Cleaning a dirty alloy hull.

[longranger]

How hard is it to get a high quality marine aluminum hull that is 3 to5 years old looking new? Hull is in great shape just dirty and a little oxidized. No paint to deal with. Lots of rails and rocket launchers. Want to blind the entire marina on a sunny day :lol: . Alternatively how much does it cost to get a professional to do it--distant second choice? Last choice, leave it alone because the oxidation is protective.

[JETTYWOLF]

Maybe some scubbin bubbles and let 'er be.

since only the sweetwater dudes can have those shiney alloy skiffs, go to www.nyalic.com and get their super cleaner and then apply the coating, and be happy with the protection it affords.

Believe me after only a year and a half, I am now planning to do something about my scuffed up hull, next fall and will probably "re-do" it again...or unless I hear of some other miracle mixture. Because my boat sure doesn't look as shiney and nice as it did when it was delivered to my driveway.

Anyone else have a cure for the Longrangers whoa's ?
I'd like to hear it too

[peterbo3]

Choice 1. 9'' grinder with a big sheepskin buff, polishing/cutting paste of your choice, huge amount of effort. Will come up like stainless but will need redoing at least annually, perhaps sooner.
Choice 2. Probably a lot of $$$$$$$$. Reason for this.............see Choice 1. :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:
Choice 3. We have a winner. :D :D :D :D :D :D

[Ironwoodtuna]

I buffed my hull out last year with my 3/4" Milwalkee Grinder with a sheepskin buffing wheel and a tub of 3M Rubbing Compound. Two days of labor and she was very shinny again. A coat of wax and the finish lasted a year, but I am not going to rebuff her. I like the slight ting she has now. The powerful buffing high speeed grinder and sheepskin can really polish aluminum. Check out my old Bison Curbside 2-wheel drive surf buggy before and then after a spent a couple of days buffing her out. THen put 4x4 under her.
BEFORE THE WHEEL:

AFTER THE WHEEL:

CHECK OUT THE LARGE FISH BOX AND 40-gallon LIVE EEL TANK ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE BOX.

[Chaps]

They are always eventually going to oxidize and get crusty looking no matter how nicely you buff them up, nature of the beast I guess. Coatings will wear thru at the waistline, etc. A buddy of mine had a guy who polishes big rig tanker trucks do his boat at what seemed like a reasonable cost a few years ago and it looked super for quite awhile so maybe thats the way to go.

On my 21 Edwing I've spiffed it up by spraying it with an acid solution the industrial pressure washer places sell as "aluminum brightener", works pretty well except you really have to remove any dirt, grime, fender rash, etc before you use it. Gives everything a nice bright frosted look. If your trailer is galvanized avoid getting the acid on it.

I don't do anything to the boat anymore, in fact I rarely even wash it unless I've gotten into something really nasty. Its a realization that you come to eventually with unpainted aluminum boats, they aren't going to win any beauty contests.

[Jay Perrotta]

I had an interesting gent stop by the office one day while he was on vacation.

He had been an attorney but hated it and then stared a business restoring old Airstream trailers (aluminum skin). He would get these things off people who had them nailed to their barns with roofing tar on them or sitting out in the woods. Many of these trailers were from the 30's, 40's and 50's - completely oxidized.

He would bring these back to life and give them a mirror finish. He used the Nuvite System ( www.nuvite.com ) afer trying many, many different products. A lot of work but absolutely amazing results. I would think a boat would be too much work as it has many more angles, nooks and crannies than the smooth skin of an Airstream trailer.

Also please note that when buffing/polishng aluminum you don't want to use high-speed buffers. Polishing aluminum is a completely different thing than compounding paint or gelcoat. When you clean paint or NON ALLOY you are removing stuff. On alloy (after the surface oxidation is removed) you don't want too much speed or heat. In essence you are simply re-arranging the metal molecules not removing them. This is very, very important.

Alternately, I just got through doing a series of experiments with various blasting media at various angles and pressures. For the new Rock Salt boats I really want to keep the sides bare metal (the interiors will be painted). As it is very difficult to keep the sides pristine during construction I was looking for an attractive, nice to touch uniform finish for the sides. I don't like the look of horizontal grind marks or those grind swirls - never have.

I'd seen blasted hulls before but they always looked awful. Not uniform, scratchy - you could see the spray swaths - ugly.

