BajaNomad - aluminum boat clean up

aluminum boat clean up

beachbum1A - 1-20-2013 at 03:28 PM

We recently bought a small aluminum boat that although it hasn't been in salt water for many years, the aluminum is heavily oxidized from exposure to the salt air (while sitting on a trailer). We can use it to fish in (as is) with no problem, except it just looks so crappy that I would just feel better if it looked better

I don't want it all shinned up - just cleaned up. Any ideas what product(s) are out there that DO WORK?

monoloco - 1-20-2013 at 03:32 PM

A grinder with a buffing wheel and some buffing compound.

DENNIS - 1-20-2013 at 04:16 PM

Paint it....after you prep it properly. Google "Painting aluminum."

woody with a view - 1-20-2013 at 04:25 PM

fill it with water on the trailer and let it sit for a couple of hours. mark the drip (hopefully only drips) spots and then go to to West Marine and grab a tube of their black (i know it looks like crap!) caulking for aluminum. it hardens about 90% so it flexes instead of chipping/cracking.

as for cleaning it, why bother? it's an old tin soldier. just keep it water tight and keep on fishing!

desertcpl - 1-20-2013 at 04:26 PM

I will go with the painting it, like Dennis says a good prep

and get online or ask a good marine dealer about paint types

monoloco - 1-20-2013 at 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by woody with a view
fill it with water on the trailer and let it sit for a couple of hours. mark the drip (hopefully only drips) spots and then go to to West Marine and grab a tube of their black (i know it looks like crap!) caulking for aluminum. it hardens about 90% so it flexes instead of chipping/cracking.

as for cleaning it, why bother? it's an old tin soldier. just keep it water tight and keep on fishing!

I have had really good results patching leaks in my tinny using 3M's 5200.

Bob and Susan - 1-20-2013 at 05:08 PM

use a bead blaster...#10 glass bead...clean it up

a reg compressor with a small $40 blaster from harbor freight will do it

buy the glass beed at home depot

it'll look brand new

24baja - 1-20-2013 at 05:45 PM

The fish don't care what she looks like..... :lol:

[Edited on 1-21-2013 by 24baja]

redhilltown - 1-20-2013 at 06:54 PM

Sierra or Dorado blood wiped down with a rag...I guarantee you it will look better than ever!

AmoPescar - 1-20-2013 at 09:29 PM

Try some of these....

3M Scotch-Brite hand pads for cleaning, sanding, scuffing, scrubbing etc. (Gray Ultrafine, White Light duty, Maroon general grade, green medium duty, tan heavy duty) along with some mild cleansers like Bar Keepers Friend www.barkeepersfriend.com I've used this combo in the past and it worked very well.
Bar Keepers makes several versions of their cleansers. and though they may be hard to find will be worth the hunt. You might try a good local hardware store that carries home cleaning products along with their hardware.

For difficult areas, you can try some of the 3M type pads that are made to be used with a drill. Gives you some extra oomph!

Miguelamo :yes:

mcfez - 1-20-2013 at 09:37 PM

www.sharkhide.com

You'll find the solution here..........

willardguy - 1-20-2013 at 09:38 PM

applaud the oxidation! thats aluminum's way of protecting itself! true story!

willardguy - 1-20-2013 at 09:48 PM

As is made clear in the uses section, aluminum's corrosion resistance plays a vital role in many of its uses, from packaging, to jumbo jets, and to building and construction work. When exposed to air aluminum forms a 1 nm thick layer of oxide which serves as a brilliant corrosion protector for the metal in most environments.

