Im looking into turning an old washing machine into a honey extractor. I want to add some metal spacers and a top brace. To keep it up to food grade id have to use stainless steel or apply enamal to what i added and to the drum where its chipped. I havent found anything on the net yet but im still looking, any help would be great.

Mike

-- MikeinKS (mhonk@oz-online.net), February 01, 2001

Answers

Response to Does anyone know how to repair enamal

Mike: Why not ask those bathtub re-finishing people. Phone book? Don't they apply porcelain? Maybe they can help. Just a thought...Kirk

-- Kirk Davis (kirkay@yahoo.com), February 02, 2001.

call an appliance store,, one that has repairmen,, the have the stuff to fix chips, ect,, . They have to do that for warrenty work on appliances

-- Stan (sopal@net-port.com), February 02, 2001.

I patched a tub in an apartment once using that temperary filling stuff from the drugstore. It was cheap and looked like enamel. Its used in teeth so it should be ok. When I used it, it looked great and saved my security deposit after the party (think twice before using a tub as a keg cooler).

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), February 02, 2001.

Hi Mike,Enamaling as we know it on washing machines and bathtubs is a refractory process.(ceramic)You won't be able to duplicate it cheaply or easily if at all.My suggestion would be to paint the parts you need to bring up to food grade with a 2 part epoxy paint.Once hard it is almost as good as vitrious enaml.If it ever chips or wears you can just repaint it.There are FDA approved epoxy paints on the market.Check your local hardware store or better yet paint store and tell them about your application.Good luck

-- Greg (gsmith@tricountyi.net), February 03, 2001.

Greg, does epoxy paint hold up in an oven? I have an old enamel roaster ~ bottom's in great shape, but the top's chipped. Would epoxy paint work on that?

-- Wingnut (wingnut@moment.net), February 04, 2001.

Wingnut,There are some Hi temp epoxy paints but in the case of a roaster pan I think you are out of luck.The temps are just too high.If it has holes you could use JB weld to patch it.(It will smell like burning plastic for a long time when you heat it)I don't think Jb weld would be very good to have in contact with food either.

-- Greg (gsmith@tricountyi.net), February 04, 2001.

Thanks, Greg. The bottom's still in really good shape, so I guess I'll just have to use it 'til it rusts apart or I find another lid at a garage sale. It was given to me so I don't know exactly what happened to it, but it looks like someone stepped on the lid, right on the handle, and bent it around that area (no holes). That's where the enamel's gone and the rust has taken up residence. I've been oiling it like cast iron to keep the rust from getting worse.

-- Wingnut (wingnut@moment.net), February 05, 2001.

Mike We (Wattyl Protective Coatings Australia) have been working with a local bee keepers association in putting together coating systems for honey extraction. For small areas where application is by brush / roller we recommend an anti-corrosive primer followed by an acid resistant tanklining (honey being mildly acidic). An appropriate system would be:

Degrease the surface to be painted Abrasive ablast the surface to remove all rust and existing coating; OR Power tool clean to re4move all rust and flaking paint and to roughen the surface of the existing paint. (obviously abrasive blasting is the preferred method.

Prime Coat: Sigma EP Universal Primer @ 75 micron dry film thickness Top Coat: 2 coats of Sigmaguard EHB @ 125 micron dry film thickness each coat

These are both two part epoxy paints. S'gard EHB holds potable water storage approval in several countries including Holland UK & Australia. Sigma products are available from Wattyl in Australia (www.pcm.wattyl.com.au), or from Sigma themselves in Europe & USA.

Hope this helps

Regards

Jaimie Shaw Major Projects Consultant Wattyl Protective & Marine Coatings

-- Jaimie Shaw (jaimie_shaw@optusnet.com.au), July 15, 2001.