anyone try sand blasting an aluminum boat?

[WILLANDIBIS]

hello everyone,
im restoring a vintage 50's model 14' crestliner. i think its a comadore. its all aluminum and riveted together. im trying to remove the paint w/o damaging the finish. the outside paint has been coming off fine with paint stripper and a plastic spatula. im planning to polish everything above the splash gaurds and repaint the bottom. however the interior floor is not cooperating. i have made three applications of the stripper this time using a metal scraper. this green paint is only coming off here and there. im considering sand blasting but am up for any suggestions. if sand is the way, which type should i use and when i do get it all off, what is the best type of primer/ paint to use both inside floor and for the outside bottom. im on a tight budget but still want to do a long-lasting job.

any help is greatly appriciated!

 

[bigman28]

Re: anyone try sand blasting an aluminum boat?

I am considering doing the same. I consulted some proffesionals in the blasting trade and they recomended bead blasting (glass beads). The sand is way to aggresive for aluminum and will damage the hull.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: anyone try sand blasting an aluminum boat?

agree you can blast it, but find a better medium.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: anyone try sand blasting an aluminum boat?

Soda blasting hands down. Depending on where you live I have seen people here get aluminum boats blasted from a low of $150 all the way up to $1000 Glass beads work too but $$$ too. Sand blasting tends to remove aluminum and leave it too damaged for polish.... I would avoid the sand blasting.

It really depends on who is in your yellow pages and how hungry they are for money.

What is the goal?? Are you going to re-paint? OR Are you going to polish the hull? Based on the money involved ....re-painting the interior might be easier.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: anyone try sand blasting an aluminum boat?

Check out this thread http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=352569

 

[Andy in NY]

Re: anyone try sand blasting an aluminum boat?

i would def stay away from sand blasting, even glass blasting might be to aggressive. soda blasting or even walnut shells will work just fine.

 

[Tig]

Re: anyone try sand blasting an aluminum boat?

Sounds like you are considering doing the blasting yourself. If so read all you can about silicosis. MSDS sheets are a good start. I did before I blasted for the first time and I decided I would only use silica free media since I did not have a positive pressure, fresh air respirator or an area I was willing to contaminate with silica dust. Silicosis can be caused by inhaling silica dust. It does permanent damage and can be fatal. I'm not an expert on the subject but I strongly believe that it makes no sense to use any silica based media around your home or family. There are many cost effective alternatives. Glass beads are silica. Read the bag and MSDS sheet on any media you are considering.
Please forgive my "safety police" intrusion. I just believe that exposure to silica dist should be decision informed by one's own research.
Soda may be a good alternative, also you can get crushed walnut shells which are very gentle. I used a silica free grit for my project. Keeping the air pressure down makes it less aggressive. That being said, I have no experience blasting aluminum.

Good luck.

 

[Rickairmedic]

Re: anyone try sand blasting an aluminum boat?

I sand blaster the rivets on the bottom of my Starcraft . However that being said I woulod not sand blast an entire hull . Walnut shells are the way to go if you are doing it yourself soda blasting as has been said is also a good alternative but it really isnt a DIY project as it takes quite a bit of CFM to soda blast properly . Walnut shells however can be used with the same equipment you would use for regular sand blasting and will do a good job of removing paint without overheating the aluminum and causing problems .


Rick

 

[Willyclay]

Re: anyone try sand blasting an aluminum boat?

I have a sandblaster that I use for trailers and such. However, I was pleasantly surprised how well my powerwasher worked on removing paint from a 1965 LoneStar Medallion II aluminum hull. It was slower than media blasting but did not require purchase and cleanup of media. Good luck!

 

[Andy in NY]

Re: anyone try sand blasting an aluminum boat?

I have a sandblaster that I use for trailers and such. However, I was pleasantly surprised how well my powerwasher worked on removing paint from a 1965 LoneStar Medallion II aluminun hull. It was slower than media blasting but did not require purchase and cleanup of media. Good luck!

pressure washing is a good alternative if the paint is not in good shape to begin with.

 

[Bondo]

Re: anyone try sand blasting an aluminum boat?

however the interior floor is not cooperating. i have made three applications of the stripper this time using a metal scraper. this green paint is only coming off here and there. im considering sand blasting but am up for any suggestions.

Ayuh,... This doesn't happen very often,.. I'll go out on a limb here,... I disagree...

Why would you want to blast off paint that Ain't comin' off,..??

A paint to paint bond is Way Better than a paint on fresh aluminum...
Sand it smooth with 320, spot prime bare spots with chromate, prime it,+ cover it with the color of your choice...

You're about to do Way more work, with No pay-back...

 

[thefairlaneman]

Re: anyone try sand blasting an aluminum boat?

Easy off oven cleaner will eat old paint off of aluminum. I used it on my 1960 crestliner with good results. Best to apply in direct hot sun and let soak then brush off or wash it off with water pressure.

 

[JimbC]

Re: anyone try sand blasting an aluminum boat?

Soda Blasting is the best way. But if I were you I would do a bit of research first, not that hard just ask Google some questions it will give you many answers. I just bought a soda blasting retro kit that converts a regular blasting pot for soda. Eastwood on eBay got it cheaper than the normal price. Bought the soda(Bicarbonate)Medium grade from Harbor Freight. I am just using it for all the rivet areas and the hard to sand spots and any of the crud that pressure washing didn't get. http://www.eastwood.com/abrasive-blasting/soda-blasters.html

 

[lowkee]

Re: anyone try sand blasting an aluminum boat?

HAHAH.. I finally understand!

Until reading this thread, nobody ever explained what soda blasting actually entailed, so I always had this mental image of a secret mixture of Coke, Root beer and Sprite being blasted at a boat at sub-waterjet speeds .. Personally, I still like my mental image better. Arm and Hammer blasting just doesn't have the same cool mental image. Although Baby blasting (baby powder, you psychos!) still gives that funny mental image