Aluminum Boat Restoration

ellens2

ellens2

Member
My husband and I are restoring a 1988 Aluminum boat. The boat really needs to be wet sanded but that`s a project for another time, as he wants to go fishing. My goal was to clean up the aluminum to make it look better. Polishing aluminum is very messy!

Here`s what I used.

Griots 6 Inch DA Polisher
5 1/2 Inch Lake Country THIN Foamed Wool Pad - did a great job of cutting into all the tarnish
Marine 31 Stainless Steel & Aluminum Brightening Soap - used where I couldn`t use the buffer
Marine 31 Finish Cut Metal Restoring Polish - for a finish cut polish, it really did a great job and left a nice layer of protection, water really beads
Collinite Metal Wax # 850 - manually used where the buffer could`t be used
Wolfgang Microfiber Cleaner and Rejuvenator -I was amazed it washed all the black out of the towels!

Here`s the start of what I was working with.

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A closer view

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And the final results on a cloudy day.

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Wow Ellen, Great Job !!!

Yes, polishing anything aluminum that is not clear coated will always be very black and messy, so nitrile gloves are mandatory.. :)

It is turned out beautiful !
Hope you don`t blind the fish - but then that might be a really good thing too, right ?? :)
Dan F
 
ellens2 said:
The boat really needs to be wet sanded
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When you do get ready to wetsand the aluminum I cover this topic in detail (no pun intended), in my boat detailing how-to book. In the book I recommend the Mirka Abralon 6" and 3" sanding discs and then I show how you can use any dual action polisher, (electric or pneumatic), to machine sand the aluminum boat. Then cover the process to remove your sanding marks and polish the aluminum out till it looks like chrome.


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:)
 
Stokdgs said:
Wow Ellen, Great Job !!!

Yes, polishing anything aluminum that is not clear coated will always be very black and messy, so nitrile gloves are mandatory.. :)

It is turned out beautiful !
Hope you don`t blind the fish - but then that might be a really good thing too, right ?? :)
Dan F
Click to expand...
I should`ve mentioned them in my list of what I used, definitely use nitrile gloves and old clothes! Its hould dull down a bit once we get it into the water. Think how good it will glide over the water now without the layers of crud! :)

Thanks
 
Mike Phillips said:
When you do get ready to wetsand the aluminum I cover this topic in detail (no pun intended), in my boat detailing how-to book. In the book I recommend the Mirka Abralon 6" and 3" sanding discs and then I show how you can use any dual action polisher, (electric or pneumatic), to machine sand the aluminum boat. Then cover the process to remove your sanding marks and polish the aluminum out till it looks like chrome.






:)
Click to expand...

Thanks Mike, I`ll definitely check it out! Wetsanding will probably be a winter project.
 
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