# Need help/Sanding and repainting an aluminum casting and poling platform



## ol' superskiff (Oct 22, 2015)

I was lucky enough back in 99 to stumble my way into a poling and front casting platform that were used in the early years on the Hell's Bay skiffs. They were black painted or powder coated when then came into my possession and over the years as they needed touching up I performed varying degrees of half ass sanding and rattle can jobs to keep them looking decent. They looked right at home on my jon boat but now I'd like to give them a proper freshening up.

My questions are:

1) I'm thinking down to bare metal and I'm using the round wire brushes for a drill to strip the paint. They appear to be leaving some light scratching. Should that scratching sand out smooth when I am done removing the paint? Is there a better way to go about it?

2) Other than going back to the rattle can, any other suggestions? They are going back on the jon boat after all (which could use a paint job also) so I don't want to spend a bunch of $$$ making them look perfect but I don't mind spending some if the results is worth it.

I'm all ears and appreciate any feedback.


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## ol' superskiff (Oct 22, 2015)

ol' superskiff said:


> I was lucky enough back in 99 to stumble my way into a poling and front casting platform that were used in the early years on the Hell's Bay skiffs. They were black painted or powder coated when then came into my possession and over the years as they needed touching up I performed varying degrees of half ass sanding and rattle can jobs to keep them looking decent. They looked right at home on my jon boat but now I'd like to give them a proper freshening up.
> 
> My questions are:
> 
> ...


"results are" not "is", sheesh!


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## Charles Hadley (Jan 20, 2019)

Save yourself the hassles,drop them off at a powder coater,best 150$ you are going spend on those platforms.


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## ol' superskiff (Oct 22, 2015)

I


Charles Hadley said:


> Save yourself the hassles,drop them off at a powder coater,best 150$ you are going spend on those platforms.


 I have no experience with a powder coater but I could definitely live with that price tag. Do you know if they would they need to be down to bare metal?


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## Charles Hadley (Jan 20, 2019)

ol' superskiff said:


> I
> 
> I have no experience with a powder coater but I could definitely live with that price tag. Do you know if they would they need to be down to bare metal?


Our powder coated sand blasts/media blasts old stuff off.look up you closest powder coater,you will thank yourself


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## ol' superskiff (Oct 22, 2015)

Charles Hadley said:


> Our powder coated sand blasts/media blasts old stuff off.look up you closest powder coater,you will thank yourself


Thank you Charles Hadley!


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## Mike Haydon (Dec 19, 2019)

Powder coating is going to be the absolute best. That being said if its aluminum its not an absolute necessity. Like you said, take it down with the wire wheel. Then use a high build primer. You can use the aerial type. Just lesson your grits. Start with 220. Then hit with spray paint. Will look good, last a long time and cost you $20. Just what is your time worth and did you mind touching up seasonaly??


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## Capnredfish (Feb 1, 2012)

Powder coated properly will not require seasonal touch ups. But you need to isolate where aluminum comes in contact with SS fasteners. Nylon washers. Anti seize and other methods.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Powdercoat can’t be touched up (not correctly) once it’s done, they will have to media blast it all off and re-coat. The media blasting costs more than the actual coating. Powdercoat done correctly will last a long time. Use TefGel on the mounting fasteners, that’s where corrosion cancer begins. Once the coating is compromised you will never get it to stop, the corrosion gets between the metal and coating and goes crazy.


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## CKEAT (Aug 26, 2015)

I would prefer the polished aluminum and tef gel on points of dissimilar metal. Just maintain, your good. Salt Away is worth it weight in gold IMO.


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## LowHydrogen (Dec 31, 2015)

Do not use those drill mounted wire wheels unless you're sure the wire is stainless. If they're steel you're implanting that ferrous material in the aluminum and it will eventually react and shorten the life of whatever you coat it with.

Stainless will also react but to a much lesser degree. 

Smack pointed out that once the coating is compromised it will go down hill and never really stop. That's true and you just don't want the ferrous material there feeding the reaction creating that white dust (oxide layer) I know you're already seeing.

Just my $.02 Good luck and post pics


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## LowHydrogen (Dec 31, 2015)

Forgot to mention, if you're doing common paint/coating with no chemical bond the small scratches in the aluminum will actually help increase the anchor profile of the metal and give more surface area for the paint to adhere to. Think about it like this.

A rough surface = more surface area V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V measure all the ups and downs of that surface, you'll get more distance that a super slick surface, ----------------------.

Just make sure they're not so deep that the high points make thin spots of coating.


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## Mike Haydon (Dec 19, 2019)

@LowHydrogen , damn that is something I would not have even thought about at all. Is it something you have delt with? The non stainless leaving particles? Solid advice for sure and something for us all to think about!


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## LowHydrogen (Dec 31, 2015)

Mike Haydon said:


> @LowHydrogen , damn that is something I would not have even thought about at all. Is it something you have delt with? The non stainless leaving particles? Solid advice for sure and something for us all to think about!


Yes, but never in that circumstance, and typically it's SS in corrosive or sour service that we're worried about contaminating. Also AL and SS never weld as clean after they've been brushed with carbon steel tools. 

There's all kinds of weird things that go on with metal.


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