Proper way to clean/restore mast and booms

P

pseudo15prt

New Member
I've searched on this site and the web but can't find any guide: what is the appropriate way to clean and restore the mast and booms on a Sunfish? I've read on other sites to be careful when sanding or you'll remove the anodized layer, but I'm not sure if the Sunfish mast was treated that way. Mine is old and rough-feeling, and I wanted to get it clean and reasonably polished. Is it OK to scrub with soap and water, then 400-grit wet-sand, then maybe a polishing compound? Or is all that too much effort for no real benefit?

Thanks,

Craig
 
Try some very fine steelwool with a little mineral spirits. This will remove the "haze" and some of the stains.
There are some products available to clean aluminum spars but in my opinion, they don't work all that well.

Alan Glos
Cazenovia, NY
 
Remember the anodizing treatment on aluminum is very thin; remove any of it, and your sails will be blackened by the aluminum oxide you can expose by overdoing it.
 
Do a search on the web for "how to clean anodized aluminum mast" or "cleaning anodized aluminum" and then try the search again using the same tags as above but put "how to" in front of it. This will produce quite a number if ideas on resolving your problem and probably give you a couple of days reading - for what its worth. Just keep in mind that the real problem is caused by cracks/scratches in the anodized surface or a general breakdown of the anodized surface that was not thick enough in the beginning. Any treatment with abrasives will only make the problem worse in the future. There are a lot of suggestions out there but none that I could personally recommend. If the appearance is your prime concern then you may consider having the anodized surface removed, the aluminum acid washed and then powder coated. The nasty look of the parts have no effect on the strength or integrity of the spar.
 
Thanks all for your comments. I'm not as concerned about "looks" as about just getting it clean and not damaging the sail. It sounds like a good scrub with soap and water and maybe a slight abrasive is the best course. I DEFINITELY don't want my new sails blackened by aluminum oxide - yikes.
 
You may consider a few coats of wax to keep the moisture away from the aluminum. Try the wax on a small are before taking on the whole spar. Not sure this will help much but it may be better than nothing. Good luck - let us know how things turn out.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top