How does Hammerite Special Metals Primer work?

In article , Mike Mitchell writes

Poorly.

New "eco-friendly" Hammerite products, especially the aerosols and that silly primer, aren't a patch on the old formulations. I tried both recently, to paint aluminium castings (which they claim to be able to do, and despite VERY careful degreasing first, the primer still wouldn't wet the surface properly, let alone stay put. The aerosol was worse than my children's poster paints.

One has to question the philosophy - why make masses of the stuff to be thrown away unused by disgruntled purchasers, when you could make less of the real thing, to a formulation that worked? Which is *really* environmentally friendly?

In any case, IIRC, the nastiest ingredient in the original Hammerite was Xylene. I've just discovered that Xylene is now being used as a substitute for Toluene in carb. cleaner (in which application it fails miserably). If it's too dangerous for Hammerite, why...

Sorry. My mileage definitely varies. I think I actually threw the primer tin in the bin 3/4 full. It appears to be rubbish.

Anyone would think you have an interest in promoting it. Do you also work for the EU by any chance?

Regards,

Simonm.

In article , SpamTrapSeeSig wrote: [snip]

Xylene was only the reccommended brush cleaner. The real nasty in the original Hammerite was Trichlorethylene.

In article , Tony Williams writes

Which isn't all that nasty. It was the recommended substitute for Carbon Tetrachloride, and used as an industrial degreaser for decades in both liquid and vapour-bath forms. I know it's a carcinogen, but that can be said of many things.

My point is that the galvanising/aluminium primer didn't do what it said on the tin - at least for me - and Hammerite proper seems to have become 'Hammer-off.'

Regards,

Simonm.

In message , SpamTrapSeeSig writes

Thanks for that - I've recently stopped using hammerite (we use 3-4 cans a week) because it just doesn't work well any more. It doesn't cover evenly and forms voids too easily

It's good to know that it's not just me having problems

Except when it comes into contact with a flame or incandescent surface - it gives off phosgene and hydrochloric acid. Oh, and it's also an addictive narcotic in high concentrations (which may be an asset depending on your POV ;-) )

I've got 3 litres of it in the garage which I "rescued" when they ripped the vapour plant out (to replace it with an environmentally-friendly aqueous degreasing plant) at a place I used to work - it's an excellent degreaser.

ISTR that cigarette smoking in the vicinity was the big no-no years ago, because of that production of 'mustard gas'.

It was certainly 'heady' stuff, but I thought it was finally banned because of liver damage (could be wrong though).

Oh, and it's also an

By which point it can cause brain damage !

Steve

Correct.

I thought it was for environmental reasons, it's a chlorinated hydrocarbon.