Advice on cleaning this...crust off my toons

[captmello]

This white, crusty stuff has been on my toons since I purchased it a couple years back. The previous owner kept it in the lake all summer, I trailer it.

I just upgraded to a bunk trailer. Now this stuff is like sandpaper on my bunks!

Since I have a bunk trailer now, I would like to try to clean the toons while the boat is in the water, so I couldn't use any chemicals. What so you guys think? This stuff is really crusted on.

Thanks.

 

[crb478]

Re: Advice on cleaning this...crust off my toons

In the water maybe some wet dry sandpaper. I doubt that steel wool would hold up, but you could hit it lightly with a stainless steel brush. Without chemicals it will take lots of elbow grease.

 

[Bamaman1]

Re: Advice on cleaning this...crust off my toons

You should start with a good pressure washer, or go to a good quarter car wash.

Then go with one of the acid based aluminum pontoon cleaners, available at most boat dealerships. Some use NAPA aluminum brightener, which is the same stuff. Some people dilute air conditioning condenser cleaner.

You spray the cleaner with a pump up sprayer and let it sit a few minutes. Then spray it off with lots of clean water. No scrubbing is required.

If your aluminum is permanently etched, you might need to then wet sand the toons.

My boat is new, but I keep the toons clean by not leaving it in the water. And I do polish them with a dual action polisher to keep the toons shiny.

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: Advice on cleaning this...crust off my toons

LOl mine often has green stuff growing on it but then its ready to be used at a seconds notice. thats just how it is if its on a slip and not a trailer queen.

 

[captmello]

Re: Advice on cleaning this...crust off my toons

You should start with a good pressure washer, or go to a good quarter car wash.

Then go with one of the acid based aluminum pontoon cleaners, available at most boat dealerships. Some use NAPA aluminum brightener, which is the same stuff. Some people dilute air conditioning condenser cleaner.

You spray the cleaner with a pump up sprayer and let it sit a few minutes. Then spray it off with lots of clean water. No scrubbing is required.

If your aluminum is permanently etched, you might need to then wet sand the toons.

My boat is new, but I keep the toons clean by not leaving it in the water. And I do polish them with a dual action polisher to keep the toons shiny.

How can I do all this with the boat on my bunk trailer? I suppose I could do the old lower the tongue, block the rear, raise the tongue trick. This would expose a lot of the bottom of my tubes. but would i want to use the acid wash on my brand new, powder coated trailer??? Would the acid damage the bunk carpeting or paint.

 

[Bamaman1]

Re: Advice on cleaning this...crust off my toons

People clean the toons all the time sitting on bunk style trailers. But I understand where you're coming from if you have a new trailer.

You might start at the quarter car wash with a bleach/water soaking solution. Then you'll have to work really, really hard sanding the toons with elbow grease. It'd take progressive sandings with finer and finer abrasives before finally polishing.

I have the racer's edge. I have a neighbor's old pontoon trailer sitting on my lot that I can use. Good luck to you.

 

[captmello]

Re: Advice on cleaning this...crust off my toons

I went out and bought some of this toon cleaner.

Seemed easy enough.

Since I didn't want to acid wash my new trailer, I jacked up the pontoon and put some plastic over the trailer. Did what I wanted it to.

this is what I got after spraying it on and rinsing it.

Turned the toon white.

And after another "coat"

Whats my next move?

Anyone have this happen? Its turning white...

 

[Blujay96]

Re: Advice on cleaning this...crust off my toons

I bought something similar to that and it did the same thing. Didn't touch the build up. I'm going to sand it with my orbital sander to get it back down to the aluminum and the do some scrubing.

 

[captmello]

Re: Advice on cleaning this...crust off my toons

I bought something similar to that and it did the same thing. Didn't touch the build up. I'm going to sand it with my orbital sander to get it back down to the aluminum and the do some scrubing.

thanks for the reply, I went out and sanded with my small orbital sander but I only had 220 grit. It certainly smoothed it out, but wore out the sandpaper very quickly. I think this is the method to use. I'm going to go pick up some more sandpaper!

