Do not coat over oxidation or dirt. There are two approaches here. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. It was a fractional rig. So if you scratch it to clean it in a short time it will look dull grey. Helps to be in cooler weather or not in direct sunlight. Using Natural Cleaning Agents 1 Use vinegar. Spray or brush a chemical conversion coating for aluminum. I expected a one-piece extrusion. If you buy them at a marine store expect ($$$), or even marketed as RV products ($$), but you get the same stuff at a welding supply store for less $ ($12 to $20 a gallon). Looking to clean my Mast while down to do some rewiring, it sure looks dirty in some spots, so will be lurking, You can use Flitz Metal Polish with a buffing wheel. If you are cleaning an aluminum pot, fill the pot with … If the mast is NOT anodized and is unfinished aluminum; AND, if you have a bunch of black streaks and other staining... THEN, if were me, I'd use one of the aluminum clean products which is designed for that purpose. If you polish it it will look dull grey. Microfiber cloth to buff. Scotch brite pads do wonders. tiz you'll be very happy with the result, like new Using an abrasive cleaner will damage the anodizing allowing the mast to oxidize. Cleans aluminum masts and other aluminum surfaces (anodized or not) of salt and other deposists with little effort. The material is about 3/16" thick. The word is unstepping the mast not demasting it. It is possible to have fractures without paint damage that won't show since it's covered by paint. Seamanship, Navigation & Boat Handling, Rules of the Road, Regulations, & Red Tape, http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...-spar-677.html, http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...amage-900.html, Voyages of Sea Trek: Refurbishing The Spars. Move it … My plan is to make a 4"x4" aluminum "band-aid" and rivet it on for reinforcement. Best way to clean and polish black anodized aluminum . What is the best way to clean & polish black anodized aluminium? My black sailboat mast is covered with scratches and while I have the boat out of the water for some maintenance, I thought I would give a good bath and shine it up a little. How the aluminum looks when it is clean and wet is how it will look once it is coated so if you see streaking or areas that are not clean – STOP and re-clean. Mast Extrusions and Fittings Boom Extrusions and Fittings Round Tubing Sailboat Hardware and Accessories Standing Rigging and Rigging Kits Pricing and Terms Abrasive Waterjet Technology Company and Contact Information How to Measure Masts and Booms Forget the powered buffer. Thanks, Joey . By the end of summer it was dull and oxidized again, and he just left it that way. Remove all food and grease from your aluminum utensils with soap and water, then place the items in a large aluminum pot. If you are using the full 10 section height of 37 ft. to support an antenna, then we recommend using 3 guy levels to keep the mast straight and stiff. Our clutch system, utilizing stainless steel spring washers and one-handed adjustable tension feature allows you to control the smooth descent and retrieval of the board. Clean the mast with water and detergent, then rinse the mast with water. The areas where the patches are going is flat. Cleaning up an Aluminium mast Another question as I try to figure out the hidden costs of different boats I'm considering! Turn down the heat and let simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Then you'd presumably wax it with a metal polish, if you wanted). Aluminium has a certain number of cycles to failure as does, Location: Thunder Bay, Ontario - 48-29N x 89-20W. Wipe dry with microfiber cloth. I have a 1979 Hunter 27. If you want to simply clean, scuff, and repaint the mask that's faily inexpensive, the cost of unstepping (varies widely by the yard) plus a day of your time, plus the painting options. Just tell the sales person you want to clean bare aluminum... the acids aren't strong enough to burn you, they usually come pre-diluted but also can be (or should be) diluted more with water. The aluminum exterior was clear coated with a special formula to protect the shiny surface. They recommended sanding the mast, cleaning with Interlux 216 thinner , applying Brightside Pre-Kote primer and Brightside Polyurethane Paint top coat, and of course sanding between coats. Apply and leave on for 15 to 30 minutes before rinsing with clean water - and that's it! Removes heavy oxidation and chalking. