Steel Barbell Weights for Ballast

(motobob13) · (motobob13) **Join Date: Jun 2006** 11-13-2007, 4:32 PM

I was given a dozen 25lb steel barbell discs. Since I have no intention of lifting them I was thinking of adding these to my 2003 Centurion Cyclone lockers for some extra ballast weight. Has anyone used these and if so should they be secured somehow? Do I need to wrap them in something to keep them from rusting? Any input would be appreciated. Thanks-Bob

(05mobiuslsv) · (05mobiuslsv) **Join Date: Apr 2006** 11-13-2007, 4:36 PM

Spray them with line-x or something or they will rust on your carpets... They sell the spray at autoparts stores, should be good enough for the weights though.

(madvlin) · (madvlin) **Join Date: Jun 2007** 11-13-2007, 5:38 PM

I hear steel weights will sink your boat

(jtnz) · (jtnz) **Join Date: Sep 2007** 11-13-2007, 6:32 PM

Make sure they don't bounce or roll around. Your fibreglass hull isn't really what you want to be using to stop 10 kilos of rapid steel.

(clearlakescott)

They are going to rust no matter what you spray them with. Several people I know have steel plates in their boats. Some wrapped them some sprayed them with rust oleum and one guy got a couple rino lined all of them rusted and stained their carpets.

(bill_airjunky)

I had 100 lbs of weights in the bow seats of my 205 for like 6 yrs. They rusted a little, but not a ton.

(notsobueno) · (notsobueno) **Join Date: Dec 2004** 11-13-2007, 10:52 PM

Funny....the weights I don't have in my boat are rusting too....

(bmartin) · (bmartin) **Join Date: Jan 2007** 11-14-2007, 8:53 AM

I have used small amounts of iron for balast. I just do not put them in wet prone carpetted areas. You could also store them in small rubbermaid totes and they can rust away without affecting your boat.

(absoluteboarder)

......I would sell them on craigs list and then buy a used fat sac and pump. In the long run the fat sacs r the most convenient.

lakeside5_10 11-14-2007, 10:33 AM

loose lips sink ships

(jtnz) · (jtnz) **Join Date: Sep 2007** 11-14-2007, 5:03 PM

Steel ships are painted to stop the rust, but paint doesn't last forever so they are painted often. If you really don't want them to rust paint them, often. Scuff them up a bit beforehand to give the paint a good surface to stick to. Watch out for chips in the paint if they are likely to knock together.

Probably the most high maintenance way of doing it but probably the most effective as well. Unless you encase them in concrete or something...

(26lacefield) · (26lacefield) **Join Date: Aug 2006** 11-14-2007, 6:13 PM

can i join the rust club hahahahaha next time i'll coat them with something.

(bill_airjunky) · (bill_airjunky) **Join Date: Apr 2002** 11-14-2007, 7:47 PM

It's funny you mention steel ships........ I had about 300 lbs of "pig iron" behind the back seat of the 205. It's raw steel, in 5"x5"x24" blocks that is used as ballast on big ships & welded to the inside of the hulls.
I had plasticoated it & wrapped it in duct tape. It looked like two big kilos of coke behind the seat.

(Message edited by bill_airjunky on November 14, 2007)