Aluminum window frames.. stripped off paint.. what next?

IRGuy · Post by **IRGuy** » Jun 24th, '10, 18:13

The window frames (all of them, port, stbd and forward) were painted black by the previous owner (doofus). Apparently he used some regular oil based paint, because the methylene chloride based paint remover attacked it in a few minutes, to the point that most of the paint came off with a light pass of a putty knife. I was careful not to scratch the aluminum, in case the remover might not have attacked the original anodizing. Now I have a few questions...

Should I expect that paint remover and my light scraping (very light scraping) did in fact damage the anodizing?

I recall a year or so ago some discussion here about treating aluminum so it will accept paint, but with the caveat that painting aluminum usually leads to peeling or lifting regardless of how much care was devoted to the pretreatment.

I would like to keep the aluminum look and not paint with a color. Has anyone used aluminum paint over bare or pretreated aluminum with better success than standard paint?

The aluminum I exposed did not seem to be pitted or corroded in any way. I wish the doofus had left the frames alone, but he painted all the exterior surfaces, and now I am repainting the glass and the window frames. I wish he had left things alone, but it is what it is, and I have to make the best of what I have.

CaptPatrick · Post by **CaptPatrick** » Jun 24th, '10, 18:33

Painting over aluminum is just a a band-aid at best....

Now that you've got all the old paint off, scuff the entire aluminum surface with a fine refinishing pad and denatured alcohol. Apply a coat of aluminaprep & then alodine, rinse with fresh water and towel dry. Leave it set for 24 hours to finish drying and rattle can it with Hammerrite smooth aluminum.

This will be a simple, fast technique, but will probably have to be repeated or touched up annually.

Marlin · Post by **Marlin** » Jun 24th, '10, 18:57

awlgrip told me if the anodizing is still in tact, dewax, 220 paper,545, 320 or 400 paper,alcohol wipe down, tack rag and shoot with awlcraft 2000aluminum color, any break throughs of the anodizing, and u have to go through the prep process capt Pat described, awlgrip no longer offers the prep stuff "alodine" but u can get the same stuff ,different name from Merritts in W palm, ask for Lu

IRGuy · Post by **IRGuy** » Jun 25th, '10, 10:50

Thanks guys! I have ordered the aluminaprep and alodine.

Capt Pat.. By "fine refinishing pad" am I correct that you mean a 3M Scotchbrite pad or similar?

Just another example of how valuable this site is!

CaptPatrick · Post by **CaptPatrick** » Jun 25th, '10, 12:27

3M Scotchbrite pad --- Yup, I think the fine one is white in color...

IRGuy · Post by **IRGuy** » Jun 25th, '10, 20:36

Thanka s again Cap't

Sean B · Post by **Sean B** » Jun 25th, '10, 21:31

I have the same project in my near future... are there any recommendations available for a brushable paint product?

Spraypaint isn't my first preference for a variety of reasons. I'm trying to avoid masking everything off, and will also likely do this in sections, inside and out.

Frank I'm planning to replace all the screws with new 316 stainless, using tef-gel and adding nylon shoulder washers. Are you going through the same business? I'm getting some pitting & peeling on the inside of the frames around a few of the screws, and want to try and stop that.

I also need to re-seal all the window and frame perimeters on my boat too. This is going to be a tedious and time consuming Project

CaptPatrick · Post by **CaptPatrick** » Jun 25th, '10, 21:42

Hammerite Rust Cap also comes in brushable cans....

Sean B · Post by **Sean B** » Jun 25th, '10, 21:57

ah yes I see that now. Thanks!

coolair · Post by **coolair** » Jun 25th, '10, 22:50

i got a question on the alodine, on my tank i did the alumiprep then alodine. but the aluminum kinda had a blueish tent to it, is that right? or should the alodine not change the color

IRGuy · Post by **IRGuy** » Jun 26th, '10, 03:22

Sean...

It sounds as if you are planning on completely removing your windows? I am leaving mine in place since I only have (had) leaks at the aft lower corners, for which I have come up with a fix. I am stripping them now and plan on following the above advice re: prep steps, and following up with brushable paint.

I have spent the last 3 days (92F - 97F, bright sun) standing, squatting, and bending over, on 8" wide side decks applying paint remover and then scraping it off. The worst project I have encountered in my rebuild so far.
I am doing all this at my slip, with a short finger float on one side and nothing on the other side.

CaptPatrick · Post by **CaptPatrick** » Jun 26th, '10, 06:50

coolair wrote:i got a question on the alodine, on my tank i did the alumiprep then alodine. but the aluminum kinda had a blueish tent to it, is that right? or should the alodine not change the color

Generally, alodine will tint the surface from a light to medium yellow. Never saw it come up blue...

