best paint stripper and paint for aluminum

[Steph Boeker]

As far as the paint :
I don't know the best as I have nothing to compare the paint I used to. But, that said, I would suggest ppl stay away from the paint I used on the bottom & undercoat as it is very complicated and hard to apply correctly. I was able to apply it successfully but only after many questions over the phone w/ the inventor. (he asks you to call him ..... prolly b'c it is complicated)
The benefit is that it is slicker than snot !! Excuse the "Louisiana French". I know it will just glide through the water w/little to no friction. BUT HOW MUCH FRICTION DOES WATER HAVE ?? It's hard too, so there won't be as much wear as other options.
But the cons are overbearing. It is extremely expensive. Even the price of shipping is outrageous !! If you see the color and change your mind , there are no returns. (it happened to me but i'm use to bad luck). If you don't prep the areas absolutely correctly, it doesn't want to stick. I made the mistake of having a friend help me that knows everything, seen everything, been everywhere and done everything, so he don't listen to nothing. I MEAN, YOU CAN'T TELL HIM IT'S IMPORTANT TO FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS W/OUT A WAR !!
I saw the layers not sticking in a few places and had to geaux back over them w/ the whole prep process again. Did I mention all this was done in Louisiana where the humidity and heat start trying to kill you an hour after the sun comes up ??
If you want a rock hard , slicker than snot finish to glide through the water like an eel , .... , and you don't mind a lot of work , and choose your colors wisely , ... , then Gator Glide is the only thing for you. Otherwise , if I had to do it all again , I'd foregeaux the "slick" and use Total Boat products or maybe any paint would work ??
Good luck and keep us informed w/many plenty photo's of your progress,
Sincerely ...............

 

[Steph Boeker]

She is either going to be confused or well educated.

THAT'S FOR SURE & FOR CERTAIN !!

 

[sonny1]

That is why I went with total boat. Much easier to apply. Did a lot of homework prior to buying paint. Very durable paint and free shipping. Gator glide is slicker than total boat. Both type of paints require a lot of coats.

 

[sonny1]

Sonny,
I understand what you mean, but the term "sand blasting" has a specific meaning, and it throws everyone off when that term is uses. Sand blasting would not pass FAA inspection, and in many cases would render the part permanently unusable, depending on what part it is.

Soda, walnut shells, plastic grit and a few other things are suitable for blast cleaning essential aluminum parts, but definitely not sand. As you stated above, you need "special media" for stripping aluminum.

That is all I and others are trying to get across, so people don't sandblast their boats and wonder what went wrong.

Sorry for the confusion. Well be more specific in the future. Sandblasting machines are basically the same type of material dictates medium.

 

[Steph Boeker]

That is why I went with total boat. Much easier to apply. Did a lot of homework prior to buying paint. Very durable paint and free shipping. Gator glide is slicker than total boat. Both type of paints require a lot of coats.

That's funny b'c after my research i went w/both of them myself. Gator Glide for the base (did the whole boat) anchor gray) and the finish G2 coat in white (did the whole boat) Then, for my 2 tone color contrast I went w/Total Boat Wet Edge Topside Flag Blue !! My stickers will either be all white or a gradient mix of light blue and white. I'm hoping it comes out nice. But the Total boat was easy to apply and w/the Total Boat thinner I was able to spray it so that made it easier. I'm no painter but I hope it looks like my 1st girlfriend, Good from afar but far from good !!

 

[LaqueRatt]

This is what I used: Interior/Exterior Anti-Rust Enamel, Gloss Aluminum, Oil-Base, Not VOC-Compliant, 1 Gallon

An old staple that I used to use on my Grandma's outside stuff as a kid. Glad to see it's still around. It actually has aluminum particles in it so it looks pretty much like polished aluminum. Stickiest substance on earth maybe. Don't even think about cleaning your brush, it doesn't come off. Covers everything in one coat, leaves virtually no brush marks, and I'd hate to ever try to remove it. It did rain and I had water sitting in the boat. No lifting. Great stuff and quite different from any other coating I know of.

Guess I should add that I was once a professional house painter so maybe a little better than average with a brush and my boat was bare alum from the water line down so I left that alone. Made my quicko paint job a lot easier and no worries about it wearing off.

 

[sonny1]

This is what I used: Interior/Exterior Anti-Rust Enamel, Gloss Aluminum, Oil-Base, Not VOC-Compliant, 1 Gallon

An old staple that I used to use on my Grandma's outside stuff as a kid. Glad to see it's still around. It actually has aluminum particles in it so it looks pretty much like polished aluminum. Stickiest substance on earth maybe. Don't even think about cleaning your brush, it doesn't come off. Covers everything in one coat, leaves virtually no brush marks, and I'd hate to ever try to remove it. It did rain and I had water sitting in the boat. No lifting. Great stuff and quite different from any other coating I know of.

