ACID WAX THAT HULL???

[JETTYWOLF]

Oh, Kevin might just do a back flip all the way up in Alaska!

Last acid wash of the Jettywolf proved I didn't have enough. And that lead to streaking. I watered it down 10%, and that wasn't a good thing.

I went and posted a video and everything. Showing spraying SHARKHIDE on with a spray bottle. (and went thru 4 spray bottles that couldn't handle the MILD acid)

My gloves ripped, my fingers got acid burnt slightly.....what a mess!!

I covered the trailer fenders with plastic.

There has to be a BETTER way

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Day one - XYLENE stripper, the scotch-brite green pads, and the palm sander. AGAIN. WHY?? Because stupidly I went and re-coated on top of the streaky acid job, with SHARKHIDE metal protectant.

So, to re-acid the sides of the Jettywolf hull, I had to get that Sharkhide protectant off again. It was alot tougher taking off the initial Nyalic from when Pacific coated the boat. That stuff is super tough. Sharkhide 2 coats, came off a lot easier this time.



Day Two- I prepped myself with heavier gloves (but ended up not being long enough gloves and got acid burnt on my right wrist. Every job has it's aches and pains.

Instead of spraying on the Sharkhide using A LOT to get the job done. I tested a spot on the bow...Full strength and used a cloth covered WAXING PAD! Soaked in Sharkhide acid wash.

Hmmmmmm, direct placement, no streaking, full strength, and as I went along found that if I used the waxing method of circular patterns, it lathered up nicely and was so much more effective, at wash off time.



So, I never used a sprayer! Kevin....stay with me now. I know I'm the "anti-acid'er". Sometimes the less ya know, the more open the mind is to new things.

ONE QUART OF SHARKHIDE LATER. NOT 4 QUARTS, EACH HULL SIDE OF THE JETTYWOLF WAS COMPLETED AND LOOKING GOOOOD.

Nice and (Kevin's kinda boat) white!

After last times streaky endevour, everyone asked me if I painted my hull. I says NO. I acid washed it. And I usually received a mouth open "HUH??" look, because the plastic world of boats don't even know they too can acid wash the F'glass, too
I used to take toilet bowl cleaner to my old For Reelin II boat, to get rid of the St. Johns River Camo, that was all over it and especially the water line. AKA: TANNIN from the water.

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SO, NEXT QUESTION. IN WHICH I THINK I KNOW THE ANSWER.

With NO metal protectant, IE: Nyalic, Sharkhide protectant. The hull sides will eventually "discolor", and go grey, and most likely "dark grey"
at the water line. CORRECT

It'll go "ah naturel"

I'll blend in to the sky, and be sort of cloaked from the Coneheads, USCG, and other government entities??????

GOOD!

[JETTYWOLF]

i HAVE PICS........PHOTO UPLOADER NOT WORKING FOR ME.

[goatram]

standing bye with baited breath

[3f8]

I've taken the bait, standing by, and starting to turn blue. Don't keep us hanging on Jetty. Besides I'm stripping off my bottom paint. And looking for ideas.

[kmorin]

Captn' Dave,
yes, the hull will continue to uniformly shift color(s) with the oxide's contaminants; like tannin or other metal salts in the local water. The oxide begins 'white' and darkens with time as you've noted.

The color will go more toward dark gray, or even a bluish tint but the uniformity is usually marred by scrapes and buoy rash where a bumper or buoy is left against the hull at the dock in a slip.

I'm willing to call it 'natural aluminum color' if that's the question? But, the white fades to gray, to darker gray and so on... if the waterline is included in this then all sorts of color factors come in, pollen for some nice reds and yellowish tints, browns and even somewhat bluish tints from metal salts and the list goes on.

The coatings are designed to retain as much as possible a given 'look' or 'state' of the etched surfaces' coloration and uniformity- not much more than specialize lacquers on metal- like a dead-plant finish made for metal.

Aluminum is self healing if allowed to be.

Cheers,
Kevin Morin
Kenai, AK

[JETTYWOLF]

Thanks Kevin,

YES. The water line darkened in one trip out already. But even on day two and the use of nice big orange poly ball bumpers, she remains better looking that the streaky MESS of prior attempt.

SORRY FOLKS EVEN OUR FEAR-LESS LEADER THE "BIG W" HAS NO IDEA AT THIS TIME WHY THE PHOTO UPLOADER IS NOT WORKING.
SO. TAKE A BREATH. THE PICS WEREN'T ALL THAT GROUND BREAKING.

For the rest of you......

you may have wondered WHY I did all this in the 1st place

My boat was covered in Pacifics Nyalic surface on the boat. It got all marred and rashed looking from too many hours of dock encounters waiting, then waiting, then waiting some more on my usually always late charter clientel. And my fender system was severely lacking. Had no where to mount a forward fender. (I solved that now, very innovatively. Using a SS eye bolt instead of a screw on the forward rod holders, and now have a place to snap on a fender to keep bow area off the nasty azz docks we have around wonderful freak-ville Florida.)

I acid washed with minimal and 10% diluted Sharkhide acid wash the first time. Not knowing squatola what it would turn out like.

Turned out like CRAP! I needed 100% Sharkhide. Only after I spent 2 days taking off the original Nyalic coasting with a green scothbrite pad and a palm sander. (Per the Nyalic company...use Xylene!)

Then, I mistakenly used because I thought it needed it, the Sharkhide protectant (like Nyalic) over the newly acid washed hull sides.

BIG MISTAKE. Made the streaks stand out like a sore peter!

So I had it in my mind to re-do. So I re-scotchbrite pad sanded the outsides again with a palm sander to get rid of the Sharkhide prtectant with Xylene (from Home depot $18 a gallon) and then.......

Instead of SPRAYING ON wastefully the Sharkhide diluted. I went maximum strength on the bare hull. And used a waxing pad to do so, in a waxing hand motion.

USE TO THE ELBOW GLOVES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I didn't, and I got a burnt wrist from the acid

I made damn sure that there would be ZERO streaking as I waxed on the acid wash, covering every nook and cranny of the beat up sides of the Jettywolf.

Streak free and looking WHITE, she was clean as all hell and NO MORE metal protectant for me.

If she needs a quick acid wash to clean her up. She's un-covered and ready for it next time.

Plus I want a dark, leave my azz alone USCG!!! And would love to blend into the far sky horizon. This area is full of two many "Pick the lowest fruit on the tree government agencies, who have to try and justify their jobs at your expense", and I'm so sick of it after 30 years.

I wish there was a CLOAKING acid wash. All I want is to be left alone, with my customers. Who are US citizens wanting to also not be harassed by more of the US Government.

I hear there's NO Coasties in Lake Pontchartrain.......must be HEAVEN!

[3f8]

I like the idea of your stealth color concept. But being in the tin boat club inherently makes you great radar reflector. Big blip, small site image = we gotta check that out.

[JETTYWOLF]

I'd hate to be in your boat around here......"Bagdad on a Friday"

Sour thumb, would be the last thing that would happen.

Thank goodness you're not in the middle of a "squid fest" like me. They think they own the river, hell they make "check you" in the parking lot.

[capesteve]

ever think about putting plain old wax on it? might keep it looking good a little longer but be easy to strip off if you want to wash it again

[JETTYWOLF]

no,

i'd have to ask my Sea daddy Kevin first.

Boat after acid wash a week in the water.......faded and dark already!