bringing home a new boat.

General boating discussion
Sparky508
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Joined: Mon Sep 27, 2021 1:07 pm
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bringing home a new boat.

#1

Post by Sparky508 »

Been searching all over hell to breakfast and looking to see if I have this correct.

Bringing home a brandy new AL boat. (220 pro fisherman) I don't want a polishy mirror hull, just good old greyed out AL. So the first thing I should do then is make sure I giver a good shot of alumabrite or other type wash? Same for the bilge? Give it a good slosh around and rinse till the well runs dry? The intent to remove milscale from all of the AL, with the assumption that the builder will have only cleaned off where they are welding.

Thanks guys for all and any responses!!
kmorin
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Re: bringing home a new boat.

#2

Post by kmorin »

Sparky508,
If the boat is not etched, then it will shortly begin to show white flowers of corrosion induced by water vapor being held in the mill scale- promoting crevice corrosion.

By etching (Zep-a-Lume, Aluma-brite, acids; or very strong bases) the mill scale is removed and flushed. Sorry your builder is among the uber-ignorant in regard this aspect of aluminum sheet and plate goods, but you're correct- acid etch, let it foam, then rinse till the water runs clear- and continue for a half an hour.

The problem is the paint job... many paint lines are taped poorly and the acid can lift the primer film (adhered to mill scale only) along those tape lines.

Pictures are most welcomed, and thanks for posting... hopefully others will become more educated? Like the builders?

Cheers,
Kevin Morin
Kenai, AK

the ABB.com Forum mill scale "gnat-zee"
kmorin
Sparky508
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Joined: Mon Sep 27, 2021 1:07 pm
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Re: bringing home a new boat.

#3

Post by Sparky508 »

No pics for 6 months, when she's done.

Thank you for the response, been searching and asking all over. Only thing I could get was, why? I belive it was searching and reading on this site that steered me toward this.

Now I can spend the next 6 months fretting over other stuff, soon I should be to the end of the internet.
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gandrfab
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Re: bringing home a new boat.

#4

Post by gandrfab »

Build in process pictures, please.
If the builder doesn't remove the mill scale now might be the time to put in that request.
Sparky508
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Re: bringing home a new boat.

#5

Post by Sparky508 »

One of the owners is really amazing and approachable. I would not expect this kind of personal interaction from any of the other major builders in my area. (Except maybe Wooldridge?) He has reached out a couple if times before I pulled the trigger on this boat, which really sealed the deal for me. Anyhow, here was his response on another board:

Hey Sparky, you can if you want to but cleaning off the mill scale finish with acid wash isn't done from any boat factory nor do we really see it as a need. We do however clean off all oils and other foreign coatings prior to welding and shipping to make it as clean as possible. Your acid wash turns the boat white and chalky, not something that's very appealing. Our painted surfaces are sanded down to 80 then 120 so our etch will bite appropriately but un painted surfaces will oxidize as the aluminum needs. Aluminum anodes and proper hull protection is far more important. Are you mooring the boat in saltwater?

My thinking then is more harm done by not doing anything, and if tommorow, should insanity strike me, then I could polish the damned thing to my hearts content?
Vs not doing anything and later having a corroded, flowered, powdered boat?

Thanks for getting me through all of this. Lots of time to obsess over this huge investment!
kmorin
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Re: bringing home a new boat.

#6

Post by kmorin »

Sparky508,
Reading the post from the builder/co.owner shows what the state of market is compared to what the state of physics and chemistry are.

They don't see a need to have their boats remain clean, white metal and free of corrosion- they'd prefer to sell something that is going to begin 'flowering' in a year or so. Selling seems to be the operate term? The statement is accurate in regarding the metal becoming white- that is correct but the chalky part is not. IF the metal doesn't get rinsed clean (lots of rinsing) then a residue of acid and semi-dissolved mill scale remains- there's the chalky!

In my experience with welded aluminum boats you're correct, if you don't do something then the results you'd listed are coming to your boat like it does to thousand of others. The white color dulls to a darker gray in time, but no chalk no flowers, no beginning pitting sites, and there is a builder that posts here some times that showed a fully etched skiff not long ago. Some people do etch, but they understand they're giving up the chrome like mill scale finish may people prefer to the white metal of a cleanly etched boat.

"....but un painted surfaces will oxidize as the aluminum needs....." well not exactly- aluminum would if it were uniformly exposed to the atmosphere by removing mill scale- but since its not removed on this fellow's boats- the underlying metal will not form oxide film well. Instead the classic white flowers will show the mill scale is retaining moisture/water vapor and promoting crevice corrosion sites. This condition is induced exactly because the aluminum needs to oxidize to protect itself- but can't due to the ph shift in water droplets kept under a mill scale film.

good news is the paint lines on your boat are sanded free of mill scale! That's good news for you as any acid etch won't lift paint that is laying on top of mill scale- instead they provide an anchor pattern for their primer by sanding. That sanding has to remove the mill scale.

cheers,
Kevin Morin
Kenai, AK
kmorin
Sparky508
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Re: bringing home a new boat.

#7

Post by Sparky508 »

sold on the wash to remove scale, absolutely convinced. Now the question is how do I get out of the bilge? flood it with acid mix, drive around block, slam on brakes, test torque of new 7.3 gasser by racing Honda Civic between lights, rush home and rinse?
kmorin
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Re: bringing home a new boat.

#8

Post by kmorin »

Sparky508, I can see your problem getting the acid rinse done well on a boat with a sealed deck.

Your idea of driving around to 'slosh' the mixture around isn't half bad! If you have any inspection ports in the deck? and could use a 'spray wand' to reach the chines and outer areas of the bilge? I agree that acid etching might work by spraying then follow up with the garden hose, and fill to say 4-6" and 'drive that' to slosh rinse. I think you'd have to repeat a few times to really get the bilges etched? But I've never done it so can't reply with any experience.

I think the key would be to repeat the rinse and flush exercises several times.. ending up tilting the tongue of the trailer up and leaving the bilge drain plug out while using the hose to flush as much of the bilge as can be reached through any hatches/inspection ports available.

If you'd take time to keep the Forum informed about what you ended up doing, and especially how you did it, I'm sure it will help others who face similar conditions in their welded aluminum boats.

Cheers,
Kevin Morin
Kenai, AK
kmorin
Sparky508
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Re: bringing home a new boat.

#9

Post by Sparky508 »

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Got her home, but still waiting for a kicker.
Once it warms up a bit ill get busy with some acid.
Sparky508
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Re: bringing home a new boat.

#10

Post by Sparky508 »

More pics
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Sparky508
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Joined: Mon Sep 27, 2021 1:07 pm
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Re: bringing home a new boat.

#11

Post by Sparky508 »

More...
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Sparky508
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Re: bringing home a new boat.

#12

Post by Sparky508 »

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And more
Sparky508
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Re: bringing home a new boat.

#13

Post by Sparky508 »

Aluminum trailer probably needs to get same treatment.
Also soon as I get it off the trailer, going to get some plastic bunk slides, shoot em over the carpet. Can't remember what brand they were, not the wraps, just thick strips.
Sparky508
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Joined: Mon Sep 27, 2021 1:07 pm
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Re: bringing home a new boat.

#14

Post by Sparky508 »

Pic
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welder
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Re: bringing home a new boat.

#15

Post by welder »

Nice looking ride, should have many years of joy with her.
:thumbsup: :beer: :thumbsup: :beer: :joecool:
Lester,
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