Cleaning and refinishing alum mast steps
 

I have a bunch of folding mast steps - the kind made from 2 cast alum
pieces. I took them off the mast before I repainted it with LP - now
I'd like to clean them up and put them back. They're uncoated alum so
have a white powdery dusty feel to them now. What to do with them ??
-----------------
www.Newsgroup-Binaries.com - *Completion*Retention*Speed*
Access your favorite newsgroups from home or on the road
-----------------

Cleaning and refinishing alum mast steps
 

wrote:
I have a bunch of folding mast steps - the kind made from 2 cast alum
pieces. I took them off the mast before I repainted it with LP - now
I'd like to clean them up and put them back. They're uncoated alum so
have a white powdery dusty feel to them now. What to do with them ??
-----------------
www.Newsgroup-Binaries.com - *Completion*Retention*Speed*
Access your favorite newsgroups from home or on the road
-----------------

Cleaning and refinishing alum mast steps
 

On Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:03:43 -0700, wrote:

I have a bunch of folding mast steps - the kind made from 2 cast alum
pieces. I took them off the mast before I repainted it with LP - now
I'd like to clean them up and put them back. They're uncoated alum so
have a white powdery dusty feel to them now. What to do with them ??

Can you get them primed and painted with 2 part LP also ? If not you
could try spraying them with Boeshield T9 or Corrosion-X once in a
while.

http://www.amazon.com/tag/boeshield

http://www.corrosionx.com/

Cleaning and refinishing alum mast steps
 

On 2008-11-20 00:03:29 -0500, Wayne.B said:

On Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:03:43 -0700, wrote:

I have a bunch of folding mast steps - the kind made from 2 cast alum
pieces. I took them off the mast before I repainted it with LP - now
I'd like to clean them up and put them back. They're uncoated alum so
have a white powdery dusty feel to them now. What to do with them ??

Can you get them primed and painted with 2 part LP also ? If not you
could try spraying them with Boeshield T9 or Corrosion-X once in a
while.

http://www.amazon.com/tag/boeshield

http://www.corrosionx.com/

Another thought that looked interesting. Somewhere recently, I saw a
DIY powder-coating that might do the trick. Friends had their frame
done professionally and liked the results. What I recall of the process
reminds me of a fired ceramic finish: Very tough and thick.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-à-Deux -- Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD
Xan's pages: http://web.mac.com/jerelull/iWeb/Xan/
Our BVI trips & tips: http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

Cleaning and refinishing alum mast steps
 

On Thu, 20 Nov 2008 05:16:44 GMT, Jere Lull wrote:

Another thought that looked interesting. Somewhere recently, I saw a
DIY powder-coating that might do the trick. Friends had their frame
done professionally and liked the results. What I recall of the process
reminds me of a fired ceramic finish: Very tough and thick.

Do you have more information on the DIY powder-coating? I've got a
few things I'd like to try it on.

Cleaning and refinishing alum mast steps
 

"Jere Lull" wrote in message
news:2008112000164450073-jerelull@maccom...
On 2008-11-20 00:03:29 -0500, Wayne.B
said:

On Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:03:43 -0700, wrote:

I have a bunch of folding mast steps - the kind made from 2 cast alum
pieces. I took them off the mast before I repainted it with LP - now
I'd like to clean them up and put them back. They're uncoated alum so
have a white powdery dusty feel to them now. What to do with them ??

Can you get them primed and painted with 2 part LP also ? If not you
could try spraying them with Boeshield T9 or Corrosion-X once in a
while.

http://www.amazon.com/tag/boeshield

http://www.corrosionx.com/

Another thought that looked interesting. Somewhere recently, I saw a DIY
powder-coating that might do the trick. Friends had their frame done
professionally and liked the results. What I recall of the process reminds
me of a fired ceramic finish: Very tough and thick.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-à-Deux -- Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD
Xan's pages: http://web.mac.com/jerelull/iWeb/Xan/
Our BVI trips & tips: http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/



Used this on patio furniture... amazing stuff. It's possible to chip it,
however.


