pitting on hull

[flatocean]

After a season at the coast my Ed Wing has some pits on the hull. Wonder if anyone has a "best" way to take these out before applying Sharkhide.
thanks

[Bait O' Eggs]

Pits???? :whazzup:

Did you moor it somewhere? do you have zincs on it? How many & how big are your pits? I have seen none in my boat

[skein]

No pits on mine. You're not talking about welding spatter are you? :grin:

Actually I wish I had done my whole boat in sharkhide before I ever put it in the water. Instead, I was sooooo anxious to use it I just dropped it in and started the break-in process. Then, that winter I polished the entire hull with Flitz, steel wool, and elbow grease. Then, before I applied the sharkhide, I did some test strips on my motor bracket. Where I just used steel wool and sharkhide it looks like new. Where I used Flitz (with sharkhide over it) it turned an ugly battleship gray. Where I polished with Mother's, it was somewhere in between.

So I said to hell with it and went fishing. It's not a real purty boat anyhow.

If I ever find anything that will etch off the Flitz residue, I'll probably sharkhide it. Or paint it.

Oh, one more thing. Flitz is good stuff and really made her shine. It just doesn't do well with sharkhide and salt water.

Skein

[flatocean]

Moored it for couple weeks at Warrenton, and have zincs on the hull and lower units. Otherwise the boat's in the salt air on the trailer at manzanita. The worse pits are on the side around the fuel spout. Found out the hard way that if I fill the tank and the boat sits in the sun fuel will expand out and run over the side. The gas on the Aluminum seemed to accelerate the process of pitting. Makes it hard when you want to top off the tank for tuna fishing the next day.
I'll try the steel wool method with elbow grease sounds the best. Then think may paint for protection as know will spill some fuel in the future esp if occasionally pouring from jerry cans

[kenai]

I'm going for the natural oxidation look, I heard the aluminum oxide acts as a protectant. Plus its a lot easier

[Flush Release]

I'll try the steel wool method with elbow grease sounds the best.

NONONONONO! If you use anything use Stainless Steel wool.

The steel wool will leave iron deposits imbedded in the aluminum and excellerate the corrosion process.

Coarse scotchbrite works ok.

[Paddler]

Have you seen this thread?

http://www.ifish.net/forum/showflat.php?...;gonew=1#UNREAD

[Mark Mc]

Flat-O, you said:

The worse pits are on the side around the fuel spout

Makes me wonder if you have a localized issue with a dissimilar metal. What is this fuel spout made of? Is it insulated from the hull? Or is it supposed to be bonded, and maybe the bonding wire has a bad connection?

[tracer]

After 31 years in the sheetmetal ind.,working on and repairing many pitting problems on aluminum hulls I have found that even with zinks or not, NEVER use the hull as a grounding bar for any elect. units. this is the main cause of electro-pitting problems. the correct fix to this problem is to run a seperate ground wire to each elect. unit,lights,etc.

[Flush Release]

After 31 years in the sheetmetal ind.,working on and repairing many pitting problems on aluminum hulls I have found that even with zinks or not, NEVER use the hull as a grounding bar for any elect. units. this is the main cause of electro-pitting problems. the correct fix to this problem is to run a seperate ground wire to each elect. unit,lights,etc.

[skein]

How does a guy determine if he's grounded to the hull without following every single wire back to its source? Everything I've put in has been correctly grounded, and everything I've traced has been the same, but I've always wondered in the back of my mind.

Is there a way to tell?

Skein

[retaliate]

The only way to tell for certain is to trace each ground wire, & make sure the main ground bar is direct to the battery(s). Earlier this year I replaced the driver side windshield wiper, & found the original wiper was grounded to the chassis...not good, luckily after four years, no pitting is aparent.

[Bait O' Eggs]

Jim, you can do like me and just wire the boat yourself

[tracer]

The way to tell if your hull is grounded is to put a volt meter from the + side of the battery to the hull. If you get any voltage reading then the hull is grounded somewhere to the battery

[skein]

Thanks, Tracer, that's what I was looking for. Then, when I get a reading, I'll take Retaliate's route. :depressed:

Skein

[tracer]

Also check any all-metal CB or VHF antennas attached to the hull. they need to be isolated as well

[apparentgenius]

The most common place to have a connection to your electrical systems is from your outboard. Most of the starters are grounded to the motor frame and that is in contact with the boat. I know mine is. I've heard that you can get a kit to take care of that. Eventhough I have continuity from the hull to the battery, I do not have a single pit outside of my zincs after 6 months in the southbeach marina.

Glen

[Bait O' Eggs]

I think when you run the battery to hull test with a volt meter you will find something is grounded to the hull.

I think my wipers ground to the hull as well as have a grounding wire connection point, and I think my motor might ground to the hull like mentioned. As long as the grounding wire is there, I believe the power will flow thru the path of least resistance, and it wont take long and these aluminum boats will corrode up a bit at the contact point and the power should flow thru the wire you provided, but I could be wrong.

[tracer]

When doing a battery to hull voltage test make sure you turn on all elect. units, lights ,etc. Outboard motors have a - wire from battery as well as a + wire. If you pull the - wire from the battery it should not start.

[cruiseship]

A better test might be to run a resistence reading between the ground buss and the hull. A very low reading (0 to a couple hundred ohms) would indicate a direct connection between ground and the hull. Over a few hundred ohms and the ground path is making its way back through a more obscure route.

stevej

[skein]

Yeah, I know, Keta. Tupperware, tupperware, tupperware for the salt.

But, geez, I'm sure enjoying my old tub.

Skein

[Gregotis98]

Jim,

I'll go high and you go low and then have Janis replace the rag over Keta's mouth with a nice strip of fiberglass.

100% isolation of electrical
100% isolation of SS fasteners
100% paint coverage
Designed to eliminate flex (work hardening)
Proper welding

Address these and aluminum will work in saltwater.

No boat material is saltwater proof but "aluminum is not the best material for a saltwater boat".

For those that feel thretened by this fact, please don't PM me with your threats. This is a statement of fact and not puting down your boat or wife.

Greg,
I dodge and limp fast and I'm slippery from tuna grease :grin:

[kamloops]

Keta


i hab a 12' aluminimum smokerkraft, can i go tuna fishin?

[Bait O' Eggs]

You made it 34 minutes Keta

I only want to keep everyone's boat healthy and everyone to return to port dry.

[flapbreaker]

Here's an interesting read on electrolysis, even if they are trying to sell something. It also provides and interesting way to check for voltage leaks ect..

http://www.protroll.com/blkbox3.html

[Flush Release]

Keta


i hab a 12' aluminimum smokerkraft, can i go tuna fishin?

Only if I can use my 8 ft Livinston with a 3 hp outboard for "TUNER" fishing too

Seriously I feel underboated with this 28 Tolly at times

[Flush Release]

You made it 34 minutes Keta

[Flush Release]

I only want to keep everyone's boat healthy and everyone to return to port dry.

And maybe give a bit of experienced insite for those that are unaware.

Boats are a VERY expensive item and for most folks it's intended on being a long term investment. There is no such thing as a "Full" use vessel that will be suited for all waterway usage. Some are better suited for Rivers and Lakes while others are suited for offshore use.

[Mr. Fisherman]

If they are pitted it might leak and that would make it difficult to put the beer back in the can.
Of course, who would ever want to put beer back in the can?
Maybe you should ponder this over your next fishing trip?

[Flush Release]

[ron m]

Jim, good question.