suface rust

[caltexflanc]

Prism Polish is great for restoring a badly rusted or corroded item, including glass, silver and plexiglass. A lttle goes a long way so while on the surface it's expensive but total cost of ownership is very low; we use it for all kinds of things and are only about 2/3 of the way through a jar we bought 4 (5?) years ago.

For routine maintenance item of choice is Collinite Metal Wax which removes almost all but the worst surface rust on stainless (and from fiberglass/paint/gelcoat too) and keeps it from returning for a long time. I think we had every stainless cleaning miracle product there is on the boat (we have a lot of stainless) though I have given most of it away. Have also tried Flitz when my local store was out of Collinite and it seems to be very similar. Again, a little of each goes a long way. I got turned on to Collinite by a guy who maintained a lot of fancy yachts when we spent a few weeks once at Turnberry I$le in Aventura. He gave it the boat washer-detailer's ultimate accolade "Look man, I gotta lotta boats to do I don't want to spend a bunch of time doing the metal if I don't have to."

If you really want to keep 'em clean and shiny a long time, after cleaning, apply a sealer like Rejex or something like Collinite Fleetwax. A detailer did that to my boat once and for the following year involving alot of ocean and brackish cruising all I did was wash off with water and wipe.

You Pamlico/Neuse River/ICW mustache guys should get your hull cleaned and sealed with Rejex sometime. Then just hose off the hull after a trip, at most a very soft brush and water. Will last a year, usually two depending how much you use the boat. And the hull will look great too if it is cleaned correctly first.

 

[C lectric]

Do NOT use steel wool or you will have a real mess.

Bronze wool would work although it appears to be hard to find now compared to a bunch of years ago at least.

 

[BruceK]

Do NOT use steel wool or you will have a real mess.

Bronze wool would work although it appears to be hard to find now compared to a bunch of years ago at least.

Could depend on the grade used.
I had success with Autosol polish and 000 grade steel wool on very neglected aluminum/aluminium strips, I think it worked on stainless tubing too.
0000 grade is used to clean and polish french polished antique furniture, so it should be ok for stainless steel.
I`m sure the coarse grades, like for pots and pans,would be a disaster.

 

[Soundwiz]

Diluted muriatic acid does a great job of cleaning rust spots off Gel coat. It's also great for cleaning barnacles out of intake sea strainers, and filters without fogging up the plastic canisters.

Dopp

 

[rwidman]

Could depend on the grade used.
I had success with Autosol polish and 000 grade steel wool on very neglected aluminum/aluminium strips, I think it worked on stainless tubing too.
0000 grade is used to clean and polish french polished antique furniture, so it should be ok for stainless steel.
I`m sure the coarse grades, like for pots and pans,would be a disaster.

Any grade of steel wool will leave small particles of steel behind. When these particles of steel get wet, they will rust. Now you have an even bigger problem.

Steel wool is fine for furniture making and finishing as long as a water based finish is not used. If you use steel wool on furniture and then apply a water based finish, you will have rust just as you will if you use it on your boat.

 

[HopCar]

I agree with Ron on this one. Steel wool should never be brought aboard a boat. Tiny bits of it get on the fiberglass and you have little rust spots everywhere. It's just not worth it. Bronze wool works well and any good marine store should have it in stock.

 

[sailtones]

Having worked on yachts that require both the ss and the brass to be always shining to the highest gleam, I can say that any light abrasive polish on the market will do the job. However, there is one more important element, it's grease, elbow grease on a regular basis. Only way to keep it clean, is to keep it clean.
Having said that, you can use the acidic type of product on rust streaked stainless or dull/green brass, but be super careful with the varnish, paint work or anything else that might come in contact with it.
If you want to use a acid based product, dont mess around, just mix up a solution of oxalic acid and water. Again, be careful with everything around that it may come is contact with!!
But although it will get the rust off no problem, it will not polish. Then its back to the light abrasive polish, soft cloth and elbow grease to make it shine!

 

[C lectric]

Although it has now been covered on this one I'll not leave it.
Do NOT use steel wool.
It is not ok almost anywhere on a boat.

Ron & Hop Car are dead on.

Steel wool will leave tiny bits all over the place including the decks. You may not be able to see them. When seawater, or any water, hits the specks they will rust and stain whatever the contact.

I learned this many years ago although I was lucky, it was at someone elses expense.
He was not happy.

There are lots of good suggestions here. Personally I'd start with a polish such as Flitz or a good chrome polish which do not use acids. Even a good wax, particularily the cleaner waxes, will do a good job.
If that isn't doing the job then try a stronger cleaner but only after trying the least nasty products.
Old tooth brushes work well for confined areas. I've got a situation where I'm going to buy an inexpensive electric tooth brush and try that. The old tooth brush is working but is SLOW, to slow.

