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Pontoon polishing/sealing

Posted: Sun Oct 29, 2017 9:29 am
by BiXLL
Have been away from pontoons for a few years. Is the standard for clean/polish seal pontoons still as it was?

1 acid wash
2 buff polish
3 seal with Sharkshide.

In starting my research this time around, I came accross a product called Gords that is a all in one
http://www.gordsaluminumpolish.com/

Has anybody used this? If not, what is the recommended polish, Sharkshide or is there something better?

Re: Pontoon polishing/sealing

Posted: Sun Oct 29, 2017 9:20 pm
by Bamaman
Try to avoid the acid wash unless other methods don't properly clean the toon. If you have algae on the bottom, it may be required.

I keep my Bennie hanging in a boathouse out of the water. I just polish mine around the end of May every year.

Sharkhide requires the boat be completely clean after polishing. It's just too much work to get the black oxide out of the cracks and welds to avoid black smudges in the Sharkhide. But with a dual action polisher with a wool bonnet, I can polish the outside toons and the nosecones in probably an hour or so.

Re: Pontoon polishing/sealing

Posted: Mon Oct 30, 2017 3:51 am
by BiXLL
Mine is in the river docked from May to October. I do get quite a build up, so pretty surre the acid wash is going to be a must. 1 day I hope to be in a psoition to be able to have a lift also.

Re: Pontoon polishing/sealing

Posted: Mon Oct 30, 2017 5:03 am
by sunedog
[quote="Bamaman"]Try to avoid the acid wash unless other methods don't properly clean the toon. If you have algae on the bottom, it may be required.[/quote]

Do you think acid washing removes a significant amount of aluminum? Or is there another reason you suggest to avoid it?

Re: Pontoon polishing/sealing

Posted: Mon Oct 30, 2017 5:56 pm
by Bamaman
I wouldn't want to use acid based cleaners year after year. The aluminum is marginally thick to begin with.

But taking a dull, clean boat to a very shiny finish may require removal of a very thin layer of aluminum. And dull to bright is more work than I would want to do more than one time.

Re: Pontoon polishing/sealing

Posted: Mon Oct 30, 2017 6:25 pm
by BiXLL
I acid washed my last pontoon every spring with no bad results. It's not like you are putting sizzling. Acid on something. I don't believe you could even register the. Amount of aluminum you would loose from a product like Nappa aluminum brightener or Starbright aluminum cleaner.