Accessing the pontoons for cleaning

[JonathanEngr]

Okay--my 'toons are pretty nasty, and have lots of slimy/scaly/rough crud on them. I own a 3000 psi pressure washer which ought to knock a lot of the gunk off, and I've read that taking my time and methodically polishing the tunes will make them look brand new. However... I need some advice on accessing the 'toons.

Right now the pontoon is loaded on a trailer, and I keep it at a spot at the lake where I can go drop the boat in when I want to use it. Thus, it's either on the trailer or in the water. Now, I can either do the work at the lake location (about 35 mins from my house), or at home. The advantage of home is I have a tractor with a FEL (front-end loader) that has forks, or I could use a lifting chain to lift one side and then the other. My plan is to lift the boat in the back, Set a 6"x6" piece of wood across the cradles for the 'toons and then lower it back down, then repeat for the front. I suppose I could do the same at the lake location but use a jack instead. Here are my questions:

1) Am I about to kill or severely maim myself? I would think this would be pretty stable, but is there a better way? I DEFINITELY don't want to just jack it up to do the work.

2) What is the best way to jack the boat up? Put a 4"x4" across a couple of the floor braces underneath to distribute the load while jacking it up? I just don't want to warp the frame/floor when doing this. How heavy is a pontoon boat, anyway? (Mine is a 24-foot Bentley with 28" pontoons, 50 HP Merc motor).

3) I want to REALLY polish the 'tunes--not just clean them. I would like to give them that really shiny, reflective look. Can anyone recommend the best process to do this? As I mentioned, I plan to pressure-wash the gunk off, then scrub where necessary to get down to the metal. Then I'll take an aluminum polishing agent (alumibrite?? anything better?) and use a bufferwheel to polish the 'tunes. I plan on then following up with a couple of coats of wax. Can anyone tell me if alumibrite will do the trick? Will it cut the metal enough to polish it up yet not leave lots of swirls? Do i need to follow with a milder polishing agent? How often do I need to change my buffer wheel?

I'm new to the forums and to boats as well (this is my first boat and have owned it less than two weeks), and have asked a lot of pretty basic questions. Thanks to everyone for being so helpful--I really do appreciate it!

 

[JonathanEngr]

Re: Accessing the pontoons for cleaning

Wow! Did some googling and found this website. Thought it might be helpful!

http://www.caswellplating.com/buffs/buffman.htm

 

[EGlideRider]

Re: Accessing the pontoons for cleaning

If you have a tractor and a front end loader then I would definitely do the job at home. I think your idea is a good solution.

I can't help on shinning the toons.

 

[5150abf]

Re: Accessing the pontoons for cleaning

With that much pressure you are very likely going to dent the tubes, it may not just watch and maybe do a the inside of a tube first to see what it is going to do, which I don't think will be much.

I have built pontoons for 23 years and have repaired ALOT of boats with the flakey scum you refer to and it is hard to get off with a grinder so I don't know how well a power washer will do.

As for lifting, be carefull you lift where it isnt going to damage the boat, if you have forks I would picj the boat up from the rear with the forks under the deck, do the same for the front and MAKE SURE you only put blocks under a bulk head, just behind the nose cone, in the middle and at the end cap, anywhere else and the blocks will dent the tubes.

As for polishing, it won't be impossible but it is going to be a very long road, once tubes get to being crusty it is hard to get them back.

Depending on how bad they are I would think a medium buffing compound might cut through alot of it the go to alumabrite or mothers and I would use a product called Sharkhyde, it is made to seal aluminum, wax won't last very long.

Good luck and like I said, do what you are going to do to the inside of a tube first just to see what you are up against, then if the job is to big and you change your mind you don't have half a sorta shiny tube

 

[arntarchie]

Re: Accessing the pontoons for cleaning

the F.E.L will work just fine, fallow 5150s advice for the blocking of the logs. and just as impotent - block the trailer to the ground also right under the blocks for the logs or it will tip on ya. my
Alumabrite and mothers work's well on fairly new log but wont cut the heavy stuff I finally went to a auto body paint supply and got the heaviest grit buffing compound they had, came off much faster

 

[JonathanEngr]

Re: Accessing the pontoons for cleaning

Thanks for the replies!! Okay--I plan to clean tomorrow (I ended up bringing it home). I assume the positions for blocking of the pontoons have some internal bracing? Is there a way to tell on the outside where this bracing is on the inside? I never even considered that blocking would cause the 'toons to dent. I just want to be *sure* I don't damage anything!

As for lifting, I can use forks and try to cover as many braces as possible while lifting, but upon lifting, I'm sure the angle will change and put more pressure on one brace, etc. Will this damage/warp them? This concerns me since you say the 'toons could dent. What about using hooks on the holes at the front and back of the 'toons, and a nylon strap between them? I can then use the forks to life on the nylon strap.

