New pontoon in the driveway

[Radartom]

So I'm new here, just picked up my second pontoon, so not new to the pontoon world. Old toon was a Bentley 24' with a 60 merc hanging off the back. New toon is a Veranda 22' with a 115 Yamaha hanging off the back. So now to the question. What to do, I'm torn on getting it into the water so I can start breaking in the motor, even though it's still a touch early in the season even for AL, or at least me here, although it was temping. OR spend a weekend buffing and polishing the logs to a mirror, and then shark hide them, then start breaking the motor in. Getting on the water is always more fun, but making it look pretty has merit.

[Bryden24shp]

I would do the polishing first, its easier to do them when they are brand new and not oxidized. They are factory coated are they? That crap is hard to get off!

[Radartom]

[quote="Bryden24shp"]I would do the polishing first, its easier to do them when they are brand new and not oxidized. They are factory coated are they? That crap is hard to get off![/quote]


I have no idea if there is factory coating on it. Looks like raw aluminum to me

[smltooner]

Welcome to the club.

[illinoid]

Got a new Toon? Didn't happen if you didn't post a picture here...lol

[Jim in Alabama]

We're on Lay Lake and put our new boat in the water earlier this month and have been out several times. James Spann says it's gonna be too nice this weekend to not spend it on the water!

[Jim in Alabama]

....

[Bryden24shp]

[quote="Radartom"][quote="Bryden24shp"]I would do the polishing first, its easier to do them when they are brand new and not oxidized. They are factory coated are they? That crap is hard to get off![/quote]


I have no idea if there is factory coating on it. Looks like raw aluminum to me[/quote]

It will look like clear paint and look kind of moppy, from the application. Easy way to tell, take a little polish and rub it in a spot that's concealed. If it brightens right up with a little rubbing, they are not sealed.

[Bryden24shp]

[quote="Jim in Alabama"]....[/quote]

You posted that to get me to buy another one, didn't you! Brat!!!

[jadeboy]

Early for AL. what the ____ here in Minnesota we get in as soon as we can next week looking like nice to see you trade in the Bentley nice boats but they do not stand behind there warantys sold by because of that

[crookedlaker]

I am getting mine delivered on May 2nd can't wait
My dealer is not a big believer in shark hide, not sure if i should do it
The boat will be sitting in the dealers lot until it is delivered, I was thinking of going over there and applying it after they close or on a Sunday. if they do it, it will be big bucks.
If i lived in Alabama, it would be in the water now, but up here, we can still freeze, also i have to have a new lift installed
Mike

[Radartom]

Yea I know I'm a wimp. I bitched all two days this winter it was close to freezing.

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[Bamaman]

My Bennington was built 5/28, and I bought it on 7/5. My dealer keeps his whole inventory inside a huge warehouse in the dark.

In 1 month, my toons tarnished. After polishing the toons, I was unable to get all the black aluminum oxide off the toons in order to Sharkhide them. The welds and little pieces of slag held the black stuff, and the Sharkhide just smudged--no matter how many times I cleaned them with lacquer cleaner and soft rags.

I've got it down to about 90 minutes to polish the 3 nosecones, 2 sides and the rear caps on my toons. That's all I'm willing to do to keep'em shiny enough. I'm using a Porter Cable dual action sander polisher with a 6" wool bonnet and White Diamond metal polish.

I also have a high speed buffer, but that thing's seriously physical to use.

I'll pull my boat the first of June and do its yearly polish. Heck with the Sharkhide.

[Bryden24shp]

I popped all the slag off with a bronze chisel. It pops off real easy. And the black crap comes off real good if you run the thinner through a paint gun. Are the welds that rough on your Benny? My 2 Manny's and Premier polished up great. And I did a friends Benny and SouthBay, no problems. The polished and Sharkhided very well.

[Bamaman]

No, the welds on my Benny are probably the best there is. There are just cracks that hold the aluminum oxide, and the stuff smudges when the Sharkhide's applied.

My polished boat looks fine for the boating season. I'm just not motivated enough to work any harder to maintain an extreme shine. If I wanted to work that hard, I'd be using a rouge and my high speed buffer to put out a near mirror image--like some diesel fuel tanks on over the road trucks.