How To Polish Aluminum Pontoon Tubes

Thursday, 11 July 2024

Finally, apply an aluminum polish and buff it in to seal the aluminum and make your boat shine. To get rid of deep stains, you can use a wire brush. After being thoroughly cleaned, some areas required additional polishing and then repetitive cleaning. How to Polish Pontoons for a Mirror Finish (And make it last!) –. Tow your boat out of the water if it isn't already on the trailer. After you rinse, you can choose to wipe the pontoon with a wet cloth, this will ensure that you have completely wiped off all of the solution. It improves the bond of glues and primers too.

How To Polish Aluminum Pontoons On Boat

I started using an electric buffer later on as it saves me more time. Continue until you've covered all of the aluminum and reapply polish to the cloth as needed. It removes diesel soot, fuel stains, and road film in no time. It's another reason why a store-bought product is safer than a homemade solution.

Bland was adamant about a quality, variable speed, orbital polishing power tool, preferably a corded Makita tool. UNDERSTANDING BUFFING PRODUCTS BEFORE STARTING YOUR JOB: We have developed a system here for our pontoon boat polishing kit that should be relatively easy to to follow such as what products pair with what and generally what speed to polish at. How to Polish Pontoons & Take the Scuff off Your Boat. Sharkhide Kit: $400. It is almost a reverse process from the acid cleaning step.

Aluminum Polish For Pontoon Boats

Take your time and spray it. Check Price on Amazon - This 9-piece microfiber wax applicator set helps provide a professional buffing job to pontoons, hulls and other boat surfaces. Sharkhide finish is easy to keep clean and I'm sure it will add to the resale value. The following morning I contacted Clint Bland, the owner of Sharkhide, and ordered a kit with the aluminum cleaner, polishing paste and metal protectant. You may have your finish done with step 2 and you'll be ready to apply the boat polish. I'll try to explain a few basics: Most aluminum, especially that which use for boat manufacture, is an alloy of different metals and additives to give it its final properties of strength, corrosion resistance, malleability, weldability, etc. How to polish aluminum pontoons on boat. It's multipurpose as I don't only use it for maintaining the neat look of my boat. It never fell short of my expectations. Then I used Scotch Brite pads and did some polishing. Basically, Shark Hide seals and protects the aluminum pontoons. Step 5: Apply Marine Metal Protectant. MILD STAIN: Dilute 1 part ZING® Marine Safe Aluminum Pontoon & Boat Cleaner into a plastic pail filled with 1 part water. He also agrees that it works wonders even with dirt and deposit that were untouched for many years.

Work in small sections and be careful about the pattern you polish in (for example, not straight up and down lines). If you are a noobie we recommend you polish at 3, 500 RPM using your Makita 9237C or if you are professional you can do 6, 000 rpm using your Makita GA7021. Whatever the case, your newly polished boat will be sure to turn some heads when it hits the lake. Take some of those rags and wipe down your pontoons. Less RPMs and less paste produces better results. The final result is a bright aluminum surface. Bare aluminum is subject to surface oxidation, and it can be discolored by prolonged exposure to a variety of minerals, organisms, and chemicals in the water. How to clean and polish aluminum pontoons. On the other hand, alkaline cleaning comes from the sodium hydroxide solution.

How To Polish Aluminum Boat Pontoons

For those of you fortunate enough to have a quiver of boats for different boating experiences, a pontoon is definitely easier to maintain and clean over a yacht given the size difference. Application is done with the help of a paint brush. I can get rid of build-up that's stuck for ages on every aluminum surface. All you need to do is to mix the toilet bowl cleaner with water. This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff. These are a couple reasons regular cleanings are beneficial. There are countless options on the market for boat cleaning solutions, but they all do the same thing: clean aluminum. The prep work can take longer depending on how much cleaning you'll have to do. Pontoon Polish: How to Polish Your Aluminum Tubes & Logs: 5 Steps. At the very end of the 2012 boating season, I became a proud owner of a gently used Premier Sunsation triple 'toon with the PTX package. I wear PPE every time I use it as it is highly concentrated.

Charges usually range from between $500-$600 depending on boat length. It can easily remove organic materials like waterline stain, algae and small shell organisms. How to polish aluminum boat pontoons. There's a wide variety of aluminum boat cleaners on the market. All you will need to do is buy some reasonably cheap polishing products (and I will show you what the best ones are in this guide), then spend a little time, and exert some effort, and you will have the shiniest and best-looking pontoon logs out on the water for your next trip.

How To Clean And Polish Aluminum Pontoons

Last Updated on March 13, 2018 by Bill Lewandowski. Quite frankly, that price is absurd when you can do it easily and polish them up yourself using cheap and easily accessible materials. The problem here is that it is difficult for anything to attach to the aluminum and the best you can hope for is a temporary coating that will have to be replaced every year or two. Pontoon sealant protects the metal (whether it's aluminum, stainless steel, brass or bronze) from UV rays, saltwater damage, bird droppings, algae and more. 3Put on rubber gloves and eye protection. Dilution can be done 50:50 and I recommend washing your boat using a pressure washer.

I wash the whole pontoon before the application. The best method to clean aluminum panels is to use mild soap and water with a sponge or soft cloth. • Barkeeper's Friend (available at Wal-Mart and other major stores). Read entire label and directions before use. In this guide, I'll show you the best practices for polishing your pontoons so they look their best out on the water (even if you can only see half of them). It is often called aluminum cleaner and restorer. I need an easy to use boat aluminum cleaner to keep my boat sleek all the time. I think I made the right decision in choosing this product. When you're dealing with a large boat, you can use an electric or air buffer. If you do, you may scrape something off. Go over all the aluminum surfaces several times to make sure you get rid of all the cleaner. Manual labor ensures that stubborn spots or stains are removed and can help you avoid overspraying. Many boat owners swear by Sharkhide or Biokleen metal polishes. It also contains UV inhibitors to protect against damage from the sun's radiation.

How To Polish Pontoons On A Boat

Birds flying overhead mean one thing, I'm sure you can guess what they leave behind. Then wash all the soap and wipe the surface dry with a super absorbent microfiber sponge before moving on to the next step of applying an exterior protectant. Let the polish dry onto the aluminum until it looks kind of cloudy rather than clear. If you do find yourself in a situation where you need to fix small paint spots, check with your dealer to see if the boat manufacturer offers a touch up paint kit that you can buy. The shining metal makes my boat look well-maintained and marvelous. Check price on Amazon - Better Boat Boat Soap comes in a concentrated formula designed to remove tough stains, grease, mud and marine debris. I'm so impressed with the result. 4Repeat the polishing process annually to reduce oxidation buildup. Spray down the entire aluminum hull with fresh water using a regular hose. Be sure to cover your trailer with plastic sheets so that it's protected from the corrosive polishing agents. The demo boat was used for more than a year and the pontoons still looked like they were brand new. Step 3: Buffing & Polishing the Pontoons. 2Spray the aluminum hull with a pressure washer. Protective coat was applied with the baby diaper and went on very quickly.

I took the challenge of getting the appropriate ratio for cleaning my aluminum boat. Every person who uses Shark Hide can approve of its use. My aluminum boat doesn't look dull anymore. Wiping the surface is done in a circular motion.

ZING ® Marine Safe Aluminum Pontoon Cleaner is best for pontoon owners and detailers who want performance and a higher level of safety than offered by traditional cleaners. These can burn through your skin or cause loss of eyesight if you get them in your eyes.