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. The mast is 58' long, and is an extruded aluminum oval about 10" at the longest part. Clear Polymer Coating Keeps Your Aluminum Boats, Pontoon, Masts, Fishing Towers & Outriggers Looking Shiny & New. Anodized aluminum should not be polished. Given the paint looks bad it won't be so easy to tell what is just paint failure and what is something else. Most major cities will have AirGas or Praxair stores, just put welding supply into Google Maps. The folks at Interlux had some good advice in that regard, painting from the top of the mast to the base, by the time you get to where folks can see it up close you’ll be a pro and all the mistakes are 40’ in the air;-) It was not a quick project, but it was worth it. Many years ago, when we had a Pearson 35 with an bare aluminum mast, I put my fowl weather bibs and boots on, and I could clean our mast from a bosan's chair. The first is to use one of the DIY clear-coat kits designed expressly for aluminum; these kits typically include a cleaner, a degreasing solvent, a primer, and clear coat-applied in that order. I do have a few small runs, but you’ll never see them. To inspect the mast and spreaders you will need to remove the. I need to place two patches on each side of it, each about 3" x 5", to cover the patterns of holes where some hardware was removed. You Can use ALUMABRITE™ to Clean Pontoons, Clean Aluminum Boats, Masts, Booms, Stainless Steel, Outriggers & Fishing Towers.ALUMABRITE™ is Concentrated and is easy to use. I would like to grind out the pits, and then fill them in and sand them smooth while maintaining the I painted mine, only because it was already. SprayWD 40 on the mast and wipe it with a green scotchbrite pad. Years ago a friend of mine spent about a week polishing his unanodized mast. I think you will find very serious mast damage is pretty obvious when you remove the paint. My mast broke right around the 1st spreaders with a relatively clean cut. When you are cleaning a bare aluminum mast (not anodized or painted), the best thing to use is metal cleaners specifically designed for aluminum that are acids. Mix the drain cleaner in the water and then lay your anodized aluminum surface in the pan. Pre-wash the mast with regular soap first, then mist the cleaner and let it sit for 5 min, but never let it dry. Turns back the clock on the effects of weathering on aluminum. Single Planer Mast with Adjustable Aluminum Reels Aluminum mast is 4 feet tall. 4-8 ft. Aluminum Telescopic Pole with Connect and Clean Locking Cone and PRO Locking Collar Get to hard-to-reach areas with this Unger Get to hard-to-reach areas with this Unger Aluminum Telescopic Pole. And when you reassemble [the components], you need to be sure to put grease back into all the pivot points.” Category : Towers, Outriggers, Masts, Booms, Cleaning & Protecting Damon Gannon asked: I have a sailboat that has seen a lot of ocean miles in the past 3 decades. You are removing the anodizing, which is protecting the mast. I called the folks at Interlux to get their advise. JavaScript is disabled. If the issue is "black streaks", then those are clearly abated. Scrubbing Anodized Aluminum Pick a neutral cleaner. it only reacts with oxidised material thus rest is fine, google cleaning aluminium oxalic for the lowdown. Is the mast anodized or just bare aluminum? You must log in or register to reply here. “After the oven cleaner, you want to clean everything off [with water]. While it will look pretty, Dlochner is right. For large areas, the surface can be allowed to dry but watch for water spots if you have hard water. Aluminum is a great metal. have a look here to get an idea of what we did to refinish our spars. Pour out the water, let the pot cool and clean with hot, soapy water. We have not tested any of the clear-coat kits. I had to fight my impatience all the way to not apply it too thick. Over the years, the salt air has led to corrosion pitting in the aluminum under the paint. Ended up looking like it was chrome plated. Pre-wash the mast with regular soap first, then mist the cleaner and let it sit for 5 min, but never let it dry. Another easy idea on how to clean aluminum: Boil apple peels in a pot of water. I experimented a bit before doing the mast and ended up brushing it on. You may want to rethink doing it. Part Number. My aluminum mast broke yesterday in high winds. aluminum mast and boom that we keep down on the Texas gulf coast. These new aluminum guy rings are laser-cut to our specifications and fit nicer than our former steel versions. If you have recently removed the mast on an older boat; then it may be a good idea to take the extra time to remove, clean-up, inspect and re-seal the mast … W. Evert, Charlotte, NC. Previous owners had painted the aluminum mast a couple of times and did a terrible job of it. Rinse well, repeat if needed. The best cleaners for anodized aluminum are … if you can get it in a gel as Epiglass Mast Cleaner used to come as, even safer for human use. We refinished our mast!More info and pricing on Everbrite Protecta-clear at RenewMetal.comBest prices we have found on marine cable at tinnedmarinewire.com Rinse well, repeat if needed. … 3M™ Marine Aluminum Restorer and Polish revives the appearance of aluminum throughout boats by … The aluminum mast is about 54 feet long. The mast is probably anodized. … I have an aluminum mast, flat sided oval, 9 1/2" x 5 1/4", lying on stands at my local boatyard. The rest of the mast is in very good condition, with a minimal amount of corrosion. It has a 2-section design that allows it to extend from 4 to 8 ft. Use it to clean… It worked out very well, but as mentioned is not cheap and develops dangerous fumes requiring special protective equipment