WA road De-Icer causes pitting in Sled!!

Swim Shady · 01-29-2004, 07:37 AM

Hey all FYI, my uncle sent me an article from the Lewiston Trib in Eastern Washington you know the home of "duck, Custom, T-Jet, Weldcraft, and Aztec, and also ATJ pumps" anyway was in town over Christmas visiting family and having work done on the sled at Custom Weld, when I got home to Salem, noticed white pitting about the size of a pen head on the non painted alum. I washed and washed to no avail. Last night my uncle sent this article about Washington using chemical De-icer on the roads. That was the culprit to the pitting on my new sled. So this warning goes out to all traveling on potential slick roads, the DOT's will be de-icing, so be sure to scrub you boat when you get home... the same day... Don't wait!! Lastly, anyone have ideas about getting the pitting out or am I stuck with little white marks all over the lower part of the sled?

[ 01-29-2004, 08:43 AM: Message edited by: Swim Shady ]

snit · 01-29-2004, 08:56 AM

Yep it sucks, and you're stuck! Another "no-brain" decision by WASHDOT. In my opinion, the stuff works marginally, but it does more harm than good for me. I saw an article in the local paper where a guy is sueing the state for putting down the "snot" on dry pavement because it caused an accident. There are several documented cases where it has caused an accident because it's so slippery. Use salt away, and maybe a fine rubbing compoung, s.o.s pad, or something like the 3M polish, but the aluminum is pitted, so you won't fix the pitt, just stop the corrosion. It's more asthetic damage than structural damage though.

Scruffy Bearded Varmint · 01-29-2004, 02:50 PM

What do you 'spose this stuff does to fish gills after it washes into the rivers and streams?

GOT2FISH · 01-29-2004, 02:59 PM

Had this problem oa a tow truck went to a commercial detail supply company and bought some stuff called ALUMIBRIGHT comes in a large white bottle red letters. Worked well and brought back the new shine on the polished aluminum. You might want to give it a try on an unexposed spot.

Swim Shady · 01-29-2004, 03:20 PM

Thanks folks, will give it a try. Watch out for the WA roads though, real pain in the Hinny.

Troller · 01-29-2004, 11:36 PM

Alot of aluminum boat guys found out last season. You can polish it up. Then put a coating on it like sharkhide. Or is it sharkhyde.

SR1 5 · 01-30-2004, 04:21 AM

I had the same thing happen to my Weldcraft about two weeks ago when I went to Hell's Canyon.

Kevin Newell · 01-30-2004, 03:22 PM

I find that I had allot of pitting on the underside of the bow on my last boat. I didn't have a towing bra on the front of the boat. The pitting I observed was because of small rocks being thrown up on the boat by the truck tires. I never had any other pitting anywhere else on the boat.

Are you getting pitting on the horizontal sides of the boat as well or just under the bow? If it truly was de-icer you would have pitting all the way down the sides of your boat (assuming the sides aren't completely painted).

Bob Barthlow · 01-30-2004, 03:34 PM

Yup went through that last year.

Best bet is to wash boat off before you put it away. Last year I didn't when I brought mine home the coast, and after 7-10 days had to buff like heck to get white dots off the unpainted hull.

Do what troller said in post above, that'll take care of the problem.

Hey snit, you about ready for Springers?

[ 01-30-2004, 04:35 PM: Message edited by: Rapid Robert ]

Travis Moncrief Fins Feathers Furs · 01-31-2004, 09:59 PM

Oregon raods have a similar product if its not the same. After last year my aluminum drift boat trailer was trashed because of the de-icer. I would have to agree that the Alumabright product worked wonders. Since then I have been on top of it by hosing it down every day and hasn't been a problem since.