--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

Cleaning and refinishing alum mast steps
 

On Thu, 20 Nov 2008 00:23:30 -0500, Wayne.B
wrote:

On Thu, 20 Nov 2008 05:16:44 GMT, Jere Lull wrote:

Another thought that looked interesting. Somewhere recently, I saw a
DIY powder-coating that might do the trick. Friends had their frame
done professionally and liked the results. What I recall of the process
reminds me of a fired ceramic finish: Very tough and thick.

Do you have more information on the DIY powder-coating? I've got a
few things I'd like to try it on.

Try http://www.powdercoatingonline.com/h...dercorner.html for
basic information.

Apparently it is do-able in a standard oven but the devil is in the
preparation and applying the coating.
Cheers,

Bruce
(bruceinbangkokatgmaildotcom)

Cleaning and refinishing alum mast steps
 

Bruce in Bangkok wrote:
On Thu, 20 Nov 2008 00:23:30 -0500, Wayne.B
wrote:


On Thu, 20 Nov 2008 05:16:44 GMT, Jere Lull wrote:


Another thought that looked interesting. Somewhere recently, I saw a
DIY powder-coating that might do the trick. Friends had their frame
done professionally and liked the results. What I recall of the process
reminds me of a fired ceramic finish: Very tough and thick.

Do you have more information on the DIY powder-coating? I've got a
few things I'd like to try it on.


Try http://www.powdercoatingonline.com/h...dercorner.html for
basic information.

Apparently it is do-able in a standard oven but the devil is in the
preparation and applying the coating.
Cheers,

Bruce
(bruceinbangkokatgmaildotcom)


I would think about it carefully before deciding to powder coat a mast.

Besides the simple logistics of an oven large enough, the issuese of
weight aloft and the coating chipping due to mast flex would be stoppers.

Best protection for aluminum is a two part primer followed by a topcoat.

I've always had good sucess with Randoplate or EpiBond for the prime
coat. Tehn paint as desired.

It's lighter, won't crack or chip, won't have little divits where the
coating didn't stick, and is most likely a LOT cheaper.

For what it's worth...


--

Richard

(remove the X to email)

Cleaning and refinishing alum mast steps
 

On 2008-11-20 00:23:30 -0500, Wayne.B said:

On Thu, 20 Nov 2008 05:16:44 GMT, Jere Lull wrote:

Another thought that looked interesting. Somewhere recently, I saw a
DIY powder-coating that might do the trick. Friends had their frame
done professionally and liked the results. What I recall of the process
reminds me of a fired ceramic finish: Very tough and thick.

Do you have more information on the DIY powder-coating? I've got a
few things I'd like to try it on.

Hope someone else saw it. As I recall, it was an ad from somewhere.

When I googled powder coat paint, the Northern Industrial in the link
below seemed to be similar to what I remember, and there were some
other interesting links. Sorry that it probably wraps 7 times....

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/NTESearch?storeId=6970&in_dym=1&Nty=1&D=than&Ntx=m ode+matchallpartial&N=0&Ntk=All&Ntt=powder%20coat& cmnosearch=PPC&cm_ven=PPC&cm_cat=I-search%20(Google%20Adwords)&cm_pla=nt_misc&cm_ite= powdercoat

--


Jere Lull
Xan-à-Deux -- Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD
Xan's pages: http://web.mac.com/jerelull/iWeb/Xan/
Our BVI trips & tips: http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

Cleaning and refinishing alum mast steps
 

On 2008-11-20 03:14:37 -0500, Bruce in Bangkok
said:

On Thu, 20 Nov 2008 00:23:30 -0500, Wayne.B
wrote:

On Thu, 20 Nov 2008 05:16:44 GMT, Jere Lull wrote:

Another thought that looked interesting. Somewhere recently, I saw a
DIY powder-coating that might do the trick. Friends had their frame
done professionally and liked the results. What I recall of the process
reminds me of a fired ceramic finish: Very tough and thick.

Do you have more information on the DIY powder-coating? I've got a
few things I'd like to try it on.

Try http://www.powdercoatingonline.com/h...dercorner.html for
basic information.