 

[nyx2k]

Re: Advice on cleaning this...crust off my toons

try neat vinegar and see if that helps. it looks like calcium deposits from barnacle type creatures. vinegar will start to fizz if it is and a cheap way of removing it

 

[The Woo Woo Kid]

Re: Advice on cleaning this...crust off my toons

try neat vinegar and see if that helps. it looks like calcium deposits from barnacle type creatures. vinegar will start to fizz if it is and a cheap way of removing it

Neat vinegar ? What's dat ?

 

[Bamaman1]

Re: Advice on cleaning this...crust off my toons

If you're going the sanding method, I'd tell you to use a dual action sander/polisher. Harbor Freight has one on sale this month.

An orbital or palm sander might give you swirls.

And when you buy sandpaper, you might want to buy a better grade of aluminum oxide paper--in progressive grits. Before it's over, you might have to wet sand the toons with soapy water.

I suggest you search aluminum finishing on Google. UTube.com also has some videos on this subject. Some of the auto detailing websites also address aluminum finishing in their marine detailing sections.

I polish my Bennington toons with a Porter Cable d/a polisher/sander, a wool bonnet and White Diamond metal polish.

 

[bobspelledbackward]

Re: Advice on cleaning this...crust off my toons

I went out and bought some of this toon cleaner.

Seemed easy enough.

Since I didn't want to acid wash my new trailer, I jacked up the pontoon and put some plastic over the trailer. Did what I wanted it to.

this is what I got after spraying it on and rinsing it.

Turned the toon white.

And after another "coat"

Whats my next move?

Anyone have this happen? Its turning white...

On our last pontoon I tried using that Aluma Brite stuff without success. Plus, it was nasty to work with (maybe I had a bad respirator on). Anyhoo, our next pontoon, a 1995 Premier Horizon Explorer that we bought new at Hallberg's, we've had them clean the pontoons over winter every year. They still look like new. We leave the pontoon in the water all season so that's why we have 'em cleaned every year. I think the cost is now around $125. You might want to have them do your toons once to get 'em in shape then maintain them yourself thereafter.

 

[captmello]

Re: Advice on cleaning this...crust off my toons

Thanks for all the replies.

I went ahead with the orbital sander. Not knowing exactly what grits to use, I ended up with some 120 and some more 220 grit. Since the boat was up off the bunks, I was able to remove the bunks from under the toons and sand them. While it didn't leave them shiny and new looking, it definitely smoothed them out which is what I was originally was trying to accomplish. I don't care so much about the looks, however I could see the shiny aluminum beginning to show through so I may do some more sanding or buffing another time later.

Here's some pics. It took a couple hours to sand.

 

[WaterDR]

Re: Advice on cleaning this...crust off my toons

Your pontoons appear anodized. I suspect a previous acid cleaning caused alum-oxide. hen, when you washed it again and I think you just completed the process. What you are seeing is aluminum oxide from the breaking down of the coating. By using a grinder, you are now tearing it all off and exposing yourself to naked metal which will now turn brown.

 

[captmello]

Re: Advice on cleaning this...crust off my toons

Your pontoons appear anodized. I suspect a previous acid cleaning caused alum-oxide. hen, when you washed it again and I think you just completed the process. What you are seeing is aluminum oxide from the breaking down of the coating. By using a grinder, you are now tearing it all off and exposing yourself to naked metal which will now turn brown.

thanks for the reply. So what would you do now?

I'd be interested in what the most efficient method would be to buffing and polishing the toons. Unfortunately, I don't have any experience using power buffers, or polishers. I have done sanding and wet sanding...

It would be nice to just get them to one solid color.

 

[big ken]

Re: Advice on cleaning this...crust off my toons

my pontoon were loaded with barnacle scales when I purchased, only thing that removed them is bought a small angle gringer and used a fairly coarse wire wheel. worked great!! did leave swirles but I painted bottoms with a green alum boat paint, turned out really well.