OT: vinyl

I need to coat small lead weights with something in order to keep the lead sealed from the water. I have thousands of 4oz. lead weights in a local waterway and I anticipate some environmental regulation becoming a problem. Rather than remove these I would like to coat them with something that can be melted in a pot on a boat and then once put back into the water would solidify. I was thinking of simply using wax but then noticed vinyl coated weights for scuba diving. How is vinyl put on to things. Is it disolved and then allowed to dry like paint or is it heated and melted? Thanks for any help.

Reply to
habbi
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Reply to
David Courtney

You could try the hot melt dip MSC sells for coating cutting tools in storage. - GWE

Reply to
Grant Erwin

Try looking into Plasti Dip:

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The drying time is probably longer than you'd like it to be for in situ application, but maybe you could swap out the uncoated weights for coated ones and get some school kid to coat them in small batches at home?

Good Luck,

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff Wisnia

Roofing tar might work. It's almost free and it would harden as soon as it hit the water. I don't know that I'd like to have a molten pot of it between my legs in a rocking boat though (:

Reply to
Jim Stewart

Check with the wire lobster trap makers. Until perhaps 20~

25 years ago many traps here in New England were built from bare wire, then dip coated. I think the DEP and/or OSHA came down on the builders at some point because there were some nasty emissions from the big vats of melted plastic. Someone who's been in the business for a while may be able to fill you in on the materials and process.

Ned Simmons

Reply to
Ned Simmons

I was thinking along similar lines, I mean, PlastiDip may be far worse for the environment than lead. Environmental laws were the reason this question was asked in the first place, so care should be taken in choosing what material you will coat the lead with. Ideally, it should be something less poisonous than lead.

--Dan

Reply to
dg

You might want to look into powder coating. It can't be done on the boat, but it may be the best solution.

Jon

Reply to
Jon Elson

You really *dont* want to dip wet weights into any hot plastic or wax. Not afloat and not without a full asbestos suit, helmet and the fire brigade on standby. What about replacing with iron or steel weights (punchings in cement?) and selling the lead? Topic of selling lead ballast and replacing with Iron came up today at my club. t'other chap reckoned there is potential for a net profit.

Reply to
Ian Malcolm

Reply to
habbi

There are two basic types of Plastic Dip. One is an air dry solvent type, the other is a heat cured type. Most tool handles are heat cured, about 350F, probably not practial on your boat. You might check out the hot melt material that cutting tools are dipped in; it's tougher than wax, but processed in a similar manner. I've seen posts in this group about it, and I'm sure someone here will be able to tell you where to purchase it.

Reply to
Billy Hiebert

Chances are that if lead weights are banned, they'll be banned entirely regardless of any coating. That was the situation with shotgun pellets. If you lose any weights, and you will, eventually any coating will be breeched, and the lead will be exposed to the water.

Continue using your lead weights, but have a plan B that does not involve any lead.

Mike

habbi wrote: : I need to coat small lead weights with something in order to keep the lead : sealed from the water. I have thousands of 4oz. lead weights in a local : waterway and I anticipate some environmental regulation becoming a problem. : Rather than remove these I would like to coat them with something that can : be melted in a pot on a boat and then once put back into the water would : solidify. I was thinking of simply using wax but then noticed vinyl coated : weights for scuba diving. How is vinyl put on to things. Is it disolved and : then allowed to dry like paint or is it heated and melted? Thanks for any : help.

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Reply to
Michael Bruss

If you thin the Plasti-dip with a "fast" solvent, it will dry much faster but form a thinner coating... the stuff they sell in the aerosol cans is too runny to build up much thickness, but it dries in minutes at 65 degrees in our shop. You would need to balance the coating thickness you require against the drying time... and thin the product accordingly with a "fast" solvent. David

Reply to
David Courtney

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Strippable Coatings page 2458 Usually used to coat resharpened tools until put in use.

Ron Thompson Was On the Beautiful Mississippi Gulf Coast, Now On the Beautiful Florida Space Coast, right beside the Kennedy Space Center, USA

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'If you're standing in a puddle, don't touch anything that hums' From the Red Green show

Reply to
Ron Thompson

Reply to
habbi

Possibly better than a hot-melt strippable coating would be hot glue. It should stay put better.

Cheers,

Kelley

Reply to
Kelley Mascher

Really, I wonder what makes it more valuable over there (UK), than here (eastern Mass, US)? Here the scrap dealers will take it, from their regular customers only, but without giving anything for it. Bob

Reply to
Bob Engelhardt

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