Apparently it is do-able in a standard oven but the devil is in the
preparation and applying the coating.
Cheers,

The finishing devil is *always* in the details. I used to spray lacquer
and was twice as productive by spending 5-10% more time on preps.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-à-Deux -- Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD
Xan's pages: http://web.mac.com/jerelull/iWeb/Xan/
Our BVI trips & tips: http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

Cleaning and refinishing alum mast steps
 

wrote in message
...
I have a bunch of folding mast steps - the kind made from 2 cast alum
pieces. I took them off the mast before I repainted it with LP - now
I'd like to clean them up and put them back. They're uncoated alum so
have a white powdery dusty feel to them now. What to do with them ??
-----------------
www.Newsgroup-Binaries.com - *Completion*Retention*Speed*
Access your favorite newsgroups from home or on the road
-----------------


What you should do is get them bead blasted. (using glass beads) This will
remove all the oxidation. Them get them anodized. End of problem. However,
you will find that doing this will probably end up costing you about the
same as just purchasing new ones. I believe they cost around 28 bucks a
piece new. My recommendation - purchase new ones.

Or, best of all - do nothing at all as the white powder looking stuff is a
good coating in and of itself.

Wilbur Hubbard

Cleaning and refinishing alum mast steps
 

In article , cavelamb himself wrote:

I would think about it carefully before deciding to powder coat a mast.

Besides the simple logistics of an oven large enough, the issuese of
weight aloft and the coating chipping due to mast flex would be stoppers.

Best protection for aluminum is a two part primer followed by a topcoat.

I've always had good sucess with Randoplate or EpiBond for the prime
coat. Tehn paint as desired.

It's lighter, won't crack or chip, won't have little divits where the
coating didn't stick, and is most likely a LOT cheaper.

For what it's worth...

The OP wasn't talking about powder coating a mast, only the 2-part cast
aluminium mast steps that are bolted to the mast.

Justin.

--
Justin C, by the sea.

Cleaning and refinishing alum mast steps
 

Justin C wrote:
In article , cavelamb himself wrote:

I would think about it carefully before deciding to powder coat a mast.

Besides the simple logistics of an oven large enough, the issuese of
weight aloft and the coating chipping due to mast flex would be stoppers.

Best protection for aluminum is a two part primer followed by a topcoat.

I've always had good sucess with Randoplate or EpiBond for the prime
coat. Tehn paint as desired.

It's lighter, won't crack or chip, won't have little divits where the
coating didn't stick, and is most likely a LOT cheaper.

For what it's worth...


The OP wasn't talking about powder coating a mast, only the 2-part cast
aluminium mast steps that are bolted to the mast.

Justin.


Sorry all, I missed that. But I'll stick to my choice for aluminum
protection.

I've had serious trouble glass bead blasting epibond off of metals.

Gooooo-oood stuff!

--

Richard

(remove the X to email)

The democracy will cease to exist when you
take away from those who are willing to work
and give to those who would not.

Thomas Jefferson

Cleaning and refinishing alum mast steps
 

Aluthane http://www.epoxyproducts.com/aluthane.html

Gordon

Cleaning and refinishing alum mast steps
 

There have been a lot of replies to this thread, but I would like to offer
two thoughts of interest. First the best, cheapest, durable and most
attractive solution is professional powder coat. It makes no sense to do
this at home because it is not less expensive and unless you have made the
seriously expensive investment in preparation tools and equipment, it won't
be as good. The cost of professional end to end powder coating is less than
the cost of high quality paint ignoring your time and labor. Secondly, if
the corrosion in the aluminum is pitted and then professionally bead
blasted alone any new coating, including powdercoat will fail because of
salt deposits within the crevices of the corrosion. This problem can be so
severe that placing a virgin piece of aluminum on top of this corroded and
prepared piece will cause the virgin piece to start to corrode within hours
of intimate contact. The only solution to this problem that I have found
that I know works is thoroughly wash the prepared piece after beadblasting
with vinegar, then flush with fresh water. This appears to effectively
neutralize any residual salts.
Steve

wrote in message
...
I have a bunch of folding mast steps - the kind made from 2 cast alum
pieces. I took them off the mast before I repainted it with LP - now
I'd like to clean them up and put them back. They're uncoated alum so
have a white powdery dusty feel to them now. What to do with them ??
-----------------
www.Newsgroup-Binaries.com - *Completion*Retention*Speed*
Access your favorite newsgroups from home or on the road
-----------------

Cleaning and refinishing alum mast steps
 

Here is another brand that has a link to the manual in PDF format.

http://www.harborfreightusa.com/usa/...ateg oryName=