Guess I should add that I was once a professional house painter so maybe a little better than average with a brush and my boat was bare alum from the water line down so I left that alone. Made my quicko paint job a lot easier and no worries about it wearing off.

I have used that stuff on badly worn tin roofs worked great. It sealed a few small holes and greatly improved the appearance of the building.

 

[sonny1]

That's funny b'c after my research i went w/both of them myself. Gator Glide for the base (did the whole boat) anchor gray) and the finish G2 coat in white (did the whole boat) Then, for my 2 tone color contrast I went w/Total Boat Wet Edge Topside Flag Blue !! My stickers will either be all white or a gradient mix of light blue and white. I'm hoping it comes out nice. But the Total boat was easy to apply and w/the Total Boat thinner I was able to spray it so that made it easier. I'm no painter but I hope it looks like my 1st girlfriend, Good from afar but far from good !!

Aluminum boat barrier coat {Epoxy} 2 gallons worth. going inside and out about 5 to 6 coats. Just like Gator Glide the thinner the coat the better. Then we have a gallon of Alumipaint AF in blue for the bottom. Counting on about 4 to 5 coats. Then Alumipaint AF black for the sides only have a quart of that but should be enough. Plan on taking the blue all the way to the rib along the sides. Inside will be aluminum topside earth brown. Have a lot of prep work before we start to paint.

 

[Steph Boeker]

Aluminum boat barrier coat {Epoxy} 2 gallons worth. going inside and out about 5 to 6 coats. Just like Gator Glide the thinner the coat the better. Then we have a gallon of Alumipaint AF in blue for the bottom. Counting on about 4 to 5 coats. Then Alumipaint AF black for the sides only have a quart of that but should be enough. Plan on taking the blue all the way to the rib along the sides. Inside will be aluminum topside earth brown. Have a lot of prep work before we start to paint.

Sounds like a plan Sonny1. Don't forget to share photo's !!

 

[Weldorthemagnificent]

This is how I did mine and it still looks good to me. The paint is holding up well, at the time I was hoping for a smoother shiny coat but that's more about my technique and how cold it was in my garage. 16' Naden resurrection.

 

[thill]

Aluminum boat barrier coat {Epoxy} 2 gallons worth. going inside and out about 5 to 6 coats. Just like Gator Glide the thinner the coat the better. Then we have a gallon of Alumipaint AF in blue for the bottom. Counting on about 4 to 5 coats. Then Alumipaint AF black for the sides only have a quart of that but should be enough. Plan on taking the blue all the way to the rib along the sides. Inside will be aluminum topside earth brown. Have a lot of prep work before we start to paint.

 

[thill]

This is what I used: Interior/Exterior Anti-Rust Enamel, Gloss Aluminum, Oil-Base, Not VOC-Compliant, 1 Gallon

An old staple that I used to use on my Grandma's outside stuff as a kid. Glad to see it's still around. It actually has aluminum particles in it so it looks pretty much like polished aluminum. Stickiest substance on earth maybe. Don't even think about cleaning your brush, it doesn't come off. Covers everything in one coat, leaves virtually no brush marks, and I'd hate to ever try to remove it. It did rain and I had water sitting in the boat. No lifting. Great stuff and quite different from any other coating I know of.

Guess I should add that I was once a professional house painter so maybe a little better than average with a brush and my boat was bare alum from the water line down so I left that alone. Made my quicko paint job a lot easier and no worries about it wearing off.

 

[Nikki Hayes]

Thanks for the advice. I appreciate it. I'm just looking to get the chipped paint down to wear I can try and match the same green paint and then I just want to reupholster it with new carpet and get some new seats in it. Just give it a new face lift lol. Just going to be using it to fish with my son. Any advice is welcome and appreciated thank you.

 

[thill]

You might consider just running a sander over the area, especially if there are any chips, and not try to strip it all the way to metal. Start with 100 grit if there are deeper chips or rough patches, then move up to 220 grit. Existing paint that is stuck well is a great primer!

Now this is very important... If using spray paint, make it VERY light, just a "dust coat" that doesn't cover completely. Do that several times, allowing it to dry well between coats, until covered. Let it dry for a full day or longer. You want all the solvents out of it before doing the "real" paint.

The reason for this is because spray paint has a lot of solvents in it, and those solvents can get under the existing paint and make it lift and separate from the hull. Doing the light dust coats allows the solvents to evaporate before affecting the surface. Once you have it sealed and dried solid, you can paint as normal.

I have done a lot of painting, and I usually never strip it all the way down, unless the original paint is absolutely horrible, and not bonded well. If it's tight in most places, I sand it smooth, wipe down with acetone, do a light seal coat, and then paint. They make an acrylic/vinyl sealer for just that purpose, but I tend to use any leftover paint I have laying around.