Blasting is a combination of media, pressure and angle and (along with some great help) we came up with an exceptional finish. We aren't "etching" which brings up a "profile" but rather "peening" which re-arranges the surface molecules in a smooth to the touch finish.

I have some samples in my office and everyone that sees them loves them. Its funny. The appearance looks like a silver, ceramic coating has been applied - almost no one belives that it is simply the metal surface re-arranged

I'm in love with the finish. It would be relatively inexpensive (compared to paint or polishing) to redo the broadsides of a boat. Can you patent this?

Lastly, (and I've kept this secret for some time!) the best hand aluminum polish that I've found is "Diamond Brite". You can find it at Lowes near the truck bed tool boxes - great stuff.

[JETTYWOLF]

Jay,

I was hoping you'd comment on the simple method of doing the super clean Nyalic brand wash ( www.nyalic.com/preparation.htm ), then a re-application via spray??

supposively, rejuvenates oxidized surfaces giving them a new appearance on vehicles, metal buildings, tanks, etc.

Scrathes may not be gone, but wouldn't that "rejuvinate" Longrangers dirty looking hull?

And for us that already have a coating of Nyalic, wouldn't that make the best sense?
--------------------------------

PER NYALIC.COM: - http://www.nyalic.com/data.htm

PROTECTION AND RESTORATION

Impact resistant
Blocks ultraviolet radiation, will not yellow
Prevents oxidation
Protects against damage from corrosion, acid rain, salt water, salt air, bird droppings, bugs, fertilizers, and battery acid
Resists dirt, dust, mold, mildew and algae
Protects against bleach, corrosive salts and other damaging agents
Restores faded or oxidized surfaces to a like-new appearance

Is there anything else you know about the product, Jay??
I'm very interested so please let me know any ins and outs.

[JETTYWOLF]

How bout it Jay...an more info on Nyalic coating on "OUR" boats?

[Shark Bait]

Now that Longranger has opened up the discussion on making/keeping an alloy boat looking good I have to ask if any of you folks have used SharkHide on your boats?

One of the many reasons I went aluminum is the lack of maintenance required for the hull but then you, at lease I do, still want a nice looking boat. I am thinking about using SharkHide on my new boat BEFORE it gets any time on it.

Jay, others, recommendations? Or should I just let it oxidize?

SB

[NUKE]

How hard is it to get a high quality marine aluminum hull that is 3 to5 years old looking new? Hull is in great shape just dirty and a little oxidized. No paint to deal with. Lots of rails and rocket launchers. Want to blind the entire marina on a sunny day :lol: . Alternatively how much does it cost to get a professional to do it--distant second choice? Last choice, leave it alone because the oxidation is protective.

Visit the local truck stop or truck supply house and get a gallon af Allumabright .It is a solution that is used on Gas Tankers to remove stains and light corrosion follow the directions on the jug .You won't belive the diference . Tanker Truck Co.'s use it to keep that" New Look" Then You can apply a clear coat simular to what Pacific uses for longer life.

However over an extended period of time( more than20 or 25 aplications) allumibright will start to micro pit the surface. it will still show the Alloy off just wont shine. check out the alloy tank trucks arround and you'll get the idea.

I wouldn't hesitate to use it several times and it was more than likely used at least one time to clean the boat after construction .or some other type of corrosive solution. People that spend time polishing tanks and wheels on trucks dislike the stuff because it removes all substances like grime, greese ,and polish . Good Luck

[welder]

Now that Longranger has opened up the discussion on making/keeping an alloy boat looking good I have to ask if any of you folks have used SharkHide on your boats?

One of the many reasons I went aluminum is the lack of maintenance required for the hull but then you, at lease I do, still want a nice looking boat. I am thinking about using SharkHide on my new boat BEFORE it gets any time on it.

Jay, others, recommendations? Or should I just let it oxidize?

SB

Shark hind is good stuff but check there web site or call them to see what you have to do to prep your hull before use Shark hide.

Now on your hull when Aluminum Oxidizes that is a natural sealer but it is darker.

I have spoke with the owner of Shark hide and the one quart can will take care of my 23 for 3 to 5 years, its purdy cool stuff.

[Bullshipper]

[quote="blacklabmarine"]I had an interesting gent stop by the office one day while he was on vacation.

He had been an attorney but hated it and then stared a business restoring old Airstream trailers (aluminum skin). He would get these things off people who had them nailed to their barns with roofing tar on them or sitting out in the woods. Many of these trailers were from the 30's, 40's and 50's - completely oxidized.

