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CARE OF ALUMINUM AIRBOAT

a1mudpuppy

a1mudpuppy

Well-known member
OK I thought I would open this up to see what if anything fellow airboaters do to keep your airboat shinny. I've wax one side with Mothers Aluminum Polish. Came out OK I think I need to do it a couple of times more. I've used watered down Alumibrite But it didn't shine to good ended up waxing it.

Also I have a nice scratch down one side with some rough spots any suctions on how to get rid of them?
 
I'm wondering the same thing myself. The boat I'm picking up has discolored dur to age and natural oxidation. I'm thinking the companys that make care and restoration products for aluminum wheels will have a system for restoring wheels, which should work for hulls. I have used Mothers Mag & Aluminum Polish motorcycles with excellent results, A little goes a long way.
http://www.mothers.com/products/productcatalog/wheelprod.html
 
Never done anything big as a boat, but the best way i polish aluminum is to wet sand it with 1500 grit then buff with jewelers rouge. you can buy the buffing kit. lots of elbow grease and patience, But it will look better than new. For aluminum you need a stick of brown for rough then a stick of white for finish.
 
I took and sanded my hull with 1000 grit and then too a 7" high speed buffer with a foam pad and use mothers polish and that made it shine with no streaks but you will have to maintain it to keep that mirror shine
and for big deep scratches use a courser sand paper first to get the scratch out then use the finer to get those marks out
 
Thanks I'll start with the 1500 grit and see from there. It's not hard to maintain after the fact. Just looks better to.
 
Sounds like ALOT of time and ELBOW GREASE. Take your boat up to a truck stop, they shine those big rigs up. A boat would be a sinch to them (the hull anyways). The only bad thing about getting one so clean is when you run the trails and go up in the woods you come home with all kinds of critters and half the forest in your boat. (unless you have a deck over, then your cleaning bill will be twice as much) Now your super clean boat is all smudged up again. I uesd to have the same problem with my aluminum boat. I came up with two solutions- LEAVE it dirty- OR-Buy a fiberglass hull, they always look good! hehe
GOOD LUCK GUYS
 
Well the guys at the truck stop at Wildwood <I hear> charge about 200-300 to polish an airboat. With Paint or powder coating you going to get chips in it. It's not that hard to wax it after the first time.
 
Definitely easier to just spend the time first go around, probably a good day getting it tight, with jewelers rouge.

you need a buffer to spin atleast 2500rpm.a drill with a buff wheel will work.
I cheat :lol: I use a air drimmel lot's of rpm's there. the trick is not to apply pressure but let the wheel do the work. then keep it polished. Mother's works fine, but i found that "blue Magic" works better, to my preference.
Wish I was closer I have everything ya need
 
You know I should do a search everyonce in awhile before I ask aquestion on here.

Has anyone used flitz? Can I get it from a store or just on line?
 
I USED SOME STUFF CALLED METALWAX. THEY HAVE A CLEANER THAT YOU WIPE IT ON,RINSE IT OFF. ALUMINUM IS ALMOST SILVER CLEAN, BUT NOT SHINY. THEN APPLY THE WAX, RINSE. I REALLY LIKE IT. ENOUGH TO DO A BOAT IS ABOUT $50. WEB SITE IS METALWAX.COM. THIS IS SUPPOSEDLY WHAT THEY USE ON AIRPLANES. THE PRIMARY CLEANER IS FLOURIDE. CHECK IT OUT.
 
A1,
You can get Flitz at West Marine. The liquid polish at wildwood truck stop (75 Chrome shop) works dang good but is $25.00 a bottle. I know, the boss and I have been doing the concept boat after he brought it back from Colorado. What a mess. Are you sure you want to do this?

Bob
 
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