I looked around at home depot and sherman williams for some good aluminum epoxy paint and couldnt find any. I recalled buying some epoxy bathtub restorer several years ago and to my surprise this seems perfect for what I need .I tried some on a test area inside of the boat around some of the rivets and seams and it has sealed them with a very hard very tight finish. Anyone else ever try this?
I have been looking for the same thing. I am restoring my dad's old 1958Alumacraft 15" Open C. The boat's interior hull was badlycorroded from years of saltwater use. I've sanded off the heaviest of the corrosion and painted it with the Rustoleum gray/silver hammered paint. It looks nice and really hides the fact that it was so badly corroded.(I wanted to leave it unpainted but I wanted to halt the corrosion too.) The floor from the bottom seam up to the rivet line for the spray rails was painted with looks like an early form of bedliner. It did not corrode at all even where the paint has chipped off. It was a kind of seagreen color with grit. I cleaned the seam joint and applied a bead of roofing calk. I have written Alumacraft looking for suggestions on painting the floor. I'll let you know what I hear from Alumacraft.
Manufacturers typically use zinc chromate to prime aluminum, I've had good success with 2 part epoxy primer. It's available at industrial paint supply houses. Natural color is medium grey but it can be tinted. The aluminum must be meticulously clean for a good bond. Sand, then wipe with solvent just before spraying.
Using a sand blaster to clean it seems to work well before the paint. As far as the zinc chromate primer, I havent found any yet. Plasticoat makes it but Lowes who is listed as a plasticoat distributer doesnt have it and the local paint store didnt even know the product. This bath tub refinisher is high quality stuff and thats what I plan to use on all of the rivets and seams and then a final coat of aluiminum metal rustolium primmer. The boat use to take on a little water after several hours of use and I think this will pretty much make it ship shape.
Heres how I would do it (I paint planes for a living), made of aluminum of coarse
1) Strip all finishes from interior from areas to be painted. Use aluminum foil and aluminum duct tape to protect the rest. Easiest way is to use aircraft stripper. You can buy it in any Home Chepot. Agitate between coats with a brass wire brush. Buy the good stuff or you'll regret it...
2) Using a brass wire wheel on a drill, hit all the rivets and seems. Also use it to remove any corrosion. Don't stay too long in one place or it will gall up the alum.
2) Sand everything else with a DA (dual action) round sander. I would go with like 220 grit. Stay off the rivets or you will flatten the head (bad thing). This is what the brass wire wheel was for. Even where there is no corrosion or paint hit it anyway.
3) Blow out the dust and wipe down with a good pre paint degreaser.
4) (Optional) Any one of these steps will help with the quality of the job.
A) Use a aluminum cleaner. This will prep the alum for paint and make it stick better.
B) Buy some anodizing. Usually red in color but dries yellow. This will get under the rivets and into the seems as well as protect the rest of the metal if the paint gets scratched. (this is where the corrosion will eventually come back first) All ya do is wipe or spray this stuff all over the place, let site as long as directed, then rinse with water.
5) Find a paint system you have the equipment and fundage to use. ALWAYS use a 2 part epoxy primer! The paint needs to be compatable with it. You can use anything from Sherman Williams Polyurothane to the different systems sold at West Marine etc. Zinc oxide is excellent to protect alum. but paint doesn't stick to it very well.
Its best to do the inside and outside all at the same time. Eventually the corrosion will return from outside thru the seems and rivets if not. All this really depends on how far ya wanna go of coarse. Or you could just buy some Dutch Boy and a roller
Hope this helps
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<-- Restored 1966 20' Bertram Center Console
Good old-fashioned spray-it-on-and-run oven cleaner will take aluminum back down to bare metal, removing old paint, grease, etc. Follow with a water wash, light sanding, another wash and wipe, and the self-etching primer made by Duplicolor...carried at most auto parts stores. Then add the top coat of your choice and some clear coat if you want. Works like a dream when I repaint old vintage outboards. Wear gloves and safety glasses with step 1...very powerful stuff.
