Remove Aluminum Oxidation

What is the Difference Between Topcoat and Gelcoat

The Deck - Advances in paint technology, along with some good common sense, can bring a good-looking layer of solid protection to your topside.

There may be no tougher paint job out there than the one on the deck of your boat. While you may get some good life out of the molded gelcoat that was installed at the factory, sooner or later, you'll notice that straight-from-the-boatyard brilliance start to fade. That's the time to nip the problem in the bud and put on hard coat that's up to the challenge of full-time sun, salt and sand.

With all the choices out there, choosing the right paint and process be a daunting task. That's why we've put together a series of articles on what to consider before deciding on a new topcoat application. With advice from experts at major paint manufacturers, we'll help you get to the key things you need to consider. We'll start this month with an explanation of the difference between topcoat and gelcoat, and how to know what product would work best for your boat surface in the tough-but-beautiful Caribbean environment.

Jim Seidel. Interlux Yacht Finishes: "There are three main factors to consider when choosing a paint system - substrate, preparation and upkeep. On bare substrates such as fiberglass, aluminum, steel and epoxy you can use any of the Interlux paint systems. For bare wood you may want to stay with a single-part paint system. The wood in these flexible constructions, such as lapstrake (clinker-built) or carvel-planked will move as the moisture content varies, leading to cracking. For more stable wood systems, especially plywood where epoxy has been used, you can use one or two-part systems.

"If the boat has been previously painted and is in good shape, you may try to use the same type of paint that was used previously. If it is not possible to determine what type of paint was used, single-part paints can be applied over other one-part paints and two-part paints. Unfortunately, two-part paints cannot be applied over one-part paints, so it might be best to stay with one-part paint. If the boat has been previously painted and is in poor shape it will be best to remove the paint back to bare and proceed with a system for bare substrate.

"To get a good finish, all the paint systems will require about the same preparation. Two-part paints are more durable, keep their color and gloss longer, and are more abrasion resistant than one-part paints but they are more temperature and humidity sensitive as well as more expensive than one-part paints. These factors must be taken into consideration when choosing what to use. "Areas where there is considerable foot traffic or harsh abrasion such as gunwale rails and coaming sides, will need frequent repair to keep them in pristine condition. Two-part paints such as Perfection offers excellent resistance to abrasion, but can still wear through in excessive circumstances. One-part systems are easier to touch up than high-performance, two-part systems, and may be more suitable for these areas.

Clean, brighten & remove oxidation from aluminum trailers with ...

This Wilson stock aluminum trailer is only four years-old, but it gets used hard on an Oregon cattle ranch—and they don’t spend a lot of time washing. It’s been pressure washed before, but that’s about it.

In these photos, the ‘before’ picture has been pressure washed from the wheels back and let dry. The ‘after’ photo shows the bright, clean look of the polished aluminum trailer sides after a full cleaning with Silver BritePlus MX .

As you can see, Silver BritePlus MX can do what pressure washing and soap scrubbing never could. Silver BritePlus MX removes oxidation and stains that would be impossible to remove with pressure washing or detergents. The result is a clean, bright and shiny finish to the polished aluminum—much like it was when it was new!

Corrosion of aluminum and aluminum alloys

Troubleshooting manufacturing processes, adapted from the Tool and manufacturing engineers handbook : a reference book for manufacturing engineers, managers, and technicians

High Temperature Oxidation and Corrosion of Metals

Aluminum and aluminum alloys

Handbook of aluminum bonding technology and data