QD90 machinery paint. ( Comes in many colours.)

 

I use it during my day to day maintenance work. Customers seem to like the finish better than any other paint I have tried.

 

It is a very durable paint and I personally think it is a better product than the hammerite paint.

 

 

Greg.

[Roger Ford]

Arch Motors use Smooth Hammerite to cover over chassis repairs. Can't really argue with that.

[JampJ]

Hammerite Satin Black spray is the one to use. Of course it is better than nothing, it's good on suspension parts too, looks like original powder coat finish. The problem with the chassis(apart from the crap coatings that have been used) is that people don't look after them. They need as much care as the parts that can be seen, if not more, as they get all the salt and dirt thrown at them. They need regular attention, especially the parts that hold mud at the sides of the footwells. I have seen quite a few not so old cars that are showing bubbles through the aluminium body, simply because the mud has been left to set up corrosion. Regular cleaning and repairs to cracks and chips etc is essential.

Cheers John

 

JFDI

(Just F*****g Do It)

 

Edited by - johnjulie on 26 Mar 2009 23:25:00

[Normans_Ghost]

I found that Hammerite is too hard and brittle and cracks letting in water. Then I found the whole area would lift off as the rust spread along under the paint.

 

So, remembering back to the early 60's I got some chassis paint and used that. Problem solved. It's soft and stones actually leave marks in it but it's too soft to crack.

 

^{Norman Verona, 1989 BDR 220bhp, Reg: B16BDR, Mem No 2166, the full story here}

You and your seven toThe French Blatting Company Limited

[John Howe]

Plasticote... comes in spray cans.

 

JH

Deliveries by Saffron, the yellow 230bhp Sausage delivery machine

[Setok]

People, I'm not looking for the ultimate solution. So far I've been very happy with POR-15. It's flexible, doesn't crack, is hard and seems to be doing the job.

 

I'm looking for something I can get at the K-Rauta round the corner, so that I at least have some protection on those odd spots until I get round to lifting the car up with a fresh pot of POR-15 to go through more carefully.

 

It may be that QD90 or Plasticote is easily available here. If they are, maybe I'll consider them, but I know Hammerite is. If I need to order out for something and pay extra, then I might as well get more POR-15. Now I'm looking at a quick "walk into hardware store, pick up stuff, paint it on in an hour, lift feet up". However, if that does more damage than good, then it's a bad idea, and I have heard bad reports about Hammerite.

 

If Arch uses the stuff, I guess that's at least something.

 

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Kristoffer Lawson

[Ash.Bailey]

whats the brand in the red cans in B&Q ?

 

anyway, it works a treat on exterior metal chassis tubes and gates.

 

If ^It aint ^yellow, wonky ^and wobbly................ 😬

 

[JACK FLASH]

Setok,

 

For quick repairs, on the Seven and on other things, I always use the red Hammerite base coat. I has the advantage that it dries very quickly and afterwards you can spot the repaired spots very easily.

 

Arch told me that there is no problem to use the Hammerite products and they adviced to use the Smooth Hammerite beacuse it matches the standard finish.

 

 

Jack Flash

j.jackflash@hotmail.com

[Dickie Normuss]

I used Hammerite on sone of mine, it's too brittle and doesn't take long to come off. Find some proper chassis paint if you can

 

VX HPC - Loud and proud here

Adding power makes you faster on the straights. Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere

[skydragon]

Why not give Rustoleum a go ?

 

They seem to produce a very good range of paints for use on exterior pipework, metalwork, gantries etc.

 

I used it to paint my Seven with (the skin, not the chassis) but I reckon it would be ideal as a good quality non-cracking finish for a seven chassis.

 

More details and mail order at this website here

 

Edited to add - they even do a satin black, perfect!!

 

1.6 K Series EU3, 2003, ex-SuperGrad car.Now Fundraising for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance - See my website here

 

Edited by - skydragon on 26 Apr 2009 15:37:29

[Setok]

Just did the first layer of Hammerite now. Some parts of the existing powder coating were definitely in quite a shape. The wind literally blew off a bit!

 

Hammerite is very different than POR-15. Much thicker and probably doesn't spread as evenly. Time will tell how well it lasts. The good news is that most of the existing POR-15 was there and had not cracked. In fact the clumps of it that had been left inside a glass jar were so hard the jar would've cracked long before the POR-15 (unless the POR kept the jar in shape too).

 

Some POR had peeled off, but I think that was mostly areas where I had slightly painted on top of the existing powder coating or areas which had later been in touch with a speed bump... Even those bits were, however, very flexible and were not cracking.

 

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Kristoffer Lawson