He would bring these back to life and give them a mirror finish. He used the Nuvite System ( www.nuvite.com ) afer trying many, many different products. A lot of work but absolutely amazing results. I would think a boat would be too much work as it has many more angles, nooks and crannies than the smooth skin of an Airstream trailer.

Also please note that when buffing/polishng aluminum you don't want to use high-speed buffers. Polishing aluminum is a completely different thing than compounding paint or gelcoat. When you clean paint or NON ALLOY you are removing stuff. On alloy (after the surface oxidation is removed) you don't want too much speed or heat. In essence you are simply re-arranging the metal molecules not removing them. This is very, very important.

Alternately, I just got through doing a series of experiments with various blasting media at various angles and pressures. For the new Rock Salt boats I really want to keep the sides bare metal (the interiors will be painted). As it is very difficult to keep the sides pristine during construction I was looking for an attractive, nice to touch uniform finish for the sides. I don't like the look of horizontal grind marks or those grind swirls - never have.

I'd seen blasted hulls before but they always looked awful. Not uniform, scratchy - you could see the spray swaths - ugly.

Blasting is a combination of media, pressure and angle and (along with some great help) we came up with an exceptional finish. We aren't "etching" which brings up a "profile" but rather "peening" which re-arranges the surface molecules in a smooth to the touch finish.

I have some samples in my office and everyone that sees them loves them. Its funny. The appearance looks like a silver, ceramic coating has been applied - almost no one belives that it is simply the metal surface re-arranged

I'm in love with the finish. It would be relatively inexpensive (compared to paint or polishing) to redo the broadsides of a boat. Can you patent this?

Lastly, (and I've kept this secret for some time!) the best hand aluminum polish that I've found is "Diamond Brite". You can find it at Lowes near the truck bed tool boxes - great stuff.[/quote]

Great post !!!!

I have a general question for you alloy owners.

I have always heard that it is a lot less work if you avoid painting, and while publicly everyone say they like the idea of no frills no maintenance, on this thread a lot have responded that they do indeed put in the time to keep their boats looking nice.

So why not just paint them every 4-5 years??

The paint fills in the blasted areas and to me this seems like a worthwhile investment to cover fabrication dings and make them as pretty and shiny as any NON ALLOY boat.

When I see the before and after pictures, it really makes a huge difference.

[Bob5292]

I think the main reason people aren't painting their aluminum boats is the cost and the fact that most paint jobs don't last.

I haven't seen much talk about it here, but I like the looks of a vinyl stripe like they have on the Hewes and Raider boats. It adds some character, is cheap, and can be replaced and customized easily.

I'm going from memory, but I recall reading in Steven Pollard's book that it takes about as much time welding a boat together as it does to prepare it for paint. I haven't gotten quotes for my boat but I spoke to a shop in Seattle who painted a 32 foot boat for the Seattle Police Department and the job was 36k. I also talked to a local builder who was doing an 18 foot patrol boat and that cost about 12k.

Bob

[Chaps]

My Maxweld cat was painted and having to be careful about doing anything that would chip or rub thru the paint kind drove me crazy and basically defeated one of the primary reasons I like aluminum boats and that is they will take abuse with very little cosmetic penalty if left bare. I think Roger, the guy I sold it to mentioned in one of his posts here that he's already repainted that boat and its only a few years old.

The other thing is that the surface of the aluminum will eventually oxidize even if it is covered in paint and you will see the paint bubble up and fall off in those areas anyway.

I believe the design of an aluminum boat left bare will dictate how well it looks over time given that it will oxidize and look gray & dull. A workboat style of craft looks great, a boat that is trying to mimic a sleek cruiser or speedy offshore tournament boat is going to look not so good. I hope Jay has it figured out for the Rock Salt because if they start looking bad they will be shunned by the image conscience buyers.

[JETTYWOLF]

ORIGINAL POST:
"How hard is it to get a high quality marine aluminum hull that is 3 to5 years old looking new? Hull is in great shape just dirty and a little oxidized. No paint to deal with. Lots of rails and rocket launchers. Want to blind the entire marina on a sunny day . Alternatively how much does it cost to get a professional to do it--distant second choice? Last choice, leave it alone because the oxidation is protective."

Bullshipper....I may actually agree with ya!
To a point, and then I drift off.

I guess no one will even comment on Nyalic coating?? Per thier web site.

I like the alloy look. No, I love the alloy look. Scratches and dings are badges of honor, and means I use my boat.

