Hand rail Ideas

[drewpster]

I am looking for some ideas folks. I need to figure out what I am going to do with the old aluminum handrails on my boat. I am referring to the short ones on the bow in the pic below.

They are pretty beat up. The rails are dull and scratched in places but generally smooth. The fittings, which are 30 year old chrome, are slightly pitted and dull.

I considered just making a new set of rails out of stainless. But I am not sure if I want to spend the dough on it. I also thought about disassembling them, cleaning everything up, and having them powder coated. (I have a friend in the bizz that will do it cheap) Painting them is not on the table. I want a tougher finish than paint. What do you think? Has anyone tried powder coat on rails?

 

[oops!]

Re: Hand rail Ideas

drewp...

those can be buffed, polished and brought back to new !

the "t's can be purchased they are about 10 bucks each.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Hand rail Ideas

Yup re-finishing is cheaper then replacing........ Since they are aluminum you could even get them powder-coated in color if you want to spend money.

 

[backlashed]

Re: Hand rail Ideas

Powder coating is good, but it will add to the outer diameter of the tubes, and the inner diameter of the fixtures which may make it to big to fit back together.
Another option would be to have them re-anodized. You could have them done in a different color that way too.
You could probably clean them up with steel wool, and coat them with Sharkhide or something. Just don't buff too deep, and wear through the original anodize.

 

[arks]

Re: Hand rail Ideas

In the late 90's Trojan Yachts had a model with white powder-coated bow rails.
VERY sharp IMO.

 

[Fireman431]

Re: Hand rail Ideas

Just my .02:

1) Powder coating is a nice option. It provides for a clean, durable finish and comes in a vast array of colors. If you can get it cheaper, then all the better. However, I would mark all of the rail parts that go into the connectors as to their depth. This portion of the rail can then be taped off prior to powder coating and then you know it will fit right when it comes time for reassembly.

2) Another option is to powder coat just the rail to hul connectors the main hull color and clean/buff the rail back to it's luster. If you burn through the original coating, have it clear coated by a paint shop.

3) Anodizing is another great way to set off the handrails. I'm not sure how much it would cost or what colors are available. I've only seen red & blue and those might look a little weird on a boat. Unless you could get red and green to match the side lights...then you would make yourself the butt of a lot of jokes.

I just sold an off-shore fishing boat and had the T-top powder coated white prior to installing it. A ful T-top cost me $250.00 to have done and it was absolutely awesome looking. Well worth the price.

Good luck.

 

[arks]

Re: Hand rail Ideas

I was plant manager of a powdercoating shop.
If you do the powdercoating, just remember- PREP IS EVERYTHING!
The finish won't last long if the parts aren't properly prepared.
Hopefully your friend will know what to do.

 

[scipper77]

Re: Hand rail Ideas

I can't improve on the ideas already given but a few ideas popped into my head that seem pretty poor compared to powder coating.

Plasti dip, Probably not durable enough to last.

Wrap them, or even wrap and glass to give them the look of fiberglass poles.

Why you would do this over polishing or powder coating however is beyond me. I just wanted to throw some more ideas out there because listing as many ideas as possible is an important part of the creative process.

 

[drewpster]

Re: Hand rail Ideas

I was plant manager of a powdercoating shop.
If you do the powdercoating, just remember- PREP IS EVERYTHING!
The finish won't last long if the parts aren't properly prepared.
Hopefully your friend will know what to do.

What prep work should I do before taking them to the powder coater? (if i go that route)

 

[arks]

Re: Hand rail Ideas

All YOU need to do is deliver the parts free of any caulk, paint or film. The paint shop will do the rest.

Pasted from an industry source:
'Chemical pre-treatments involve the use of phosphates or chromates in submersion or spray application. These often occur in multiple stages and consist of degreasing, etching, de-smutting, various rinses and the final phosphating or chromating of the substrate. The pre-treatment process both cleans and improves bonding of the powder to the metal. Recent additional processes have been developed that avoid the use of chromates, as these can be toxic to the environment. Titanium Zirconium and Silanes offer similar performance against corrosion and adhesion of the powder.'

My company had a moving production line and we used a 4 stage spray process followed by a drying oven.

Some people do a media blast prep but I've found it to be not nearly as effective at removing oils, and it can easily damage the surface of the aluminum.

Hope that helps.

 

[drewpster]

Re: Hand rail Ideas

It helps allot. The powder coater I am using is a pro. He does allot of custom work and is very reasonable in price. I will know better what to ask him about the prep he does. I must admit I am leaning toward powder coat. I had a switch panel done a couple years ago and it has held up very well. Before a final decision I will check with him about color options and price.
It may be better to do them completely assembled. I don?t want to get everything back just to have nothing fit back together.
Now the challenge is prepping those fittings. Can I simply smooth them up and remove the rust? Or do they need to be chemically stripped of chrome first. I bet having them stripped will be an added cost.