Been a busy summer and the MR180 has, for the most part, just been collecting dust in the garage. I had a little moment of panic the other day when I was looking at the kids' football schedules, the upcoming hunting season, what I have left to do with my retaining wall and landscape project, and realized I'm running out of decent weather/time to get some paint laid down before the weather turns.
My intentions of finishing up this build over the summer were sidetracked by other projects, so now I'm looking at another winter build. Things will come together quickly once the paint is down and the deck installed, but I really need to paint before the cold sets in.
I know I had asked before about idle time between vinegar wash/acid etch and paint, with the recommendation to be as soon as possible. I have another question regarding the vinegar wash and rinse. I had a nice pressure washer that just recently took a dump. Is a washdown with the standard hose enough to follow up the vinegar etch on the bare aluminum, or should I really try to hit it with a pressure washer. I'm probably over think this, but I'd assume the water is meant to neutralize the acid moreso than it is intended to rinse.
Current plan:
Hit all bare aluminum to be painted with a 220 grit on the orbital
Rinse
Vinegar wash
Rinse
Acetone wipe down
Paint (using both Aluma Hawk and Duralux paint formulated for bare aluminum/no need for primer)
I guess my biggest question is - standard hose pressure enough for rinsing, or do I need to replace my pressure washer sooner rather than later?
