How to clean or remove oxidation from aluminum boat

[seanymph85]

I realize there are pros and cons regarding cleaning oxidation from an aluminum boat. Mine is a 1985 SeaNymph 14R V-hull Big Water. I mainly wanted to clean not necessarily highly polish to remove the rough chalky oxidation primarily above the waterline prior to completion of sealing seams and replacing rivets in the hull/bow area of my boat..

I have heard of many liquid aluminum oxidation removers but some I have not been able to locate online.

I am not expecting to get the final result to a highly polished chrome look. I primarily just wanted to improve the general appearance by removing surface, chalky residue and prepare to seal aluminum if required in area of sanding/cleaning if needed after cleaning.

Attached are several picture with various levels of oxidation or lime build up etc. on this boat

Any suggestions on this are appreciated.

 

[Woodonglass]

I'm not a Tinner but I've heard this stuff works well.


http://www.superkleendirect.com/clea...-4.aspx?page=2

ZEP A-LUME 1 GALLON



MSRP: $34.94
Price: $26.88
You Save: $8.06 (23 %)


Zep-A-Lume is a premium aluminum cleaner and brightener. This item must ship by truck


Since this is HIGHLY acidic I'd recommend that you wash her down thoroughly afterwards with a warm water solution of Arm and Hammer soda water. 5 cups of Soda in 5 gallons of warm water. This will neutralize the acid in the Zep A-Lume product.

If you want to try a Home remedy you could try a bottle of White vinegar and a bottle of Lemon juice mixed in 5 gallons of Warm water. They are both highly acidic as well AND a Lot Cheaper!!! You might try some Simple Green Too!!!

 

[jigngrub]

Try one of these in an inconspicuous area to see if it does what you want:

http://www.toolup.com/3m_04028_6x9-...scplp3935377&gclid=CPnch_maxb8CFXNo7AodgygA2Q

Available at most auto parts store. I just use them like a sponge and wash with a car wash solution or just Dawn dishwashing detergent... and at a buck-o-five they're cheap.

 

[Woodonglass]

Hmmm, that reminded me of when I was cleaning the aluminum splashwell on my boat. HarborFreight sells this...Which is basically a 3M Scotchbrite Pad wadded up in a ball and placed on a drill attachment. It works GREAT in combination with the Lemon/vinegar water it'll clean your boat in no time.

 

[jigngrub]

You'll want to be careful with those maroon pads, they're a medium grit and considerably more aggressive than the gray ultra fine.

http://www.toolup.com/3m_7447_scotc...scplp1065333&gclid=CJOWzL3-xb8CFSxo7AodCEsAsg

 

[Woodonglass]

Uhmm you can get the Drill Abrasive Balls in Fine Grits too!!!!

 

[REdington]

This is what I got from NAPA and it worked great

http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/C...ightener-Cleaner-32-oz/_/R-MCR1458_0410678680

Rodney

 

[seanymph85]

Thanks for all of the tips! I see the local Napa store sells that one so it saves shipping cost. Only $9 to try it so it's worth a shot. I order from Harbor freight so I will check that out too. The Zep alume sounds good but with the shipping cost kind of expensive. Perhaps worth it in the long run. I see Slimey Grimey has a product called Blazin that's supposed to work well but don't know of anyone that has tried that particular one.

 

[Watermann]

I use JJV's best aluminum cleaner, no acid and it makes the aluminum so clean it's almost white.

 

[Woodonglass]

Good one Waterman, I forgot about that stuff...

 

[seanymph85]

I bought a 32 oz. size of the Napa product to try but I believe I saw the JJV product in my searches online. I will look for it again and see if I can get some to try.
Thanks for the tip!

 

[seanymph85]

No Title

Okay here are a couple of pix after using the Napa aluminum brightener. While it appears allot better in the picture of the bow at a distance there is a significant whitish cast after the aluminum dried off. I used the brightener, left on briefly, then power washed area off real well. You will note a darkish area where I applied by hand a small amount of Meguiars metal polish as a test to see what would happen with metal color etc. The rag was quickly turning black and surface drying before all polish and or black color that seemed to be getting smeared around was dry.

Not sure what is normal here with the whitish cast surface color after using the Napa brightener and power washing or in regards to all the black color on the rag after using small amount of the Meguiars' metal polish. Not sure where to go from here. Any input is appreciated. I did just receive a small sample of Woody Wax Ultra Gloss FG restoring compound that I understood many are using to polish aluminum as well.