If you have a lot to do a buffing wheel on a drill will help but even just applying a good dose of a cleaner or wax and then use a rag pulling on both ends and sawing back and forth can speed the process on larger pieces.

 

[BruceK]

Ron,Hopcar, C lectric, I respect you guys know your stuff, but I really did not see any aftermath from using the steel wool. Maybe I`m unobservant, maybe it`s because I did a final thorough Autosol polish, using cloth. And maybe I won`t do it again, just in case.

 

[rwidman]

........... Old tooth brushes work well for confined areas. I've got a situation where I'm going to buy an inexpensive electric tooth brush and try that. The old tooth brush is working but is SLOW, to slow.............

The beauty of the Spotless Stainless product is that it works without any mechanical action on your part. No toothbrushes, etc. I wouldn't think of using it on rails and bimini top supports, but as I posted above, if you have phillips screw heads with rust in the recess, or other intricate areas where rubbing or buffing is difficult, this is a greart product to use in these areas.

 

[Marin]

The only metal polish we have used on the boat is Meguiar's Metal Polish. Not claiming it's the best but it has never failed to remove rust stains or discoloration from the metal itself. So we've had no reason to investigate other products.

As for cleaning stains off the gelcoat of the boat we use Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. But if the stain is stubborn we use a mild rubbing compound. Both products require the cleaned area to be re-waxed.

 

[rwidman]

.......... As for cleaning stains off the gelcoat of the boat we use Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. But if the stain is stubborn we use a mild rubbing compound. Both products require the cleaned area to be re-waxed.

Both of these products are abrasive and wear the gelcoat. The acid based products will remove many stains from gelcoat without wearing it away and without any harm to the gelcoat.

Best plan is to use a product intended for and labelled for use on fiberglass. Use the mildest product that will do the job.

They remove wax as well.

 

[Downeaster]

Lilli Belle's ss stanchions are accumulating some surface rust. Is a polish/chemical the best way to remove it or a really fine grit paper? the cleats are loosing their shine as well.

Never sand SS.

This from a guy that owned a steel boat- go to the hardware store and buy some powdered oxalyic acid- the stuff you take stains out of your clothes. Mix 5:1 with water and spray on. wipe off. Top off with wax. Use the weakest mixture that will still take the rust off. This will cost you about 20% of what premixed rust removers will cost. Don't breathe in directly if you can help it.

 

[FF]

Ospho is a mild mixture of oxalyc acid and easy to find in any hardware store..

Mix the Ospho with liquid dish washing soap and use a mils Scotch Brite pad to scrub the bad spots.

Leave the mixture on the surface (the soap dries and keeps the Ospho in place) for a half hour (not critical all day is fine) and repeat scrubbing again.

If the stanchons can easily be removed it is possible to "electro polish" the surface .

The Chinese didn't bother , so simple wheel buffing polishing can be done to match the stock shine.

Most folks learn to love the no rust slightly polished surface of mild Scotch Brite.

 

[rwidman]

On a related topic, if instead of rust, there are some defects in a stainless steel rail because it got hit with something or a clamp was put there but later removed, what are the ways to best "repair" the rail to look as close to new as possible? These defects are beyond polishing.

 

[JD]

On a related topic, if instead of rust, there are some defects in a stainless steel rail because it got hit with something or a clamp was put there but later removed, what are the ways to best "repair" the rail to look as close to new as possible? These defects are beyond polishing.

Well this may be way expensive but a good welder that is really good with stainless could add metal to the damaged area and then grind and buff it to a new finish with no evidence of a repair. Or if need be cut and fit a new section right there on the boat.

We have a welder here in New Bern that has worked for Hatteras for 25+ years. He makes all of the stainless rails on the larger 70-85 foot Hatteras boats by hand. This is all done by hand with each section hand fitted. He can fit two pieces of stainless tubing together and lay a weld in that once he is done no one will be able to tell where the weld has been done.

Did I mention he is expensive.

 

[rwidman]

Well this may be way expensive but a good welder that is really good with stainless could add metal to the damaged area and then grind and buff it to a new finish with no evidence of a repair. Or if need be cut and fit a new section right there on the boat.

We have a welder here in New Bern that has worked for Hatteras for 25+ years. He makes all of the stainless rails on the larger 70-85 foot Hatteras boats by hand. This is all done by hand with each section hand fitted. He can fit two pieces of stainless tubing together and lay a weld in that once he is done no one will be able to tell where the weld has been done.

Did I mention he is expensive.

What I'm talking about isn't that extensive and certainly not worth a great deal of expense. It's just dings and marks that polishing cannot remove. Marks like if they were in wood or plastic could be sanded and blended with the surrounding surface.