Buju · Post by **Buju** » Jun 26th, '10, 06:58

Matt, did ya thoroughly rinse the alumiprep off before the alodine application?

If so then perhaps there was some coating on the tank that the alumiprep didn't budge?

Just thinking...

Sean B · Post by **Sean B** » Jun 26th, '10, 09:50

IRGuy wrote:Sean...

It sounds as if you are planning on completely removing your windows? I am leaving mine in place since I only have (had) leaks at the aft lower corners, for which I have come up with a fix. I am stripping them now and plan on following the above advice re: prep steps, and following up with brushable paint.

I have spent the last 3 days (92F - 97F, bright sun) standing, squatting, and bending over, on 8" wide side decks applying paint remover and then scraping it off. The worst project I have encountered in my rebuild so far.
I am doing all this at my slip, with a short finger float on one side and nothing on the other side.

Hi Frank

I have those same leaks. They leak very slightly at the front two lower corners and at a couple of other places along the sides. One leak is actually right through one of the screws.

What is your big plan for the corner leaks? Something more sophisticated than cut out the old sealant and replace?

I am doing the windows on the boat also - removing those is not something I'm ready or willing to do. Will re-do the sealant outside first, but the rest of my outside frames will wait for cooler days. I'm going to permanently caulk in those front horizontal little windows too, because we have never opened those in six years. I intend to refinish the insides of the frames this summer.

Most of the matte black anodizing is still in fair condition, both inside and out. The outside frames look a little sun-worn or oxidized but otherwise pretty good. Some minor pitting and peeling is beginning around some of the screws on the inside surfaces.

The plan is to replace all the screws on the inside one by one, using new 316 SS along with tefgel and nylon shoulder washers. While each screw is out I'll spot sand the frame in each screw's seating area if any anodizing has come loose.

When all that is over I would brush paint the insides using the Skipper's procedures on any bare metal that I end up with. I'm supposing that the alumaprep and alodine is kind of pointless to do where the anodizing is still intact. In those areas Ill just skuff sand and clean the existing anodizing. Then I would prime and paint the frames (brush paint) and probably the screw heads too. I'm sticking with the matte black color inside and out.

The outside frame surfaces will get the same treatment when it's not blistering longer hot anymore... maybe November.

That's my plan...

IRGuy · Post by **IRGuy** » Jun 26th, '10, 11:24

Sean...

The lower aft corners of both my side windows leaked badly when I first bought the boat. After looking long and hard trying to see where the leaks were originating I realized that there is sort of a "shelf" that is part of the exterior cabin sides just below the window frame lower edge that extends the full length of the window. The last 4" or so of this shelf actually curved downward, causing a short (3" or so) pocket that water ran into and remained. On both sides this pocket was full of dirt, so it looked as if there was no trap. When I blasted this dirt away with a water hose the trap pocket was revealed.

My fix was to make a wedge shaped piece of PVC that would fit into the trap, so that instead of a trap the wedge created a reversed sloping base that let the water drain away. I bed this wedge in 4200, which seemed to seal the hole the leak used and filled the corner. No more leak!

The downward sloping trap and the wedge fix are really hidden from view, unless you specifically go looking for them.

A simple fix to a problem the previous owner had for years, but never tried to cure.

The two aft corners are the only places where I had window frame leaks. My immediate problem is that the previous owner did such a crappy job of painting the window frames there are runs and dirt in the paint, so they looked terrible. He did the same crappy job on the windscreen frame on the flybridge. I had to tackle the window frame situation now because later this summer I plan on painting the cabin sides and I want to get the window frames repainted and out of the way before I do.

The joys of owning an almost 30 year old boat! Good luck!

coolair · Post by **coolair** » Jun 27th, '10, 18:45

ya, i rinsed it pretty good. I dont know it was new aluminum so not sure. Maybe i left it on too long, it was only in a few spots, or the alodine was old? bought it like in december and just getting around to using it

IRGuy · Post by **IRGuy** » Jun 29th, '10, 11:58

Hopefully this will be my last post on this subject.. one more question.

After I do the aluminaprep and alodine treatments, but before I apply the final paint.. do I need to prime the alodine treated surface with anything? Or does the pretreatment serve as a primer?

Aluminaprep and alodine are supposed to arrive today.. as soon as I can I will do the treatments and then will try to paint ASAP. I need to get this out of the way so I can paint the exterior of the cabin.

CaptPatrick · Post by **CaptPatrick** » Jun 29th, '10, 12:04

The alodine will act as your primer, & Rust Cap is basically self priming. Be sure to follow the Rust Cap directions to a T. If you allow more than 1 hour between coats, you'll have to wait for 10 days before the next coat or the last coat will alligator on you...