I don't have a polishing wheel or power sander/buffer but could try to get ahold of one if I need to use rubbing compounds or mirror glaze type products etc. I don't have to have a mirror like finish when done or anything but it would be nice to not have that dull whitish cast to surface color if I can readily get rid of it. Unless it is not of any real concern for any reason. Other than appearance.

 

[jigngrub]

There's always post #3

 

[seanymph85]

I'll see if they have those scotch brite pads at our local hardware They have some sandpapers and emery cloth etc. sold separately so it will make it easier to try one to see if it will help. If it helps with this I'll order some online or find them at an area home improvement store etc. I was especially concerned as to whether or not the whitish cast on the color was normal after using a product like the Napa aluminum acid based cleaner.

Would prefer to try JJV's best etc. too but haven't found it in our area yet. Also there is a Slimey Grimey product called Blazin that is supposed to be good but even though less caustic than some it is still acid base of some sort. One of the products suggested to clean the hull can only be shipped by truck not typical shipping services and the shipping cost is quite expensive

 

[jigngrub]

The Scotchbrite pads are sold at auto supply stores like NAPA and Auto Zone.

There's also 400 grit sandpaper followed by Mothers aluminum polish, the Mothers will work well after the scotchbrite pad too.

 

[seanymph85]

We have Auto Zone in our area so I'll try there too.

With the scotch brite pads would you suggest a graduation from say medium to fine to the Ultra fine in post 3? Or just ultra fine if it takes off the whitish cast to the color ok? I have some Meguiars metal polish on hand and a sample of the Woody' Ultra gloss as well. I know that a number of stores in the area carry the Mothers product too.


Thanks for the tips!

 

[Woodonglass]

Most of the Chemical cleaners, from what I've heard, leave a whitish look after they do their thing. If you're looking for a highly polished look the Mother's product does a good job of that but normally only works well on non anodized aluminum. I suspect your boat is anodized. As a FYI , the polished aluminum DOES require a LOT of maintenance to keep the "LOOK".

 

[seanymph85]

For the most part I primarily wanted to just clean the surface below water line and clean and polish somewhat above the waterline. I don't require a mirror finish which as has been said requires regular ongoing attention to keep it that way and that could be considered a problem in bright sunlight for other boaters but would like to just get rough scratches out and get it back to a natural aluminum color on the side in particular above the waterline.

My only other concern in this regard is trying to clean and polish around and or between what I believe is original side decals on the boat without ruining them.

As far as the surface having been anodized or not originally I have no idea. Nor do I understand what happens if you do certain things to the surface of aluminum that has been anodized originally. I can tell you that on the surface of the keel and strakes they are significantly "pitted" in general surface appearance. Possibly in part from wear and tear from dragging on lake or river bottoms or possibly from how someone had cleaned the aluminum previously.

 

[seanymph85]

No Title

I have done considerable cleaning with liquid cleaners etc. The JJV's aluminum cleaner cleaned the mineral build up well and left the aluminum closest to a silver aluminum color instead of more of a whitish cast like higher acid based cleaners.

However I still have an area on the transom that is blackish in color and does not appear to be residual mineral buildup. I even used some 400 grit sandpaper on this area and while it made it smoother it did not remove the blackish coloration.

I'm not certain what this discoloration is or if anything can be done to lessen how much it stands out. It is located at the waterline on the transom. I would assume this discoloration has existed for a very long time.

Any suggestions on what to do with this type of aluminum discoloration would be appreciated or if nothing can or needs to be done and it should just be ignored.

 

[seanymphmike]

I have a '71 Sea Nymph 14 RU. It's very similar to your '85. When I got it there was 40+ years worth of oxidation on it. I tried several spray on products as well as Barkeepers Friend and Mother's polish. I never could get the consistent results I wanted. I wanted the hull to be clean and smooth but not necessarily blinding shiny bright. I finally tried an SOS pad and found it gave me great control over the results. It was labor intensive but I worked a section at a time, rinsing the black oxidation away with clear water and a shop rag. I was careful to use consistent polishing strokes, parallel to the gunwale. It proved easy to blend one section into the next and I got a very consistent result. I did the hull from the waterline to the gunwale and it took two boxes. I think that's 20 SOS pads. Like I said, labor intensive but I got the results I was looking for...and it wouldn't be the first time I was accused of doing things the hard way. You can control the finish from clean and smooth all the way to mirror bright depending how much elbow grease you want to use. Just my $.02.