General Specifications - Appendix 6

INSTRUCTIONS FOR PAINTING 
AND CEMENTING VESSELS 
OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY

Edition of June 1943

 

Chapter 1. - General

 

SECTION 1-A.

REQUIREMENTS, GENERAL.

Authority.

The instructions contained herein shall govern work done by contractors or navy yards.  No departure shall be made form these requirements without specific authorization.  Where the term "contractor" is used, it shall refer to both private firms and to navy yards.

Schedule.

Before the vessel is 35 percent complete a painting schedule shall be prepared by the contractors and submitted for approval by the Supervisor of Shipbuilding.  This schedule shall show each section and compartment and their dissimilar parts, listing painting and cementing required and the appropriate reference to the Specifications.

Delivery condition.

Upon delivery the painting and cementing work on the vessel shall be in an acceptable serviceable condition.  The contractor shall be required to accomplish such repairs, replacement or repainting as may be necessary to produce this result.

At the discretion of the Supervisor of Shipbuilding, the fourth coat of exterior finishing paint of vessels under construction may be omitted providing that in authorizing omission, painting will be required which will afford satisfactory protection for the preservation of material.  This omission will result in earlier delivery of the vessel concerned.

 

SECTION 1-B.

 SPECIFICATIONS AND TESTS

Specifications. 

All materials used in painting and cementing shall conform to the requirements in the applicable Federal and Navy Department Specifications.  These materials and their usage shall be in accordance with general instructions herein.  The contractor is encouraged to use the latest specifications available, regardless of the date of contract.  Changes under the contract will be considered to cover changes in cost and weight whenever these may be involved.

Tests.

At private yards, material shall be subject to test at any time by the Supervisor of Shipbuilding.  All material shall be kept available for inspection.  Samples for test shall be sent to the Test Laboratory, Navy Yard, Philadelphia, Pa., or the Navy Yard, Mare Island, Calif., or the Navy Yard, Norfolk, Va.  A test at a private laboratory may be made at the request and at the expense of the contractor, if approved by and reported to the Supervisor of Shipbuilding.  Materials failing tests shall be rejected for use and work already done with these materials shall be removed.

 

SECTION 1-C.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS.

Paints.

Paints recently formulated are far superior in duration to those made according to older formulas.  They are made to give good hiding and durability in thin films and should be so applied in order to minimize the fire hazard, prevent cracking and peeling, and to conserve weight.  Primers have been found to be most effective at a thickness of from 0.0007 to 0.0010 inch and should be so applied.

For general interior painting a two-coat system as follows is considered adequate:

One complete coat of primer formula 84 shall be applied.  This may be the original after pickling paint formula 84, touched up; or a complete coat over the remains of the after pickling coat or the bare steel. The finish coat.

The thickness of this system shall not exceed 0.0002 inch.
Exteriors shall be painted with a four-coat system for better weather resistance:

  1. The after pickling primer formula 84.

  2. The second priming coat  formula 84 overall.

  3. An under coat overall.

  4. A top coat.

Galvanized exteriors will require only three coats, since no after pickling primer will be applied.

Except for touching up and for marking, all paint shall be spray coated whenever possible.

Cements and gunning compounds.

Portland cements shall not be used unless specifically directed and shall never be used for the sole purpose of filling voids.

Pastes or gunning compounds shall be used only when oil and water tightness cannot otherwise be attained.  To conserve weight, they shall be used sparingly.

 

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