The effect of oxygen and time on iron, aluminum is not affected like this.
The barrier oxide film is bonded very strongly with the surface, and if it does become damaged it reforms almost immediately in air, maintaining this very high level of protection. This oxide layer changes the properties of the material hugely. Although aluminum is a very reactive metal, in most case this reactivity cannot be seen due to this natural film which prevents the aluminum reacting with other substances.
Unlike in iron where the oxidation of the metal creates substance (rust) damaging to the metal itself, in aluminum the oxide makes the material even more versatile and useful. Aluminum would not be used to the extent that it is in outdoor furniture, gutterings, cars, planes, and on buildings if it couldn't protect itself from the effects of weathering and corrosion. With this layer, it can.

beachbum1A - 1-21-2013 at 06:58 AM

Quote:

It's not leaking, in fact not at all, it just looks crappy and we want it to have a better appearance.

beachbum1A - 1-21-2013 at 07:30 AM

A couple of ideas look like they're worth looking into; Sharkhide Aluminum Cleaner OR using a bead blaster.
I tried a home remedy yesterday on a very small area using some heavy duty Easy Off Over Cleaner and a very fine steel wool pad with some degree of success. I see that it does clean up so it's just a matter of the best way to go about it. Also time - effort - cost, etc..

bajaguy - 1-21-2013 at 08:07 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by beachbum1A

It's not leaking, in fact not at all, it just looks crappy and we want it to have a better appearance.

If you clean it:

Will it go faster???
Will the fish care how it looks???
And if it has a better apperance will you catch more fish???? :lol:

[Edited on 1-21-2013 by bajaguy]

DENNIS - 1-21-2013 at 08:31 AM

Maybe look into the gold-standard method of reviving Airstream Trailers. They have the same skin problem.

DENNIS - 1-21-2013 at 08:35 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by bajaguy

Will the fish care how it looks???
And if it has a better apperance will you catch more fish???? :lol:

Maybe so. I once knew a Dory Fisherman in Newport who painted little Anchovy all over the bottom of his dory. He told me many times, while we sat in the Stag Bar, that those fishies were the reason for his great success.

beachbum1A - 1-21-2013 at 09:06 AM

Quote:

Like this Dennis?

Squid bottom of boat.jpg - 34kB

beachbum1A - 1-21-2013 at 10:00 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by bajaguy

If you clean it:

Will it go faster???
Will the fish care how it looks???
And if it has a better apperance will you catch more fish???? :lol:

[Edited on 1-21-2013 by bajaguy]

Go faster? Yes, but not noticeably so.
Catch more fish? Very possibly as I would feel more positive and a positive outlook always works wonders while fishing! :bounce:

DENNIS - 1-21-2013 at 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by beachbum1A
Like this Dennis?

Almost exactly. I'll bet the fish just jump right into that boat. :lol:

dizzyspots - 1-21-2013 at 07:15 PM

Do NOT fill a boat full of water to check for leaks! The aluminum was designed to float on water (displacement) NOT as a 200gal +/- pointed bucket!

durrelllrobert - 1-21-2013 at 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bob and Susan
use a bead blaster...#10 glass bead...clean it up

a reg compressor with a small $40 blaster from harbor freight will do it

buy the glass beed at home depot

it'll look brand new

it'll look brand new and then someone will steal it :lol:

Good info here

durrelllrobert - 1-21-2013 at 07:43 PM

http://www.aluminiumdesign.net/design-support/aluminiums-cor...

Aluminium in the open air
The corrosion of metals in the open air depends on the so-called time of wetness and the composition of the surface electrolytes. The time of wetness refers to the period during which a metal’s surface is sufficiently wet for corrosion to occur. The time of wetness is normally considered to be when relative humidity exceeds 80% and, at the same time, the temperature is above 0°C (e.g. when condensation forms).

In normal rural atmospheres, and in moderately sulphurous atmospheres, aluminium’s durability is excellent. In highly sulphurous atmospheres, minor pitting may occur. However, generally speaking, the durability of aluminium is superior to that of carbon steel or galvanised steel.

The presence of salts (particularly chlorides) in the air reduces aluminium’s durability, but less than is the case for most other construction materials. Maximum pit depth is generally only a fraction of the thickness of the material. Thus, in marked contrast to carbon steel, strength properties remain practically unchanged.

