mdutton11
New Member
Though I have been boating for many years, I do not have much marine maintenance knowledge so please comment / correct / expand on any items below. I am about to repaint my mildly corroded B3 outdrive. I have spent several days reading posts about the process but did not find a concise overview so I thought I would post one for comment.
Yes, I am also looking into the true reason for the corrosion - mercathode, anodes, bonding system and stray currents.
Here is what I found:
-Remove old paint / corrosion (this is the topic I need help on - see below)
-etch bare aluminum if possible (seems like most people leave this process out - self etching primers?)
-Alodine the (etched) drive
-Prime (2-3 coats) with Zinc Chromate (seems the most popular by consensus)
-Paint (2-3 coats) with Trilux-33 (salt water) or Merc Phantom Black (shinier finish but no antifouling?)
In general:
-Brushing is better than spraying
-Can apply next layer of finish in about 1 hour but if you wait more than 2-3 hours you should wait the entire manufacturer recommended time (up to a week).
-Don't paint over anodes or bonding wires
Here is my main question. For removing old paint / corrosion, I read not to use any steel wool or steel paint stripping devices (leaves iron particles in the alum) - use aluminum oxide sandpaper. I read on one site http://helium.com/items/1166513-panting-aluminum-outdrive that using a chemical stripper after degreasing the old paint is the easiest way to remove it. I have read nothing on CSR about that. What are the opinions out there and are there any suggestions as to brands of strippers?
Yes, I am also looking into the true reason for the corrosion - mercathode, anodes, bonding system and stray currents.
Here is what I found:
-Remove old paint / corrosion (this is the topic I need help on - see below)
-etch bare aluminum if possible (seems like most people leave this process out - self etching primers?)
-Alodine the (etched) drive
-Prime (2-3 coats) with Zinc Chromate (seems the most popular by consensus)
-Paint (2-3 coats) with Trilux-33 (salt water) or Merc Phantom Black (shinier finish but no antifouling?)
In general:
-Brushing is better than spraying
-Can apply next layer of finish in about 1 hour but if you wait more than 2-3 hours you should wait the entire manufacturer recommended time (up to a week).
-Don't paint over anodes or bonding wires
Here is my main question. For removing old paint / corrosion, I read not to use any steel wool or steel paint stripping devices (leaves iron particles in the alum) - use aluminum oxide sandpaper. I read on one site http://helium.com/items/1166513-panting-aluminum-outdrive that using a chemical stripper after degreasing the old paint is the easiest way to remove it. I have read nothing on CSR about that. What are the opinions out there and are there any suggestions as to brands of strippers?
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