TOPIC: cleaning aluminum hulls

Hello all:

I have an aluminum daily user with barnacle residue on the hull. I scraped the barnicles off a couple of years ago, but there is still some calcium deposit left over. What is the best way to get this off and still have the hull looking nice? Orbital sander? I do not want to do any damage to the hull. What grade of sand paper would I start and end with? Has anyone done this? Thoughts??
Thank you.
Andrew

I would suggest an acid-based hull cleaner like what you could find at a marine store. Before purchasing something more exotic, you can test what you may already have, say a household lime scale remover or white vinegar.

I've seen this stuff (Sharkhide aluminum cleaner) used on several different types of applications Andrew, not sure how it would work on calcium deposits though.
www.sharkhide.com/sharkhide_cleaner.htm
(I believe it to be an acid wash product similar to what Andy suggested.)

Thanks guys. I found an aluminum hull cleaner that is acid based. I did a small 1 foot test and it seems to work pretty good. It is still going to be a whole day of application and scraping to get the hull back to where it should be. Lesson learned. Do not leave you aluminum boat in salt water all summer unless it has antifouling applied. I will take her in and out each time this summer.

Cheers,

Andrew

cawrsfm,

You'll probably think that I'm NUTS but I would try BAR KEEPER'S FRIEND powder (resturant supply houses sell it.) & a scrub-brush and/or BRILLO pads, before using something "more aggressive".
(I once helped clean the paint off a light airplane with it. - Didn't hurt the aluminum at all.- anything that will remove paint should work on barnacle "residue".)

yours, satx

My salt water hull had remnants of marine growth on it and scars from the beds they make - I use/used the 3M style foam sanding blocks with water - didn't take long to remove either.

picasaweb.google.com/ZonkieSkattie/PearlyMissProjectLovePotion#5698273592053429074

I have tried everything to clean dried pond scum off the bottom of an aluminum boat: acids, lacquer thinner and scouring pads, commercial aluminum tanker cleaner, toilet bowl cleaner, whitewall clener, all kinds of hull and bottom cleaners, None of these worked very well. I think the problem is that the chemicals are designed to brighten aluminum, not disolve the scum. I finally found something that doesn't take forever to make any progress. I picked up a cup brush for a angle grinder at an auto body repair shop. The cup brush has plastic bristles,not metal wire.


Good luck,

Randy