The picture shows an untreated sample after 20 years off the south-west coast of Sweden. UV radiation, sulphuric acid and nitric acid in combination with chlorides have not left any deep marks. After 22 years in a marine atmosphere, examination of an untreated aluminium sample (alloy AA 6063) showed that corrosion attack was so limited (max. depth approx. 0.15 mm) that strength was not affected

woody with a view - 1-21-2013 at 09:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by dizzyspots
Do NOT fill a boat full of water to check for leaks! The aluminum was designed to float on water (displacement) NOT as a 200gal +/- pointed bucket!

okay, not FULL but you get the idea? it sucked when i left my tin boat on the deadman anchor in Bahia and when i paddled out to it in the morning it had about 15 gallons of water in it that needed to be scooped out. the next night was nearly sleepless as you can imagine.

how do you find a leaky rivet with any degree of certainty? i use water and look for the drips..... :light:

mulegemichael - 1-21-2013 at 10:30 PM

whatever you do don't paint the damn thing; it'll look like crap even more than now...just clean it up and get out on the water.

Skipjack Joe - 1-22-2013 at 12:16 AM

Removing all of the rust from a tin boat seems like an awful lot of work.

Perhaps you can post a picture of it so that we can see just how bad it is. You may get better advice as well.

Ski[pjack

captkw - 1-22-2013 at 12:18 AM

Hola, are you in baja or at the Mavricks playground ??

beer cans and leaks !!

captkw - 1-22-2013 at 12:27 AM

There is/was a product called "Gloveit" sold by most chandlerys that works great for finding and sealing leaks in a alum boat..clean boat,,pour in and drive around to spread around....and ,,yes that dosnt clean the bottom... :cool:

Skipjack Joe - 1-22-2013 at 08:43 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by captkw
Hola, are you in baja or at the Mavricks playground ??

No Mavericks for me. I don't get off on that. In fact, all the popular events in Half Moon Bay are reasons to leave the place or stay indoors because of the traffic congestion.

My son went surfing at Martin's Beach the day before the contest. The waves were so large he ended up bogey boarding. He had at least one scary spill. Said he got some really fast rides.

durrelllrobert - 1-22-2013 at 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Skipjack Joe

Quote:

Originally posted by captkw
Hola, are you in baja or at the Mavricks playground ??

No Mavericks for me. I don't get off on that. In fact, all the popular events in Half Moon Bay are reasons to leave the place or stay indoors because of the traffic congestion.

You wouldn't leave during the pumpkin festivale would you?

desertcpl - 1-22-2013 at 09:07 AM

I think painting it is well worth the effort, much cooler

especially in hot climes like Baja, you might look into this also

IBoat

http://forums.iboats.com/boat-restoration-building-hull-repa...

Skipjack

captkw - 1-22-2013 at 11:37 AM

I understand ... The Last contest that had the rouge wave that knocked over some folks,, I was out at the break running a new 25' and enjoyed the sets first hand..The photo boats where behind me..I came back in around 11:00 am to let my dogs out of car and the crowds had changed from 5:00AM........OMG.,...HOLY ShI_ where did all those folks come from ??? this year (sunday) they closed off the point........

willyAirstream - 1-24-2013 at 06:36 AM

Go to airstream forums, plenty of tutorials on cleaning, buffing alum. Or google `polish alum aircraft`, You will need a 1750 rpm buffer, Dewalt or if u must, Harbor freight, wool pads, cotton pads and foam pads. It is a 3 step process using cleaner, buffer and polisher. When you are done you will need to wax it to slow down the constant oxidation. A 3 x 6 area will take about 8 hours. It is a grueling process but worth it.
Once you get a clean smooth finish you can stop or keep going to a mirror shine.
Blasting it will cause minute pitting which will speed up oxidation.
Another idea - Truckers use a product to keep their alum tanks clean, if the oxidation is not bad, not deep, it will clean the white dust off and leave the alum slightly shiny. Expensive and toxic stuff. Spray on, wash off.

ddawson - 1-27-2013 at 12:18 AM

Check this forum. Tons of info: http://www.tinboats.net/forum/