Do most builders put some kind of coating on a boat before it leaves the factory? I'd thinks so.

That's my .02 cents, again.

[skypoke]

We nyaliced our boat, it's pretty neat stuff. Gasoline eats it though, so around the fuel vents now looks pretty sketchy. It lasted three years. It seemed to help a lot in making it easier to remove marine growth.

Downside is a buffed and nyalic hull is bright like mirror. When you're sitting on your secret snapper spot, and can be visually spotted from ten miles away it's a problem.

Some of the alloy boats built without a lot of internal structure are able to maintain the mill finish during construction. When you have to grind welded seams though it's double butt ugly like Jay says. Then you're faced with doing some kind of uniform surfacing and a rotary tool will leave lots of swirl or smear marks.

Some of the Aussies are using an acid burn on their alum to give it a milky white color before Nyalic. Nice effect if you can pull it off but a nasty process. Best option would be to have some kind of uniform finish without tool marks, then Nyalic. It's very easy to apply with minimal prep.


Chuck

[fishontop]

Anyone ever heard of ZEP-A-LUME? It's an acid wash specifically for aluminum and has to be diluted 1 to 5 for heavily oxidized aluminum and 1 to 10 for normal cleaning. You spray it on w/ a spray bottle and hose it off is my understanding. I don't want to hurt the hull at all, but seems like a good product. Seems to me it would do a great job on the hull and then coat it with nyalic. Any thoughts?

[JETTYWOLF]

If you visit the Nyalic web site.....(as posted here several times.)
You'll see they also sell various "preps" or "cleaners".

Give us more info on that product your talking about......oh hell I'll just google it. I always do.

Here ya go......
http://webfiles.acuitysp.com/psr/psr_1063.PDF
Sounds to dangerous to use on MY boat. I'll stick with some milder.

That's what I'll probably do. A good cleaning with the Nyalic brand stuff and a new nice coat, eventually.

Just too busy dirtying her up now. It's seriouis go time here. If it wasn't for the wind this week I could have fished with customers Sunday thru this Sunday, everyday. But Momma Nature limits my income potential, and is very persistant in making or keeping me poor.

[Sobie2]

What about soda blasting or some other kind of media blasting to refinish your hull? So long as it is done properly and won't warp the metal. Has anyone tried this?

Seems like someone could have a business of taking older workboats and refinishing them to look new for resale with the steep cost of buying new boats so skyhigh.

Sobie2

[Nat]

I wanted to bring this back up for more discussion and find out what the original poster did to his hull and how it turned out?

has anyone else refinished thier alloy?

[Chris Gatley]

Raymarine is coming out with a cleaner just for aluminum boats like ours. go to www.raymarine.com to see more. I have yet to use it myself.

[JETTYWOLF]

....are ya talking this:

http://www.marineshieldproducts.com

OH. Ya mean diversification?

C'C'mon....

[peterbo3]

Bare alloy for me. No Nyalic or any other type of sealer. It is a fishing boat. I do not care what others think
about it, coz it is mine & I paid for it. As for painting, you need to pull the motor off, remove all external fittings (aerials, transducers, etc)& sand it before one drop of paint is applied. It WILL cost more for a professional respray than the original paint job. Then there is the worry about a big sinker banging into the side & dinging the paint.

LET ALLOY BE ALLOY! :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

[rugyboogie]

My boat will be finished in two weeks and wonder if I should give it a coating with this product?
Has anyone tried this?
http://www.sharkhide.com/
Thanks,
Rugyboogie


[tbirder]

How hard is it to get a high quality marine aluminum hull that is 3 to5 years old looking new? Hull is in great shape just dirty and a little oxidized. No paint to deal with. Lots of rails and rocket launchers. Want to blind the entire marina on a sunny day :lol: . Alternatively how much does it cost to get a professional to do it--distant second choice? Last choice, leave it alone because the oxidation is protective.

Hey there longranger,
To tell you the truth, I'd rather take a hot poker in the eye than have to polish a boat. But if it were easy, EVERYONE would have a polished boat.
When I have a customer that insists we polish it, we have a routine we follow. We acid wash it first with my cleaner, then polish it using a good high quality buffer, then coat it with my metal protectant. Not an easy job like I said, but well worth the effort when you're done.
I'll try to include a couple shots of a pontoon we did a couple months ago. I know this isn't a fishing boat, but aluminum is aluminum.
Clint

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