Aluminum platform paint?

[cdavisdb]

Just took my seafari 25's new aluminum dive platform to the painter, intending to get an allgrip finish. Price came back at 3 times what I was estimated. Not bitching about how much, doing it right is a long ticky job with allgrip, but the dollar amount was high enough to start me wondering about alternatives. Doing it myself would save about a grand. I'm a good brush/roller painter with 1 parts, no brushmarks. Does it make any sense to paint it with easypoxy or similar and just repaint every 3 years or so? Other options?

The work isn't hard, but I don't know anything about painting aluminum. Could some of you experienced types give me some advice?

Thanks.

Connor

[htillman]

Not sure if it is suitable with aluminum but you might call Tom at Signature Finish. I used his product on one of my boats, it is a rollable product.

[rcnight]

The last aluminum paint job I did was on a sailboat mast. What I remember, it was pretty easy - I used Awlgrip products. Washed it down with some cleaner, applied an etching primer & sprayed a few top coats. The primer was water thin and I must have brushed it on. I would think a small project like yours would be a good start for building experience. Give it a shot - worst you can do is take it back to the pro.

[bobbert]

Have you thought about having it powder coated. You will need a paint guy with a oven big enough to get it in.

[workinpr0gress]

as long as the aluminum is scuffed or sanded... then washed a few times with soap and water...then degreased and dewaxed a half dozen times... then acid etched.. You should be fine to prime and paint it as usual from there, lol.

[Bushwacker]

Connor - you might check out Supermarine Paint. I got a quart of the Revolution 1000; gave some to Carla and we're both gonna run some tests on it; I'm thinking about using it on bottom of my boat after I got it soda blasted. It's one part, guaranteed for 10 years underwater, can be applied with a roller, and is evidently very tough stuff once it cures. The only problems I've heard of is, because it depends on oxygen to cure, it can be slow to cure if you put it on too thick. It needs to be put on in thin coats. I'm going to try some samples using 1/4" nap roller in next couple of days; will let you know how it turns out. Denny

[strick]

Awlgrip is not all that hard to spray if you follow the directions and take your time. I also like the idea of powder coating it. For the walking surface you could get some of the self adhesive (one side sticky) non skid like you see on the wake board boats.

Post some pictures of your boat when you have time

strick

[cdavisdb]

Thanks very much for the help, guys! This has turned out to be more complicated than I realized at first.

After much thought and checking out powder coating and other types of two part and one part paints, I concluded that anything I used , no matter how good, was going to get beat up. A dive platform leads a hard life on a boat where the primary activity involves getting in and out of the water. Ease of recoating became a priority. For something this size and easy to get to, I think I'll stick to Easypoxy. I've ordered acetone, alumiprep 33 and alodine to clean, etch, seal and corrosion treat and will get the appropriate Petit primer and topcoat.

I've been holding off posting some pics until I had all the big stuff done. If you like, photobucket as a few pics, mostly of before I bought it, in 'cdavisdb"

[Old'sCool]

Do your homework on the Alodine. It can be some baddd stuff.