for those mixing as well as the sprayer. Q. Another question as I try to figure out the hidden costs of different boats I'm considering! Concentrated formula provides a lot of cleaning with a small amount. Mast is 42'. Simply Spray On and Rinse Clean. BUT to clean it up, OXALIC acid for any oxidised alu. The cleaner I was describing was a mild acid, as I recall. This coating must be removed before you can paint an Airstream trailer. The t-slot adjust-ability allows the reel to be positioned from the base up. The chemical conversion will react with the … On a big mast, buy the $10 2 gallon size garden sprayer at HD or Lowes. It depends on the atmospheric conditions: soot, acid and salt content of the air, maybe temperature, amount of rainfall, etc. We are a, Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1. Go to the RV section in Walmart and buy some Black Streak Remover from Camco. Looked really nice, but when the sun hit it the reflection would blind you. There used to be an aluminum cleaner (I'm not sure if it was sold under the MDR name). If the issue is relative "dullness", then that's an evolving thing. Place apple peels in a pot of water and bring to a boil. When left in the weather it will form it’s own protective coating. have mast down and want to clean up and remove black marks, etc. Any yard that sprays can do it, again prices vary widely. Flitz or Prism polish will do the job. Specializing in high-quality aluminum spars for your boat. Any recommendations on products and if this should be by hand or can an electric buffer or polisher be used? The work will be time-consuming but necessary for a paint finish that will adhere to the aluminum exterior. Painted aluminum requires constant vigilance against cracks that can lead to damage from corrosion. Thanks, Jerry. Thanks (turns out there are lots of … Location: Pelican Bay, Great Sandy National Park, Age and previous use can be important here. Going to make a new one. Priced at $7.00 each, or 3 for $20.00. I use mean green to get the dirt and spider droppings off and then wipe it down with WD40. When I bought my good old Karl, he did not have any mast steps. I had a hose some rags, and a bit of patience of the person down on the deck handling the winch. Do you think that a repair would be wise if done properly or would it be prudent to get a new mast if the budget permits? It removes the oxidizing. The app is searchable in the Google Play Store under Sailboat Owners. Scotch brite pads do wonders. If you wash it it will look dull grey. Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on Cruisers Forums. Keel Stepped Mast. The thinner is also used to cut the paint for brushing on vs. spray. It does a really good job of removing oxidation stains. It works best when used with our race proven and fisherman approved bottom coat, VS721™ . You can’t tell it was brushed on, it flowed out very well. Sorry iPhone/iPad users, we are still waiting on Apple. Download it here. On a big mast, buy the $10 2 gallon size garden sprayer at HD or Lowes. De-anodizing Your Aluminum Put on a pair of rubber gloves and goggles. :(. Privacy Guaranteed - your email is never shared with anyone, opt out any time. It is the labor and stripping and TRANSPORTATION that can kill you. The second option is to use a high-quality linear polyurethane (LPU) paint. When we painted our (clear) anodized mast we sanded to bare metal, mild acid wash and primed and painted with Awlgrip, a pricey 2 part polyurethane paint. ALUMABRITE™ is an Instant Marine Aluminum Cleaner & Aluminum Brightener.Our aluminum cleaner removes stains and discoloration from aluminum, and cleans oxidized aluminum. Q: I just purchased a new Seldén mast for my 42-foot sailboat, but was surprised to see a splice in the lower part of the mast. I'm probably just looking online in the wrong places but can anyone give me approximate estimate for how much I might expect to refinish a set of Aluminium spars, mast , main boom and staysail boom, in Southern Ca. Essentially the same thing that happens with a new aluminum spar. The mast was originally painted white from the factory and looked awful being well north of three decades in the weather. ALUMETRON™ Fights Corrosion, Protects Aluminum up to 10 YEARS. Common brand names for conversion coatings include Iridite and Alodine. does anyone have any idea as to if powder coating will be as good as anodizing the 3 inch aluminum tubing I am going to use for the the mast? Is the splice detrimental to the overall strength of the mast? The corrosion has eaten a small hole, less than 1/4" in diameter through the mast The mast is keel stepped. Damage may have been painted over. Cracks that can kill you Beta 1 will need to remove the, as i recall when the sun it. 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Proven and fisherman approved bottom coat, VS721™ Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1 pretty, Dlochner is.... Mast not demasting it it does a really good job of removing stains... This coating must be removed before you can get it in a short time will! It with a green scotchbrite pad and buy some black Streak Remover Camco.