Old Aluminum bits and pieces.

[smcgrath67]

First time poster here, and just began working on my C&C Corvette. I've stripped the deck in preparation for some recoring and paint, etc. Looking ahead, I'm wondering about the aluminum toerails and other aluminum pieces. What do people do to refurbish these parts? Probably lots more questions to come!
Thanks,
Sean.

[atomvoyager]

That's a good question. Since aluminum toe rails, mast and boom, cleats, etc are anodized at the factory they are expected to last until the time they need replacement or recoating due to corrosion or other damage. If you sand aluminum to get rid of surface damage you remove the protective anodizing and it will corrode faster if left uncoated, depending on the grade of metal. Aside from cleaning, if you have deep scratches and corrosion where the anodizing is failing then you have the options of powder coating, painting, re-anodizing or replacing. Maybe someone else has some ideas I missed.

[smcgrath67]

Thanks James, I was hoping you'd chime in. There's nothing wrong with them, I was just hoping to be able to make them look decent when it comes time to re-install. What have you done on your refits with these parts?
Sean.

[markwesti]

Hey Sean , that C&C is a good looking boat . I first started looking at them and they had teak toe rails . As mentioned , nothing you can do with Ano . except keep it clean with soap and water . But now on the other hand you say that you have removed them . If you could find a powder coater that could handle the size , I think it would be worth it , now we just have to figure out the color . Pictures of your boat ?

[smcgrath67]

Thanks Mark, I really like it too. To me it seems very similar to boats like the Alberg 30 and others of the era like that. Anyway, it's a bit of a project, with some soft spots on deck, and an interior that is really showing its age. I've sailed on the boat though in previous years, as I know the PO.
So I did think about the powder coat route for my aluminum parts, but have no idea how that holds up. I'll definitely look into it.
Let me try to post a couple pics. She's looking a bit sad right now, as I just stripped the deck of everything (almost done). I sounded the deck tonight and was actually pleasantly surprised that the soft areas aren't as large as I had thought, so that's a plus! I recored the whole bow section of my other boat, a Kells 23. I don't find the job to be as onerous as people make it out to be. Luckily, I kind of like the work and it's become something of a hobby.

[smcgrath67]

Hmmm, I tried to post a few pics but only one shows up. I'll have to have my teenager help me with that!

[smcgrath67]

Also, Mark: It does have teak toe rails. Maybe I don't have the terminology right, but there is a teak toe rail, and inboard of that is the aluminum rail for a portion of the deck. Anyway, it's all off now and I found that the teak cockpit coaming boards appear to be in good shape, needing only a good refinish. I know that the teak toe rails are original, and they were "punky" in areas, so I'll be remaking those. I'm not sure about the coaming boards, but if they are original, as I think they are, is it really possible that they are still in pretty good shape after 50 years? With the price of teak, I'm hoping to refinish and reuse them, and they are solid except for a few minor areas on the bottom corners, which I'm thinking I can patch in new pieces of teak.

[markwesti]

Leah May is looking very good Sean , I love a reverse transom . From your picture I see a Aluminum toe rail with the oblong holes punched in it . Good thought though , how does powder coat hold up in a marine environment ? I have no idea , and honestly If went to the trouble and then it started getting nasty in 5 yrs. I would have rather I wen't the wood route . Your Alum. rail does not seem to go the full length of the boat . OK I just found a picture of a C&C Corvette with the set up you describe , the Alum. on the outside of the teak (Captn'K why cant I copy and paste ?) I would need to see more , but why can't you just get rid of the Alum. toe rail ? there is prolly a good reason . Epoxy is your friend for filling holes , but you knew that .
I'm thinking maybe C&C put the Alum. there for rigging attachment ? Good work Sean , you will figure it out .
IMG_0087 by mark westi, on Flickr
OK this was a test , posting a picture from flickr still works awesome , copy and paste not so much , maybe it's just me .

