[fireman_bob]

Hi,
I have a t-top on my 2000 boat and the aluminum tubes supporting the top have quite a few spots that don't seem to come off with metal polish. The spots appear to be lots of small areas of pitting. The tubes are about 4" diameter and form the support for the top.
What's the best way to get rid of these spots (like sanding?) and is there a way to keep them from coming back?
Thanks.

[JB]

Those tubes are probably anodized, Bob, and badly if they are spotting already. Polishing them will make them very vulnerable to further corrosion unless you keep them polished and/or give them an airtight coating.

You can polish them in steps. . .about 800 grit wet paper followed by buffing compound. . .then coat them with a good automotive clearcoat. . .or you can dismantle them and take them to a plating shop for re-anodization.

Good luck.

[fireman_bob]

Thank you for your reply. I was afraid it would be something like that, since they didn't respond well to regular polish.
That sounds like a job for next year, as I'm getting everything else ready to go to launch in about a month.
Regards,
Bob