View Single Post
Old 04-02-2017, 09:18 PM   #10
DHeckrotte
Guru
 
DHeckrotte's Avatar
 
City: Philadelphia, PA
Vessel Name: Revel
Vessel Model: 1984 Fu Hwa 39
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 1,024
Well, then Lunasea, just scrape the worst of the mess off the aluminum and touch-up paint it dull black. Some time down through the years, the SS screws may cause enough corrosion in the aluminum to pull out. Replace 'em as necessary with larger ones gooped up with sealant. I've painted silver anodized aluminum with ordinary aluminum paint; looked fine (even where the paint was adjacent to the anodized surface). I've painted a previously painted aluminum mast where corrosion was creeping out from under (non-life-threatening) fittings using Procon Primer and Brightside Polyurethane; still giving good service after about 10 years.

You'll lose nothing but the effort. You'll always be able to bite the bullet later and replace the rubrails with something less subject to corrosion. It won't come apart happily now or later and you'll just do the demolition with a cut-off wheel in an angle grinder.
DHeckrotte is offline   Reply With Quote