IRGuy · Post by **IRGuy** » Jun 29th, '10, 12:55

OK Capt.. thanks for all your help with this issue.

I am ordering the paint today. Will be wrapping up the stripping of the Al this afternoon (a few spots still have some paint that the first removal left behind), aluminaprep and alodine hopefully tomorrow.. paint soon after.

Of all the things I do/have done on "Phoenix", painting is my least favorite!

Catalina31 · Post by **Catalina31** » Jan 4th, '21, 19:32

Capt. Pat advised me years ago to use Hammerrite smooth aluminum paint on my windows, I followed his advise and it held up great for years. It is now time to touch them up and It appears this paint is no longer available. Anyone have any advise on a similar substitute or have a source to get the hammerrite aluminum?

Thanks and Happy New Year.
-Brian

Tony Meola · Post by **Tony Meola** » Jan 4th, '21, 20:42

Brian

Is this it?

https://www.hammerite.com/products/

https://www.hammerite.com.au/wp-content ... B%20AU.pdf

The one for galvanized metal says it can be used on aluminum.

Catalina31 · Post by **Catalina31** » Jan 5th, '21, 07:00

Tony,
That’s the stuff. Looks like it’s no longer Legal in the US, thanks for the link.

Carl · Post by **Carl** » Jan 5th, '21, 07:54

Amazon seems to have a good supply ready to ship out.

Then again I'm in NYC...not exactly the USA

Catalina31 · Post by **Catalina31** » Jan 5th, '21, 11:37

Thanks Carl, just found two cans of the aluminum on Amazon like you said which I quickly bought and found two on eBay. Thanks again.
-Brian

Rocky · Post by **Rocky** » Jan 11th, '21, 10:06

Hi guys,
I noticed Hammerite is a division of AkzoNobel and curious now if one of the other divisions have a similar product in the U.S.
Awlgrip is on their list here. Just in case they stop exporting their Hammerite to United States!

https://www.akzonobel.com/en/uk/brands

Carl · Post by **Carl** » Jan 11th, '21, 20:06

Rocky-

Haven't seen you around much lately. How's All by you, what have you been up to.

Carl

Rocky · Post by **Rocky** » Jan 12th, '21, 11:11

Been good Carl thanks.
Well other than being career displaced by corporate Toyota using Covid as an excuse to "thin the herd". 20yrs with this dealer group and owner still didn't know my name! Got a lift at home and building my own clientel but expanding vehicles makes from "A to Z." Pros, and cons to this idea.
I'm down to just my little Seaswirl in which over the summer rebuilt all bulkheads and deck. (Got soft). BTW, that "Softsand" anti-skid media is fantastic and really easy on bare feet.
Though not a Bertram, I'll try to post some pics in a new thread!
I always thought the Bertram31 would look just awesome with a "Riva" style polished stainless window frames, wondering if that effect could be done with one of these finishes AkzoNobel has. At least a "polished aluminum" look finish?

Yannis · Post by **Yannis** » Jan 12th, '21, 16:08

The grand prize will not go to the one who will better polish or paint the aluminum window frame, but to the one who will invent a method so it does not get so freaking hot in the summer sun. To the point that it becomes untouchable and the cabin like an oven.

Tony Meola · Post by **Tony Meola** » Jan 12th, '21, 22:41

Yannis wrote: ↑Jan 12th, '21, 16:08 The grand prize will not go to the one who will better polish or paint the aluminum window frame, but to the one who will invent a method so it does not get so freaking hot in the summer sun. To the point that it becomes untouchable and the cabin like an oven.

Yannis

If you get out on the water more and spend less time in the cabin the heat would not be an issue.

Yannis · Post by **Yannis** » Jan 12th, '21, 23:58

Ha ha right!
How didn't I think of it, Tony!!

bertram31.com

Aluminum window frames.. stripped off paint.. what next?

Aluminum window frames.. stripped off paint.. what next?

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Re: Aluminum window frames.. stripped off paint.. what next?

Re: Aluminum window frames.. stripped off paint.. what next?

Re: Aluminum window frames.. stripped off paint.. what next?

Re: Aluminum window frames.. stripped off paint.. what next?

Re: Aluminum window frames.. stripped off paint.. what next?

Re: Aluminum window frames.. stripped off paint.. what next?

Re: Aluminum window frames.. stripped off paint.. what next?

Re: Aluminum window frames.. stripped off paint.. what next?

Re: Aluminum window frames.. stripped off paint.. what next?

Re: Aluminum window frames.. stripped off paint.. what next?

Re: Aluminum window frames.. stripped off paint.. what next?

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