Mark

[paul45c]

For reasonably small pieces (certainly not your long tracks), a viable and surprisingly easy option is DIY low current anodizing. I just did a bunch of old cleats and spar fittings on an old O'Day 222 I bought to teach my kids how to sail on. Like you, I thought the parts were in fine enough shape, just very crusty from old corrosion and much of the original anodizing had finally worn off. The bead blaster cleaned them up very nicely. There are a lot of how-to videos on YouTube, but I thought the best was from the people I bought most of my supplies from: Caswell Plating. It actually was fun to do.

Now, full disclosure. I'm only just reassembling the spar pieces and remounting the cleats. I'm under no illusion that the thin film the LCD method utilizes will be as durable as the original factory anodized finish, but I also plan to augment the finish with a real wonder product I've tripped across in recent years for aluminum. It's a clear polymer ceramic coating that you just wipe on. It dries to a very, very hard and somewhat slick clear finish. So far it has been really durable where I've tried it (t-tops, pipe towers on motorboats). It's designed to bond especially well to anodized aluminum. Doesn't hold as well to plain untreated aluminum. So, to me, I think I'll have good durability results even with the relatively thin anodizing film with this product on top. It also holds well to polished stainless steel, and can really save on maintenance on stanchions and fittings.

IMHO, I would not waste your time with powder coating. It will look beautiful for a couple or few years, but you'll see it flaking off eventually. Doesn't hold up so well to abrasion and nicks, either. That's what usually starts the larger areas peeling and flaking. I'll try to post a before and after pic or two if I can figure it out. Just joined.

-- Paul

[paul45c]

Here are some finished samples

IMG_2173.jpg (24.15 KiB) Viewed 4451 times

[paul45c]

Here's one before the work

[atomvoyager]

Paul
That looks like an excellent solution. I hadn't heard about the DIY anodizing so that's good to know. I've seen powder coating on a boom that looked great five years later and some jobs that it was chipping off from corrosion in less time so it may be the surface prep, coating process, and how fasteners are installed makes the difference - just like painting.

[paul45c]

...so it may be the surface prep, coating process, and how fasteners are installed makes the difference - just like painting.

Agreed, James. Making sure that aluminum is as contaminant-free is key. You cannot degrease enough, before and after blasting/grinding/chemical stripping, etc. Powdercoaters are supposed to do this prior to their usual sandblasting prep, but I often wonder how diligent they are in the large shops. I've seen parts from the same shops vary widely in how long the finish adheres, so I suspect it varies. Personally, I've had Awlgrip that I've applied last longer on aluminum than any powdercoating. And it's also vital to repair any chips or dings as soon as they appear, because this is the pathway for corrosion to really get a foothold; tougher to touch up powdercoating.

And you sure nailed it on installing fasteners. I always keep a tube of TefGel in my boat toolbox. So easy to apply, and makes all the difference. I've had stainless screws and bolts set into aluminum for 15 years with no galvanic corrosion, and you also get the great anti-seize benefit.

-- Paul

[CapnK]

Hi Paul -

I found the Caswell anodizing video - good stuff!

What is the name of the product you are putting on afterwards?

Thanks!

[CapnK]

Sean if you are still having issues with posting pictures, let me know and I'll see what I can do to help out!

[paul45c]

What is the name of the product you are putting on afterwards?

Thanks!

It's from a company called Showboat Custom Coatings. They call the product SB-230. They also have one that's an opaque silver, which is designed to go over ugly aluminum with deep pits that you'd otherwise scrap. These guys do a lot of business on huge tuna towers for the sportfish crowd, so their products are designed to keep those very expensive ($50k+) towers going as long as possible. I think they call the silver SB-206 or something. Never used it. But the 230 is the bomb. Before that stuff, the best product I'd found was Rupp Alumaguard, and if you were lucky you got somewhere just under a month in the intense south Florida sun. It was basically a somewhat thickened penetrant, and would actually be dangerous on anything you had to grab or walk on because of how slimy it would be.

I'll warn you now, SB-230 is mighty expensive. I've had my bottle for several years, and i think the last time I bought it I paid somewhere around $240 for a quart. But you get a ton of mileage out of it. Positively stinks to high heaven when the bottle is uncapped...strong ammonia-type smell. You could use it for smelling salts But the product works.