As for the "gunk", it seems to come off fairly easily (whew!). I took a non-scuff scouring rag for dishes and wiped on a few areas--clean as a whistle. I still plan to polish the 'toons (got my sharkhide polish and protectant last week), but that will likely have to wait a few weeks. I hear it's a 20-30 hour job. I'm slowly piecing everything together!

 

[5150abf]

Re: Accessing the pontoons for cleaning

You don't say what kind of boat it is but the norm is there is a bulkhead at the nose cone, the middle weld and the end cap, therest of the tube is hollow and will dent rather easy.

I have lifted a bunch of them with a fork lift just catching 2-3 crossmembers, you should be fine, banging across the lake puts as much or more stress on the tubes, they should take it easily.

You of coarse are going to put up some pics, we have to have pics.

 

[JonathanEngr]

Re: Accessing the pontoons for cleaning

Pics??? Boy--you DO expect something to go wrong! LOL!

Okay--my boat is a 2002 Bentley 824 (basically, a Smokercraft 824). My understanding is they are a less expensive pontoon, so I'm sure the 'toon thickness is minimal.

 

[JonathanEngr]

Re: Accessing the pontoons for cleaning

Okay--still planning on cleaning tonight. I asked above about the welded on pieces at the front and back of the 'toons with a larger diameter (3/4" or so) holes in them. Someone told me that those holes are made for lifting the pontoon. Is this correct? If so, I can just use a threaded link in those holes to hook to a chain and lift it with my tractor. I just want to be sure!!!

 

[JonathanEngr]

Re: Accessing the pontoons for cleaning

Well, the cleaning last night went pretty well. I used a 3000 psi pressure washer to knock off all of the caked on gunk and such, and boy--it came right off. Gotta love pressure washers (I tried scraping it off with my fingernails to get some idea how hard it was going to be to remove, and I honestly didn't think a pressure washer would do it). However, no matter how long or hard I tried to remove the brown stain along the boat, it wouldn't come off.

Have you guys ever tried Sharkhide cleaner? Let me tell you--that stuff is amazing. I actually sent them an e-mail last night praising their product I was so impressed. All you do is mist it on, and the brown gunk that wouldn't come off with a pressure washer or brush just ran right down without touching it. Absolutely amazing. It leaves the pontoons a milky-white color, which I'm not crazy about, but since I plan on polishing them in the next few weeks it's not a big deal. One thing is for sure, it looks tons better than with that scum line running down the side! Here are some pics--I already pressure washed the boat, and you can see where I've cleaned with the Sharkhide cleaner:

One question. I also wrote the guys at Sharkhide but haven't gotten a response yet. All of the dirt and scum is gone, but there are vertical streaks where the boat set in the water. Aside from polishing, is there a way to remove these fairly easily? I was going to go out and apply more cleaner today, but thought I'd ask first.

As for lifting the pontoon, I was getting a bit worried about crawling underneath the thing while lifted, and I was not too comfortable on the idea of denting the 'toons, either. What I ended up doing was using my forks, straddling the motor, and lifting the back of the pontoon to get most of the underneath side of the 'toons. I left it hitched to my truck to keep the front from dipping down, and this way I got most of the 'toons clean. I'll have to be a bit more clever when I polish them (It'd be nice to have the boat suspended so I can easily access all sides of the pontoons for cleaning with a buffer...). I'm thinking of using a block and tackle to lift the front and back of the boat off of the trailer and then driving it out, and then putting supports underneath for safety. Here again--are those hitches welded to the front and back of the pontoons made for lifting the pontoon boat?

I'd love to hear thoughts and opinions. Thanks!

 

[5150abf]

Re: Accessing the pontoons for cleaning

As far as lifting with the bow eyes, people do it but make sure you lift straight up , don't do a side pull or you will bend them.

The ones on the nose cone are welded to alot of aluminum but the end caps ar eonly .080-.090 so they will take a straight pull but will bend and dent the end caps if you do a side pull.

 

[JonathanEngr]

Re: Accessing the pontoons for cleaning

Okay guys--here we go!!!!! Some before and after pics... I must say--I'm impressed with how they turned out--not bad for a first time!!!!!! If all goes well, I'll polish them this winter.

I'd love to hear everyone's opinions!

 

[samo_ott]

Re: Accessing the pontoons for cleaning

Wow. Those tubes look new! Good job.

 

[JonathanEngr]

Re: Accessing the pontoons for cleaning

Thanks, Steve!

 

[5150abf]

Re: Accessing the pontoons for cleaning

Those turned out really nice.

When you said crusty scum I didn't think you would ever get them but that wasn't that bad.

I worked on a 1973 Aqua Patio for a freind of a freind and had to use a grinder to get the scum off.

Nice job.