I heard back from Sue at Alumacraft. They suggested Durabak Company for the inside application. The Durabak site is both interesting and informative. The coatings are available in smooth or with a traction grit in a variety of colors. Recommended for salt water and marine applications.
Here is the link. http://www.durabakcompany.com/ I think I am going to give it a try in the inside bottom of my hull after I seal up the seam.
That looks like great stuff . thanks. I noted the web site ,If I dont use it on my boat it would work good on my cement patio floor thats in ruff shape.
If you decide on paint, you can get the self-etching primer (duplicolor brand) at auto parts stores in rattle cans or in bulk for a spray gun. I used Durabak outside application on the foundation of our patio/porch a year or so ago and it's still holding up well. You can find it cheaper than retail if you look around...found mine on the auction site. I bet a gallon would be enough to do all but a very large boat.
I just got some of that primer today.....And that oven cleaner is working well. The final coat will for sure be a 2 part epoxy.I just havent found the store I will buy it from yet. Going to check the price first.
I just got some of that primer today.....And that oven cleaner is working well. The final coat will for sure be a 2 part epoxy.I just havent found the store I will buy it from yet. Going to check the price first.
I'm interested in knowing about that oven cleaner as well, like what brand are you using, hows it working, got any pictures?
Using a sand blaster to clean it seems to work well before the paint. As far as the zinc chromate primer, I havent found any yet. Plasticoat makes it but Lowes who is listed as a plasticoat distributer doesnt have it and the local paint store didnt even know the product. This bath tub refinisher is high quality stuff and thats what I plan to use on all of the rivets and seams and then a final coat of aluiminum metal rustolium primmer. The boat use to take on a little water after several hours of use and I think this will pretty much make it ship shape.
You won't find zinc chromate at the big box home stores. It is somewhat of a specialty item but it does wonders for adhesion, on aluminum.
Good old Ezy-Off oven cleaner in the yellow can, from Stuffmart. You can get Duplicor self-etching zinc chromate primer at auto parts stores in the paint section. The Ezy Off will completely peel off most paints. You could polish the aluminum out afterwards, but man what a job that would be. I just refinished a Mercury Mark 5 and used two cans of Ezy Off...it was coated in some thick mystery paint that stripper wouldn't even dent...a real ugly snot green color, probably homemade attempt at camouflage. Got it back to factory colors now and looks real sharp.
I experimented with several products on the hull of my Alumacraft. I first used an air conditioner coil cleaner on one area, oven cleaner in another with the same results. Both did a great job cleaning dirt, river scum, grease and even began removing paint and decals. Just when I thought that I was on to something and the aluminum was going to sparkle, the aluminum will flash oxidize. It will be clean but not shiny. These chemicals will dull polished bare aluminum and will ruin an anodized aluminum surface so you must take care. I ultimately pressure washed the entire boat after washing the boat with regular hull cleaner. I got the same results as the chemicals.
If a polished surface is desired and the aluminum is corroded and pitted, it is going to take quite a bit of work with sanding beginning in the 200 grit range and progressing up to wet sanding the aluminum with 800 and 1000 grit. You will need to wire brush with a brass wire brush around the rivet heads as sanding will remove the heads and weaken them. Once the surface is smooth with a matte finish begin polishing with Mothers or Nuvite. Polishing aluminum takes patience and practice and man is it dirty. Once you polish it out it will begin to oxidize but polishing once or twice a year will prevent it from dulling. One thing to remember that oxidation is aluminum's natural protective coating and helps shield the metal. Once oxidized there is not much care needed sans washing dirt and grease away. Once you polish you will have to continue to keep it that way.
Right on the money about how aluminum oxidizes and polishing. I use the oven cleaner to clean/degrease old outboards to get them ready for primer and top-coat. Wouldn't even think of trying to polish an entire boat out...too much time away from fishing and other fun stuff.
Painting inside of aluminum boat
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