The plastic prevents the gel from drying out which allows it to penetrate through every layer of paint to bare aluminum. Let the first coat of paint dry completely before you paint a second coat, if necessary. From our research, most quality exterior spray paints provide equally good protection for a fishing boat with standard use. Once the mineral spirits evaporate, it’s ready to prime. The point was to make it easy and simple to replicate our process. Second, the original manufacturer’s paint job hold up really well. We decided on Krylon Color Maxx in gloss burgundy and we are happy with the results. We taped off the entire gunwale and painted everything else on the inside of the boat. An acid-etch primer takes only a few minutes to apply and is ready to rinse within 10 … Etching Primer. Any anti-fouling paint applied to an aluminum boat should be marked aluminum-safe, or it can set up a galvanic bath that will literally eat your boat alive, by causing the metal to corrode away. The big problem with a rattle can job is that if you ever do decide to paint the boat right, the old paint from the rattle cans must be completely removed first. A clear coat will help defend your boat against damaging UV rays and corrosion caused by saltwater. When done by a References. In high-fouling saltwater areas, you may have to go in the water or hire a diver to clean the bottom once or twice during the season. Report post. Now the fun part begins. We certainly don’t claim to be boat painting experts and our way is only one of many methods to accomplish the same goal. Oil-based primers are often used when painting aluminum. After reading enough conflicting advice and watching some poorly filmed Youtube videos, we soon realized that we’d be figuring this out on our own. For more tips, including how to clean your boat before priming it, read on! It is a 2 part paint and you mix the activator immediately beforee use. If it's a little boat, the HD 3M strips maybe the cheapest thing and … However, our goal was to keep this simple and inexpensive so we applied a coat of Rustoleum Clear Protective enamel with UV protection to the exterior painted portion of the boat. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. There are plenty of aluminum boat specific paints on the market like Aluma Hawk, Total Boat and Duralux Marine paint. Removing paint and sanding leaves a lot of residue and dust behind. You can now place the boat back on the trailer but let it sit for several days before using it on the water to allow the paint to fully cure. However, like I said, we wanted an easy painting method that wouldn’t cost a fortune and still produce great results. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Hopefully, you find as much success as we did with your aluminum boat painting project! Keep reading to learn how to paint an aluminum boat the easy way. Knowing which products to select and how to use them can save you hundreds of dollars over the cost of paying a yard to do the work. The important thing is to make the boat as structurally sound as possible before dressing it up with a new paint job. Polish the aluminum with an aluminum brightener or polishing compound. Just be aware that using it aggressively on aluminum can cause minor pitting. With the painting done the boat was left to dry over night. An easy way to reach every surface while painting the interior of your aluminum boat is to lean it on its side. This article has been viewed 26,639 times. Real world tips and information about all things fishing. Thank you for this very. Avoid letting the gel dry out. Definitely do not paint the bilge. Paint in horizontal strokes for an even coat. Ablative bottom paint, also known as self- polishing bottom paint, is softer and allows the coating to wear off at a controlled rate. The only problem is these methods added too much time and cost for minimal gain. In the end, our boat turned out better than expected and we believe, so will yours. The grade of aluminum used in the marine environments is usually in the 5000 and 6000 series. You are more than welcome to be a perfectionist but don’t expect to turn a rough looking derelict into a high-end bass boat. I like the paint in my boat and it was a reason I liked it from the beggining. Any paint that previous owners applied also adheres to the original paint with a solid bond, so just leave it. Finally, all it took to prep the interior for painting was to remove the old wood benches (if needed) and rough up the surface with coarse grit sand paper. There is a load of fancy boat cleaners which promise the best results. Once you are happy with how it looks, slowly peel off the tape and admire your handy work. To paint your aluminum boat, all you’ll need is a sander, primer, paint, clear coat, and painter’s tape. It’s now time to paint the inside. We did not find it necessary. Aluminum tanks and boats have the same qualities and so require the same procedures for painting. Please use common sense and protect yourself from harm. Please consider making a contribution to wikiHow today. Some scratches and marks are impossible to remove by sanding. However, don’t wait too long to scrape as it’s easier when the gel is still wet. Look for corrosion and cracks and determine if the transom needs replacing. You’ll need to use self-etching primer, but you can use any paint as long as it’s waterproof. Not everyone gets a shiny new fishing boat and if you’re like us, you may have recently acquired a well-used aluminum boat that has seen better days. If you are a boat owner, it is just right for you to incessantly search for … Rustoleum Self Etching Primer is the best based on many reviews and I found it to be true as well. To start, find a dry location where you can work on the boat without fighting the weather. We recommend applying thebetween 50-90°F when weather and conditions will not affect the paint finish or proper drying. Before you start painting, sand the boat’s surface to make it smooth and even. Choose a water-resistant marine paint that adheres to aluminum. Once all the paint is removed, the next step is sanding. If you don’t want paint on any areas, use painter’s tape to cover them. After several recommendations, we found that Citristrip stripping gel was an affordable and powerful product for removing old paint from aluminum. If there is one step you should not skip, it’s this one. More + Product Details Close Since 1998, iboats is the most trusted water lifestyle online store for boat parts and accessories, boats for sale, and forums. Also, the location of your boat is a determining factor. Let it fully dry before proceeding to the next step. Both topside and bottom boat paint can be applied to fiberglass, metal and wood. We went with spray paint cans for convenience, ease of use and the low cost. This is how you give your paint job that nice glossy shine like a brand-new boat. For more tips, including how to clean your boat before priming it, read on! My problem is that I would like to paint and I'm not sure what steps I need to follow nor which products I should … If you are trailering your boat, or keep it on a lift you should always use ablative bottom paint. Your boat is going to spend a fair amount of time in harsh, wet environments. A textured paint helps hide imperfections and provides a slightly better non-slip surface. We found that the foam brushes were not as durable though. The goal was simple. Doing so allows you to move the boat around without risking damage to newly painted surface on the exterior. primer for aluminum and has been copied by others like dupont. It doesn’t matter, because when aluminum is not exposed to moisture, its corrosion clock stops, or at least slows down substantially. Most importantly, we wanted to accomplish the task easily and without spending a fortune. You’ll need to apply a coat of primer and 2 coats of your chosen paint, waiting about 10 hours between. This added some additional scratch protection as well. It has the best spray nozzle and will make it easy to apply a good consistent paint spray. POR-15 45004 Gloss Black Rust Preventive Paint. 2004-- this entry appended to this thread by editor in lieu of spawning a duplicative thread. Using light coats help prevent unsightly runs and gives the boat professional looking results. Carefully tape of portions of the aluminum that you don’t intend to paint. We share our chosen materials and lessons learned in this step by step guide with pictures. Bristle brush works a message when this question is answered to refinish an aluminum boat until is... 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