Anyone ever refinished an aluminium boat???

[mthoodrider]

I have a 12' aluminium row boat that I want to refinish this spring. I know some rivits a leaking by, but no major leaks. I have done a lot of painting in my life time, but I know aluminium boats are a whole different story. I have done some research online, so I have an idea of what to do and use. Just wanted to see if anyone out there has ever done it before and could give me any tips on what worked best. Thanks

 

[Thuggin4Life]

you should check out iboats.

 

[Troutski]

Arma Coat

Arma Coat

A close friend of mine took his to Arma Coat and they sandblasted the entire inside and then sprayed it with the same stuff they put into the bed of pickups. Sealed all the leaks and was none slip, this stuff comes in colors now. Worth a check, he also had them blast his out side with walnut shells...nice finish.

Chuck

 

[GDBrown]

A close friend of mine took his to Arma Coat and they sandblasted the entire inside and then sprayed it with the same stuff they put into the bed of pickups. Sealed all the leaks and was none slip, this stuff comes in colors now. Worth a check, he also had them blast his out side with walnut shells...nice finish.

Chuck

If the rivets are not broken (sometimes they break but don't fall out) you can tighten them with a friend and a couple of hammers. One guy holds a heavy hammer against the rivet head inside the boat and the other guy taps (don't hit too hard) the other side. It expands the center and seals the leak. UNLESS it's broken! then it usually falls out. New rivets can be bought at ACE hardware stores. They also sell rivet sets which are used to set the rivets. Look it up on the internet to get an idea of what they are.

 

[Hawk]

If you have a small leak below your boats floorboards you can use a small water pump that operates off the 12 volt battery, to pump the water overboard.

I had one to pump water to my motorhomes holding tank fill. You can Search on Google

 

[Thuggin4Life]

Like they said if its a small leak find the rivet/rivets and replace or reset them using a heavy weight(big hammer,hitch ball) on one end and a hammer and punch to expand the rivets in the holes or just get a small water pump that runs on a 12 volt battery like the ones in campers or portable showers or a bilge pump whatever. Then there is the bed liner approach but if its a small boat you woukld want a light coat or it could get heavy quick. Also if you redo the rivets then you can use gutter sealant or the epoxy for aluminum like glove it along the seams and on the rivets. and put a coat on the hull up to above the seams. then its sealed. just remember that aluminum doesn't rust it oxidises so you need you whipe the boat with vinager before putting down a sealant. Good luck.

 

[Hawk]

Or just git a biggun motor on yer boat, GO So fast that the water rushes out, instead of IN...

Sounds Good

Just Kidding

har.har.har

:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:



i no its not funny

 

[mthoodrider]

I'll defenetly try the hammer trick. Hope I don't have any broken rivets, then seal the hull.
Thanks

 

[Raincatcher]

Or just git a biggun motor on yer boat, GO So fast that the water rushes out, instead of IN...

Sounds Good

Just Kidding

har.har.har

:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:



i no its not funny

Oh Hawk...you are hilarious! I thought it was funny....makes good sense to me. Kind of like dodging raindrops.
Take care of yourself up on that thar mountain!

 

[Hawk]

Oh Hawk...you are hilarious! I thought it was funny....makes good sense to me. Kind of like dodging raindrops.
Take care of yourself up on that thar mountain!

hahaha

Thanks Sis...

 

[Fish-On Fred]

I like the deal of Arma Coat. It would look primo again.. If you are on a budget, use a silicone called RTV to seal seams. You can get rattle can spray that has texture or use that white weater seal coat they put on old moter home roofs. It handles wear for quite a while. All depends how far you want to go with your money. Good Luck and have fun using your boat.....Fred

 

[glennmcintire]

I also have an aluminium boat and was thinking about taking all the paint off to show the aluminum. Is this a good idea? Are there any inherent problems to having no paint on a rivited aluminium boat?

Its an old Starcraft and it looks old. I just think that if it was a nice shiny aluminum it would look new.

Thanks
GMc

 

[GDBrown]

Should not be a problem. Lots of boats have exposed metal.

 

[mthoodrider]

I think you still need a clear coat on it. Exposed aluminum will eventually start pitting. It looks like flakes of salt on it. It takes a lot longer then metal, but it does corrode. Specially if you are not using it much during the winter.

 

[JeannaJigs]

Hmm does anyone know the approximate cost of Arma coating?

 

[GDBrown]

To fix or Not to fix!!!!

To fix or Not to fix!!!!

Most boats made from aluminum quickly form an oxide layer (the gray stuff) which is why they no longer shine like new.

The kind of corrosion that causes pitting is usually caused by saltwater and/or electrolysis. Both of which can be avoided or taken care of with a good bath and a zinc anode.

"Aluminum has a natural corrosion protection from its oxide layer, but if exposed to aggressive environments it may corrode. Still, if correctly fabricated constructions of aluminum may be reliable and have long service life."

Passivity of aluminium
From a purely thermodynamical point of view aluminium is active. However, in oxygen containing environment (air, water), aluminium is rapidly covered with a dense oxide layer [1]. The oxide layer is essentially inert, and prevents corrosion. The thickness of the layer may vary as a function of temperature, environment and alloy elements. Oxide films formed in air at room temperature are 2-3 nm thick on pure aluminium. Heating to 425°C may give films up to 20 nm [2]. If the oxide film is damaged, e.g. by a scratch, new oxide will immediately form on the bare metal [3]. This way aluminium is given excellent corrosion protection.


Here is a link to a short article about corrosion......

http://www.sintef.no/static/mt/norlight/seminars/norlight2003/postere/gaute%20svenningsen.pdf

My boat had some serious pitting since it was used in salt water without an anode and I had to put GlovIt on the bottom after filling in the holes with "JB Weld"

Hope you figure out the right thing to do.

GD