Make Dock Rash permanent?

[JETTYWOLF]

I sit here.....well not right here. Because I be in me office right now.

But here at home looking at the now 6+ year old Jettywolf. She works hard, and I love her.

But I have a dock rash streak going down the entire side of the boat. (I'll spare ya..I could do video. But won't)

No, I'm not into fenders, because they don't do multiple jobs. And if it doesn't do at least two jobs it doesn't go on my boat.

So, question for all the Alloyists out there...(Chaps would be a good one to chime in as he blasts boats for bucks)

COULD I SIMPLY BUY A BOX OF 3M ABRASIVE CLEANING PADS AT THE "DEPOT", YA KNOW THOSE GREEN ONES. AND PUT THEM ON A ORBITAL POLISHER AND TAKE OFF THE "SHINE" FROM THE SIDE OF THE BOAT AND BLEND THAT DOCK RASH INTO THE WHOLE SIDE OF THE BOAT.

I'm assuming (ut oh) that the Nylon on the side of the dock over the last 6 years has done what I could do with those pads and a "calm" polisher.

Again.. just the sides of the boat. Maybe the end process would look like Chaps' LaConner boat. Jus' a dull gray.

OR, should I go spend more bucks on something like sharkhide cleaner etc. to get rid of the rest of the Nyalic that's on the hull sides I'm not feeling real comfortable if you tell me to buy some kick azz acid and spray the boat, and then wait a prescribed time and then wash it off and then repeat, and then buff and then re-coat, and then re-coat again, and ........ya get my drift?

I have no money, limited time, just a day here and there thrown in. Need the excersize. My arms work great, I have shade, and my neighbor now owns my old orbital polisher I sold him at the last garage sale to generate mortage money. BUT, he'll let me borrow it back.

Whatcha think?

If Photos are needed. Or video. I can do that with ease when it's not dark outside, like it's getting right now.

Thanks,

[Sabs28]

Were your ears ringing Dave??? I was thinking the same thing the other day And fenders serve as a PFD or a weapon when your friends mouthy kid is on your boat..... Not that I have used it as such a device

YUP, The docks up here are not that great either.

[JETTYWOLF]

Naw, my ears weren't ringing. But maybe we both look at our boats and are getting tired of looking at those sort of shiney aluminum parts of the side interupted by a long roughed up streak.

ONLY

If someone told me how great welded "side rail bumpers" were when I was sitting down with Jay in Maine looking at a schematic of my boat for building.

[Chaps]

Dave, there is a power tool made by Metabo called a burnisher, some say it looks like a hand held drum sander. There are several attachments for the thing including a drum of abrasive pad material that will restore the surface like new. They are expensive tools, you need to find someone that has one who will rent it to you or do the work for you. I'm working on a boat right now that has pretty rough hullsides. I drummed the lower portion with a Metabo to clean it up and to give me a smooth surface for my blast masking tape to stick to. Its all covered up at the moment, when I finish the boat I'll post a pic. Polishes the alloy to just like a new boat with no swirl marks.

[MacCTD]

That is cool, I assume this is the tool, http://www.metabo.us/Product-catalog-ha ... b8f.0.html
looks like about $600 the few places the carry them.

[Chaps]

Thats it

[JETTYWOLF]

Dang.....Isn't there just something easier? I can tell you guys are mechanical and have that fabricator, fix it kinda thing going on. But I was just wanting to get the reast of the sides looking grey.

I think ya''ll mis understood me a tad. I'm not looking to get rid of the dock rash, but just match the rest of the hull sides to the non-shiney, dull grey color the dock rash is.

here's a photo:

What I was thinking is if I just buffed the rest of the sides, and could make it a dull grey color to match the dock rash streak. Or as Big W put it to me, "Dave they're just merit badges, those bangs and dings and scuffs in your boat."

Maybe it's not usually done. Making dock rash grey the boats prefered color.

IMG_0013.JPG (1.68 MiB) Viewed 8794 times

[welderbob]

Hi Dave,

The metabo Burnisher takes a little practice to blend the stops and starts. There are different drums,from straight scotchbrite to combo drums with both scotchbrite and "sand paper". Not sure what your going to get when you scratch the nylac.

Welderbob

[Chaps]

Forgot you have that coating . . . just something else to maintain or re-do . . .

I'd strip that stuff, get a rub rail welded on, burnish the entire hull then let nature take its course

[JETTYWOLF]

Ya know, I don't know why a "rub rail" couldn't be made out of this:

A nice stripe down the side of a boat to add color and rash protection:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njsZW81_Aec

If on the bottom why now down the sides

Yeah, Get rid of the coating of Nyalic and would a Sharkhide cleaner take it off?

WelderBob,

I know what ya get when you scratch the Nyalic. you get the rash look like I have already.
I just don't know how to get the Nyalic off and then buff with a scrotchbrite.

[goatram]

Use Naptha or MEK with the proper PPE Strip off the finish.

The Metabo works great to shine it up but if you want to one color finish. use the white Scotch brite not the green type. cut the pads to fit the sander like the one in the picture. Might get one cheap at the pawn store. Go to town. You will get a semi polished look.

[Chaps]

Ya know, I don't know why a "rub rail" couldn't be made out of this:
A nice stripe down the side of a boat to add color and rash protection:
If on the bottom why now down the sides

That stuff is basically the same thing being applied by your local truck bed coating business.
They'll do a stripe for you just make sure they prep the alloy properly (sandblast) otherwise it will fail prematurely

[JETTYWOLF]

RIGHT ON

Now we're talking......

Between my favorite "ole boat builder" and Chaps, there's some sweet answers to my questions.

Thanks Goatram, Got it, White 3M pads and I can get one of those type sanders cheap at Harbor Freight the Chinese Tool Store.

Hmm, I may have just come up with a new Trend. Truck bed liner (no grit) as accent stripes, on the sides of your Alloy boat

Thanks.

[JETTYWOLF]

Opppps,

PPE,

Whats that?

[welder]

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