TOPIC: 1959 Lone Star Malibu Corrosion Help

Hi,

I have a 1959 Lone Star Malibu, and I just finished stripping off all the old paint. When I removed the paint I found a lot corrosion hidden beneath the paint that is white and powdery, but not too pitted.

I was originally hoping to polish the hull instead of re-painting it. I tried sanding a little section and I was able to smooth it out. Does anyone know if a soda blaster would remove the corrosion? I found a few soda blasters near by but they won't say if it will blast it off or not. Thanks for the help.

p66monza,

WELCOME ABOARD.

Fyi, the alloy used by Lone Star is not the sort of aluminum that works well as a bare/polished surface. - That's why nearly all of the antique Lone Star hulls were originally painted at the factory.

Thanks for the info. I guess thats why I haven't been able to find any pictures of polished malibus online. If I sand all the areas and properly paint it, could those areas cause problems in the future? I guess the boat must have spent a lot of time in salt water at some point in its life.

p66monza,

IF it was me, I would find an aluminum corrosion cleaner & thoroughly wash/scrub/rinse it down with paint thinner, re-prime (I see no reason to strip any of the paint off except in any areas where it is "loose"/flaking off) & then repaint it in my choice of the factory colors.

just my OPINIONS, satx

Remember the chromate coating of the bare aluminum is key. Do a search on aircraft painting.

I used two part poly and a roller to paint one of my lonestars and it came out great. I pressure washed and scraped and sanded the loose paint off before repainting. There are places on the gunnel where impacts chipped off the 60 year old paint holding up the new paint right next to spots where the new paint on the aluminum didn't chip. I would strip the gunnels and upper surfaces where the sun baked the paint, but just clean, sand, and repaint the hull.

But first, ................... always use self-etching primer on aluminum surfaces prior to painting if you want it to stick for years and not flake the next season.

p66monza,

Btw, you should check out www.tinboats.net and read/heed the article by "Johnny" on tin boat priming/repainting that on that website. = "Johnny" is a retired USN Seabee Chief Petty Officer & is an EXPERT in surface preparation/metal painting.

just my OPINION, satx