metalfix maintenance

Lately i've painted on more "metalfix" to preserve and maintain bare steel surfaces. Hes'e some of what what a 5 litre tub of metalfix can cover. it costs about A$200 for a pot up here.

"Metalfix" is a water based rust converter primer, it should slow the rate of any corrosion greatly, especially on lightly rusted surfaces. It quickly brightens up the workspace and makes is much more pleasant to work in. It's intended to be a construction coat only, at the end of the day only a good sand blast with good coatings can be used to go into extended salt water use.

Parts of the wylo hull

A keel tank before treatment, looking down onto 12mm keel base plate

The bilges and keel tanks below floor sole level

Treated the decks. Rust pitting chipped out first. Decks are the most venerable part of  a hull under construction  to rust pitting. If bare steel building suggest metalfixing early on. Better yet get pre-sand blasted and primed steel sheets from the supplier - it may cost more initially but is well worth it in the long run.

The aft peak

The bow and bow rail

some metalfix to the quarter

The ends of the hull get a bit of rain on them that blows in from time to time, any moisture on steel increases corrosion rate so brushed some metalfix on these areas to preserve them.


The 40 foot containers roof

Not knowing anything about sea containers..in 2010 i bought an old cheaper one for 4k (as opposed to a good sandblasted and painted one for 7-8k)..maybe a mistake in the long run.

About 6-7 years later, the containers roof was rusting through and leaking. So have used metalfix and fibreglass to cover the holes. Each rusted area was heavily chipped with a weld hammer and wire brushed, this makes a better key for the paint and glass.

Metal fix and fibreglass to seal holes in container roof

Rusted area in foreground, over-roof going up in background

Started building an "over-roof" too. This involves a frame of short angle steel posts welded to the container and wood 3x2" beams bolted to the posts. recycled corrugated iron covers it. It keeps the actual container roof dry too which should further prevent the  rust reforming.

Making support posts up from scrap 30x30x3 angle. Metalfixed them to look like new.
 Drill press and a bench made from an old house door.

Welding on a support post for over roof. New weld helmet with auto-darken eye shield well worth it.

Most of the rust happens in water pools that form on the containers roof. These are often depressions caused from other containers hitting it during its service life.

So to avoid this - buy a good container that's not dented, has been sand blasted and painted. Then place the container so there's a slight cross slope to drain water off.

In retrospect if you buy an old dented container with minor rust like i did, then its worthwhile building the over roof as soon as its on site.

I hope my living and learning (the hard way)  helps other boat builders when setting up their yard.

A few other things

"Ned Kelly" the wood heater stove. Metalfix can withstand 1000 C.

The old trampoline frame restored

Wheel barrow tray - fibreglass and metalfix, holes sealed.

Also metalfixed parts underneath my trayback ute. Like the muffler, tail pipe, anything with corrosion.

A good feature is metalfix won't react badly with galvanized surfaces (unlike conventional rust converter such as phosphoric acid which damages the galvanizing)