Rookie mistake?

[tonynoriega2]

Hi all...

So my first step in my restore of my 53' Alumacraft was to wire brush the entire outside of my boat...bottom, sides, around the rivets, waterline rib...etc... I wanted to know this boat, inch by inch and scratch by scratch...

So come to find out the wire brush set I have been using from HarborFreight is Carbon Steel and not SS....

When I realized that CS is not good for aluminum, I got that pit of my stomach about to vomit feeling... like when you hit the "Reply All" button and didn't mean too...

As you can see in the image, it does a hell of a job...
Come to find that CS puts microscopic carbon steel particles into the hull and increases the process of rusting....

I didnt plan on painting the bottom of the hull, below the waterline rib, but was going to paint inside, and outside above the waterline rib...

Could I take a hand held plastic bristle brush and scrub the bottom with some TSP or other solution to rid the hull of the carbon particles?

As most of you here, I want to do a good job restoring this boat as something to pass down to my son... a long ways away from there, but I am in no rush...

But if I screwed up from the beginning...oh man..

 

[Jlawsen]

Re: Rookie mistake?

Don't worry about it. It is true that this can be a problem but only if your welding on it. By the time you get ready to paint or polish you'll have removed anything big enough to show up later as rust spots. If you're painting your going to seal them in under the paint anyway so they'll never turn to rust.

Also, 10 minutes after you hit it with the wire brush, the Al was starting to oxidize again. Tthat process pretty much pushes the carbon particles to the surface and allows them to be cleaned away with warm soapy water.

Your fine... Put a smile back on and get back to work!

 

[Alwhite00]

Re: Rookie mistake?

Hi all...

So my first step in my restore of my 53' Alumacraft was to wire brush the entire outside of my boat...bottom, sides, around the rivets, waterline rib...etc... I wanted to know this boat, inch by inch and scratch by scratch...

So come to find out the wire brush set I have been using from HarborFreight is Carbon Steel and not SS....

When I realized that CS is not good for aluminum, I got that pit of my stomach about to vomit feeling... like when you hit the "Reply All" button and didn't mean too...

As you can see in the image, it does a hell of a job...
Come to find that CS puts microscopic carbon steel particles into the hull and increases the process of rusting....

I didnt plan on painting the bottom of the hull, below the waterline rib, but was going to paint inside, and outside above the waterline rib...

Could I take a hand held plastic bristle brush and scrub the bottom with some TSP or other solution to rid the hull of the carbon particles?

As most of you here, I want to do a good job restoring this boat as something to pass down to my son... a long ways away from there, but I am in no rush...

But if I screwed up from the beginning...oh man..

View attachment 169056

Man, A 53' tinnie - that's a hell of a boat to wire brush.

Just like was posted, I wouldn't loose any sleep over it - Looks good so far.

LK

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Rookie mistake?

That boat looks small for a 53 footer . . . What did you use to measure it?

 

[tonynoriega2]

Re: Rookie mistake?

Ha...you guys are always good for a hearty chuckle... specificity is key I can clearly see now..!!

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Rookie mistake?

Ha...you guys are always good for a hearty chuckle... specificity is key I can clearly see now..!!

Also note: post pix, lots of pix If it's a 1953 Alumacraft, I'd like to see some pix of it...

Oh & avoid the multisyllabic words

Wow specificity, nice

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Rookie mistake?

Is it a '53 or a 53' ?