Can anyone suggest the best way to clean an aluminum boat before painting?

"HiTech Redneck" wrote in message
...
Can anyone suggest the best way to clean an aluminum boat before painting?

My intuition says to use the finest steel wool you can get - the kind you'd
use on polyurethane between coats if you wanted it REALLY glossy. But, push
harder on aluminum. If it's so dirty that you feel some sort of chemical is
needed, I'd start with something made for cleaning aluminum alloy wheels,
follow with soap & water (to remove anything that might mess with the
paint's ability to stick), and then finish with steel wool.

On Tue, 23 Nov 2004 17:36:46 GMT, "Doug Kanter"
wrote:


"HiTech Redneck" wrote in message
...
Can anyone suggest the best way to clean an aluminum boat before painting?

My intuition says to use the finest steel wool you can get - the kind you'd
use on polyurethane between coats if you wanted it REALLY glossy. But, push
harder on aluminum. If it's so dirty that you feel some sort of chemical is
needed, I'd start with something made for cleaning aluminum alloy wheels,
follow with soap & water (to remove anything that might mess with the
paint's ability to stick), and then finish with steel wool.

If you are going to do that, try Never Dull with the extremely fine
steel wool - available in all fine Wal Marts everywhere.

Later,

Tom

"Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 23 Nov 2004 17:36:46 GMT, "Doug Kanter"
wrote:


"HiTech Redneck" wrote in message
...
Can anyone suggest the best way to clean an aluminum boat before
painting?

My intuition says to use the finest steel wool you can get - the kind
you'd
use on polyurethane between coats if you wanted it REALLY glossy. But,
push
harder on aluminum. If it's so dirty that you feel some sort of chemical
is
needed, I'd start with something made for cleaning aluminum alloy wheels,
follow with soap & water (to remove anything that might mess with the
paint's ability to stick), and then finish with steel wool.

If you are going to do that, try Never Dull with the extremely fine
steel wool - available in all fine Wal Marts everywhere.

Later,

Tom

Hmm. I've only seen the kind with the cotton wadding. Great stuff. I got my
son to clean his braces with it a couple years ago.

On Tue, 23 Nov 2004 17:49:36 GMT, "Doug Kanter"
wrote:


"Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in message
.. .
On Tue, 23 Nov 2004 17:36:46 GMT, "Doug Kanter"
wrote:


"HiTech Redneck" wrote in message
...
Can anyone suggest the best way to clean an aluminum boat before
painting?

My intuition says to use the finest steel wool you can get - the kind
you'd
use on polyurethane between coats if you wanted it REALLY glossy. But,
push
harder on aluminum. If it's so dirty that you feel some sort of chemical
is
needed, I'd start with something made for cleaning aluminum alloy wheels,
follow with soap & water (to remove anything that might mess with the
paint's ability to stick), and then finish with steel wool.

If you are going to do that, try Never Dull with the extremely fine
steel wool - available in all fine Wal Marts everywhere.

Hmm. I've only seen the kind with the cotton wadding. Great stuff. I got my
son to clean his braces with it a couple years ago.

EEWWWWWWWWW...............

Live long and prosper,

Tom

Not to sure about aluminum but FWIW
Unless you can get it in stainless, I wouldn't recommend steel wool,
I've seen it bleed/rust thru on many applications after it was painted
over. Especially on wooden boats. UD

"Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 23 Nov 2004 17:36:46 GMT, "Doug Kanter"
wrote:


"HiTech Redneck" wrote in message
...
Can anyone suggest the best way to clean an aluminum boat before
painting?

My intuition says to use the finest steel wool you can get - the kind
you'd
use on polyurethane between coats if you wanted it REALLY glossy. But,
push
harder on aluminum. If it's so dirty that you feel some sort of chemical
is
needed, I'd start with something made for cleaning aluminum alloy wheels,
follow with soap & water (to remove anything that might mess with the
paint's ability to stick), and then finish with steel wool.

If you are going to do that, try Never Dull with the extremely fine
steel wool - available in all fine Wal Marts everywhere.

Later,

Tom

Do not use steel wool. You will have very fine little slivers of stell to
rust, embedded in the aluminum. They normally clean the sheriff's aluminum
boat with an acid wash.

They normally clean the sheriff's aluminum
boat with an acid wash.

Correct Answer, 10 points!

On Tue, 23 Nov 2004 21:15:53 GMT, "Calif Bill"
wrote:


"Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in message
.. .
On Tue, 23 Nov 2004 17:36:46 GMT, "Doug Kanter"
wrote:


"HiTech Redneck" wrote in message
...
Can anyone suggest the best way to clean an aluminum boat before
painting?

My intuition says to use the finest steel wool you can get - the kind
you'd
use on polyurethane between coats if you wanted it REALLY glossy. But,
push
harder on aluminum. If it's so dirty that you feel some sort of chemical
is
needed, I'd start with something made for cleaning aluminum alloy wheels,
follow with soap & water (to remove anything that might mess with the
paint's ability to stick), and then finish with steel wool.

If you are going to do that, try Never Dull with the extremely fine
steel wool - available in all fine Wal Marts everywhere.

Do not use steel wool. You will have very fine little slivers of stell to
rust, embedded in the aluminum. They normally clean the sheriff's aluminum
boat with an acid wash.

I didn't think of that.

Kewl.

Later,

Tom

"Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 23 Nov 2004 21:15:53 GMT, "Calif Bill"
wrote:


"Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in
message
.. .
On Tue, 23 Nov 2004 17:36:46 GMT, "Doug Kanter"
wrote:


"HiTech Redneck" wrote in message
...
Can anyone suggest the best way to clean an aluminum boat before
painting?

My intuition says to use the finest steel wool you can get - the kind
you'd
use on polyurethane between coats if you wanted it REALLY glossy. But,
push
harder on aluminum. If it's so dirty that you feel some sort of
chemical
is
needed, I'd start with something made for cleaning aluminum alloy
wheels,
follow with soap & water (to remove anything that might mess with the
paint's ability to stick), and then finish with steel wool.

If you are going to do that, try Never Dull with the extremely fine
steel wool - available in all fine Wal Marts everywhere.

Do not use steel wool. You will have very fine little slivers of stell
to
rust, embedded in the aluminum. They normally clean the sheriff's
aluminum
boat with an acid wash.

I didn't think of that.

Kewl.

Me neither. I'm glad I suggested steel wool for someone else's boat before
mine. :-)