Repairing a small section of toe rail where anodized surface was scratched I have a 1979 Swan 47 which had a small section of toe rail scratched through the anodized surface (6 inches) and I want to refinish it in place. Any advice will be appreciated. I had loaned the boat to a friend who dangled a chain over the rail to clean mud off the Danforth. So much for being a good fellow. Oh, we'll.
Hi,reanodizing's impossible with the parts attached to the Yacht so here's my recipe:
1. Remove oil, grease, and dirt with soap and water.
2. Remove surface oxides with a very soft stainless steel wire brush or strong alkaline or acid (be careful, a few minutes is enough forexample with a welding cleaner acid). Wash immediately with a lot of water. Let all the surfaces dry.
3. Apply a coat of Owatrol Oil to the scratched surface with a small and soft brush. Let it dry 24 hours.
Done!
Here's an example; a bit dull finish compared to a waxed one, but enough for me.
Dear IHe
Interesting that Owatrol can be used here, would you have an idea about how long it lasts before requiring a new coat?
If there are deep scars it is suggested they are filled with a mixture of aluminum powder and epoxy glue in order to get a smooth surface.
Chuck is investigating alternative surface finishes, and I expect him to come up with a proposal.
Kind regards
Lars
There are still some minor traces of Owatrol left on the toerails of CAID. It was applied at the Adriatic some Years ago. As a rust inhibitor it prevens excessive corrosion (looks like white powder) on those bare aluminium surfaces. I used it to prevent corrosion between the toerail and its stainless steel fasteners.
I found another use also: I had some old winch jammers which were quite sunburnt and replaced them with new stainles steel ones from Antal two Years ago. This spring I washed those old ones at the dishwasher and painted them lightly with Owatrol Oil. Let them dry and wiped the excessive oil with a rag. After this treatment they looked like new and I couldn't resist to use them again!(genoa furling line, 2:nd reef, ...).
I'll post some before/after tratment/after one summer -pics later!
