Aluminum boat clean up?

brambo0311 · Post by **brambo0311** » Wed Sep 14, 2011 5:13 pm

My father in law just bought a Fish & game alumaweld drift boat at a government auction. It's a good hull, but been sitting in a parking lot for years. What is the best way to clean up the oxidation ect. Other than melting it down and making a jack Plate for my bass boat, what's the best way. My old trout boat I mixed CLR with rubbing compound and buffed it out. It was allot of work. Any ideas?

GW · Post by GW » Wed Sep 14, 2011 7:28 pm

You need to track down Kenji, he has or had the best looking aluminum boat I have ever seen, it made an Airstream look bad....I am willing to bet he still lurks around here or maybe over at tinboat.com (I think thats the site)

Tin Can · Post by **Tin Can** » Thu Sep 15, 2011 8:32 am

Paint it.

brambo0311 · Post by **brambo0311** » Thu Sep 15, 2011 6:39 pm

Tin Can wrote:Paint it.

It's a drift boat. We might as well paint the rocks. That's were the paint will end up. Anyway started tearing it all apart, new larger hubs, spindal bearings, tires and wheeles. Welding some larger fenders tomorrow. did a test spot with my method and it came out like chrome. Bulk head and floor is rotted, but there is enough for a pattern to cut out some diamond plate. This thing is a beast, sides are 1/4 thick and bottom is at least 1/2. Any idea on what kind of drain plug these things use? It's right on the bottom so it has to be some kind of flush mount thing that don't drag on rocks.

blkdog812 · Post by **blkdog812** » Thu Sep 15, 2011 7:45 pm

try "toon bright"
http://www.toonbrite.com/default.asp?id=13

milehi · Post by **milehi** » Fri Sep 16, 2011 9:36 am

0000 steel wool is what I always used on mine worked great and mine spent about 9 months a year on the lake.

jamescaird · Post by **jamescaird** » Fri Sep 16, 2011 1:15 pm

It is a mistake to polish off the oxidation. The oxidation forms a protective layer on the aluminum that stops any further oxidation. If you polish it off it will just oxidize again, but you now have less material than you started with. If you keep doing it you'll continue to thin the aluminum. Best bet is to just leave it alone and go fishing. If you do polish it you should paint it (even if it's clear) to keep it from oxidizing again.