I hope this helps.

 

[thill]

For carpet you may want to try Sparta Carpets.
www.SpartaCarpets.com

They sell on Ebay as "BoatCarpetSales."
BoatCarpetSales | eBay Stores

I just ordered 25' of Jasmine blue 16 ounce for a boat I'm working on. It was $179 on Ebay, but I got it for $130 delivered, but I do have an account. Still, give Chris or any of them a call, and maybe they will work a deal for you. They have MANY styles, colors and weights to choose from. I usually go with 16 ounce for jon boats (dries faster) and 20 ounce for nicer bass boats.

Sparta Carpets
Phone: 706-277-5366
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.SpartaCarpets.com

They ship fast. I live in Virginia, and the carpet usually gets to me in 3 days.

I hope this helps.

 

[Louis Blea]

Thanks for the advice. I appreciate it. I'm just looking to get the chipped paint down to wear I can try and match the same green paint and then I just want to reupholster it with new carpet and get some new seats in it. Just give it a new face lift lol. Just going to be using it to fish with my son. Any advice is welcome and appreciated thank you.

Going thru the same. I thought initially I wanted to go to bare aluminum but now like you I just want a face lift not a remodel. SO electric sander if boat is small 14' or less but for bigger jobs using a stripper will still be the fastest. Lots if videos on you Tube. Good luck.

 

[Nikki Hayes]

You might consider just running a sander over the area, especially if there are any chips, and not try to strip it all the way to metal. Start with 100 grit if there are deeper chips or rough patches, then move up to 220 grit. Existing paint that is stuck well is a great primer!

Now this is very important... If using spray paint, make it VERY light, just a "dust coat" that doesn't cover completely. Do that several times, allowing it to dry well between coats, until covered. Let it dry for a full day or longer. You want all the solvents out of it before doing the "real" paint.

The reason for this is because spray paint has a lot of solvents in it, and those solvents can get under the existing paint and make it lift and separate from the hull. Doing the light dust coats allows the solvents to evaporate before affecting the surface. Once you have it sealed and dried solid, you can paint as normal.

I have done a lot of painting, and I usually never strip it all the way down, unless the original paint is absolutely horrible, and not bonded well. If it's tight in most places, I sand it smooth, wipe down with acetone, do a light seal coat, and then paint. They make an acrylic/vinyl sealer for just that purpose, but I tend to use any leftover paint I have laying around.

I hope this helps.

awesome that sounds easy enough for me to do. Thank you so much!

 

[Nikki Hayes]

Going thru the same. I thought initially I wanted to go to bare aluminum but now like you I just want a face lift not a remodel. SO electric sander if boat is small 14' or less but for bigger jobs using a stripper will still be the fastest. Lots if videos on you Tube. Good luck.

thank you!

 

[Nikki Hayes]

For carpet you may want to try Sparta Carpets.
www.SpartaCarpets.com

They sell on Ebay as "BoatCarpetSales."
BoatCarpetSales | eBay Stores

I just ordered 25' of Jasmine blue 16 ounce for a boat I'm working on. It was $179 on Ebay, but I got it for $130 delivered, but I do have an account. Still, give Chris or any of them a call, and maybe they will work a deal for you. They have MANY styles, colors and weights to choose from. I usually go with 16 ounce for jon boats (dries faster) and 20 ounce for nicer bass boats.

Sparta Carpets
Phone: 706-277-5366
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.SpartaCarpets.com

They ship fast. I live in Virginia, and the carpet usually gets to me in 3 days.

I hope this helps.

Ok awesome I'm in Ohio. Thank you I will look on there tonight.

 

[Cristina]

Hey Nikki,

I just want to mention something from a painter's perspective. If you have an existing paint job that isn't delaminating (lifting, peeling, cracking, etc.) it would save you a ton of hassle to just sand it and repaint it.

Chips can be feathered out easily using a dual action orbital sander. Start with a 240 or 320 grit depending on how uneven or rough the current coating is and thoroughly sand the entire painted surface. If you have trouble with smoothing out the chips, you can use a coarser grit like 180, but make sure you go back over those areas with the finer sandpaper to eliminate sand scratches. After you feather out the imperfections, use a self-etching primer to cover any exposed metal. Rattle can is fine as long as it's compatible with your new paint.

Your new paint is much more likely to adhere to the existing finish if that paint is still adhering to the metal. This way you don't have to go through complete removal and extensive surface preparation to make sure your new paint sticks.

As far as the type of paint to use, I've seen several applications from Rustoleum to high end automotive paint that appeared to work, but you'll be safest using something that's meant for marine use on both top and bottom.

Two key things to remember: sand thoroughly, especially around anything that's sticks out like rivets, welds and body lines and clean it like your kids might eat off it so that nothing will contaminate the surface prior to painting.