How Do You Get Rust Off Anchor Chain?

[Forkliftt]

Originally Posted by Xsbank

First of all you get an old toothbrush. Your wife's will do. Then you buy a large bottle of gin, or similar. You lay the chain out on the deck and then you drink the gin. I can't remember what the toothbrush is for.

Now- that's funny right there!


1983 Present 42 Sundeck
Twin Lehman 135's
✌️

[Tomsmb]

Its funny but could be dangerous.

[BruceK]

Good advice on a fix. Preventative maintenance is the next step.
My previous boat(a Masters 34) had a massive anchor well I could stand in. A PO had put 2" corrugated open rubber mat at the bottom, not a bad idea, but it was concealed by mud accumulated in and above it through years of not jet washing the chain during retrieve. The water blaster eventually washed the mud out via the drain hole, and got the anchor locker and chain (and my feet) clean. It`s worth taking a look down there.

[jeffnick]

Cold spray galvanizing is little more than zinc rich paint. Paint your chain?

[psneeld]

According to several websites on cold galvanizing, it still provides the cathodic protection.

My experience is just that, but it doesn't have the build of the scratch resistance of hot dip.

[Xsbank]

Rusty chain is on its way out. It will not lose any strength for awhile but the only way is to re galvanize it or replace it. Zinc paint is a pretty good product but it has no abrasion resistance. You will be painting it regularly and IMHO, life's too short. If it's a real nuisance buy a new chain or buy stainless chain.

It's an anchor, think what you do with it? Its a perishable product.

[Mule]

I read through this......keeping the boat then replace it. Not keeping the boat then 1/2 ass it or live with it. There is NO cutting and "splicing" link available. I talked to first chain supply about this yesterday. You.have a GREAT winch, and perhaps a great wench. Take care of both.

[Underway]

A product called "Evaporust" (there are others) will remove every speck of rust from the chain via a chemical process called chelation. No acids involved. Simply soak the rusted metal in a bucket of the stuff. There are commercial companies that use the chelation process with excellent results, particularly in the automotive restoration world.

Ospho is a phosphoric acid "converter" product that will convert the outer layer of rust to a phosphate (there's still rust under that layer). Don't bother.

What you do after removing the rust is another question. I'm a fan of epoxy paint, but there's the abrasion problem on chain.