Cleaning the logs

[OK Toon]

Decided I'd take advantage of the 70 degree temps on Saturday and work on cleaning the logs on the boat. Wow that sure is a lot of work. It took me 2 hours and I got both logs srayed down with Napa aluminum cleaner and hosed off -- that makes the logs a dull bright white. Then I started in on the Port log using Turtle Wax Rubbing Compound and an orbital polisher. I needed more bonnets as I think using only 1 only caused some of the tarnish to just be rubbed around. But my shoulders were too sore to start working on the other log -- that will have to wait for another weekend.

There simply isn't an easy way to do this, but now I'm committed -- since 1 log is clean and the other is not.

Here's a few pictures of my cleaning process....

[gobeernet]

I started this process a couple weeks ago when we had another nice weekend. You got a lot farther then I did. I didn't want a shiny finish, as I didn't want the up keep. I can't get a dull sanded finish that is uniform so I guess i'll start polishing.

What type of polish and polisher did you use?

[OK Toon]

The polish I used is just Turtle Wax Rubbing Compound. The polisher I used was a Ryobi 10" Orbital Buffer. I'll have to get a smaller buffer to get the area above the logs and do the parts of the cones that are above the splash deflector.

[Bamaman]

Rubbing compound won't give you a decent shine, as it's too rough for aluminum.

I go to Advance Auto Parts and get White Diamond metal polish. I apply it with a Porter Cable dual action polisher/sander equipped with a 6" hook and loop pad--and a 6" wool bonnet/applicator.

Put 2 dime size dollups of polish on the wool pad, place it on the boat and hit the switch. Move the polisher up and down, back and forth in a 2' x 2' area for about 90 seconds. All of a sudden, the black aluminum oxide paste turns to a powder, polishes the aluminum and disappears into the air. You take a towel and wipe off the remaining black oxide.

I polish my 3 nosecones, the outside of two toons and the rear ends of 3 toons in about 1 hour. The dual action polisher is relatively easy to handle, and it does the job. It also does a great job on applying polish and wax to cars.

I'm still unwilling to work so hard with lacquer cleaner to get the toons clean enough to apply Sharkhide. Unless the toons are incredibly clean, black smudges will come off in the finish when you apply Sharkhide. It's easier to just polish the boat yearly.

[OK Toon]

Bamaman, thanks for the info on the metal polish - I'll pick some of that up. I wasn't really expecting a mirror-like shine. But I have been impressed with how much of a reflection I am getting so far. I don't think the logs on this 2003 have ever been really cleaned - it's a "new to us" toon that we've had for 3 years now. I did spray them with the Napa aluminum brightener and hosed them down last year. That took them down to that dull white (which at the time was much better than they started out ). I'm hoping this will be a much shorter project each year going forward since I'm taking the time to get them really cleaned up this year. I don't think I'll ever get them clean enough to the point to want to do the Sharkhide treatment -- I'll wait and do that on my next toon which I hope to purchase new. Right now, I'm just trying to keep our "new to us" toon looking nice so we'll have a decent trade-in when the time comes.