Finish for an aluminum boat

[Grandv8]

I have a 1957 Lonestar skipper I am restoring. The boat has been painted waterline down with a marine epoxy paint about a year ago. I have just plin unprotected aluminum above the water. I want to paint a stripe on it above water well two (medium blue, and dark blue). Then leave the rest aluminum color, the under water color is baby blue by the way...
Anyhow my question is should I brush the aluminum out then spray it with some sort of clear and what if so. Or should I paint it aluminum color with like rustoleum aluminum color paint. The reason I am squeamish about leaving it bare aluminum, since it is now 52 years old. I don't want it to continue coroding and the metal depleting...... so what to do what to do............

 

[danond]

Re: Finish for an aluminum boat

It'll be fine as bare aluminum. Clean it up, buff it. Painting it won't protect it (it has 2 sides).

If you still want to paint it, you can get an etching primer and then topcoat it with a topside paint.

There's not a paint on the planet that looks like aluminum. I'd suggest picking a different color. Just like chrome spraypaint. It always looks like crap. Not like chrome

 

[5150abf]

Re: Finish for an aluminum boat

Get a fine Scotch brite pad or 2 and scrub the boat down going with the boat front to back, that will give it a nice grain just like new aluminum.

Figure out how wide you want both stripes and tape that area off then spray it with etching primer, paint your stripes on, only prime where you are going to paint not what you want aluminum and mask the rest off really well.

Tape off the stripes and apply a product called SharkHyde, it will keep the bare aluminum looking new for many years.

Regular clear coat won't stick to aluminum so go with the Sharkhyde of just touch it up once in a while with a Scotch brite.

 

[slbri]

Re: Finish for an aluminum boat

I concur with 5150. Google that stuff and go to their website. That stuff looks absolutely amazing. I wanted to leave my boat with some aluminum, but I have too many dings.