Try this site for some interesting background

www.zincrich.com/historic.htm

Ok, I've written to the ZincRich people. I had the audacity to ask if they'd be interested in donating to a good cause. ;) Now to find out if the local shipyard can use the powdercoating shed to electro-spray zinc...

Believe it or not but Walmart sells it in the automotive department and its $1.50 a can cheaper then the local Industrial maintenance shops sell it for, around here anyway. I use it on all metal work I do now.

Sells for about $5.50 a can a WM.

Update: the artist is unavailable for comment, but the Admiral likes the idea of filling with foam (the same stuff we use to fill voids in torpedoes, coincidentally) and hoping it lasts. I think the Admiral is full of ... uh, wisdom and sage advice. Anyhow, I'm sending a truck to Whidbey Island next week to pick the thing up. Once I have eyeballs on it, I'll know a little more about what will suffice.

The ZRC people say that electostatic means are a poor choice for their coating. A dip 'n' dunk would do the job for covering all of the internal surfaces, but a sculpture this shape would require approximately 400 gallons of the stuff. Unless you're doing at least 2 or 3 statues, that's cost prohibitive. The XO at the IMF (local ship maintenance facility) hasn't returned my calls yet, so I don't know what his facilities are capable of. If a simple aerosol spray can get to the internals reasonably thoroughly, the Rust-Oleum may just be the stuff for this job. My only concern is that I won't be able to get the inside of the trunk -- thus the concerns about dipping or electrostatic coatings.

Fun stuff. Remember, it's not just a job, it's an adventure. ;) Thanks for the help, all.

To get to the inside, you could probably do the same as you would with an ungalvanised car - some sort of internal rustproofing. I've forgotten what the Porsche-favourite one is called.

Since its Navy, you could use the old favourite instead - fish oil.

How about tung oil? I heard the Army used it, or uses it on cannons.

Yep, that would lick this problem ...:cool:

POR-15?

get lots of birds to ***** on it :p