Aluminum Bracket Painting

whale

whale

Junior Member
I need to paint the aluminum bracket that my motor sits on. What is the best economical way to do this? Last year at the end of the season it was coated in a double layer of barnicles and I could see my speed had dropped off several mph.

Do I prime with an appropriate primer and then use the same bottom paint as the hull? What kind of primer etc?

Thanks!
 
You can check out the Pettit or Interlux websites for the right type of antifouling paint. I am pretty certain you need a different type of bottom paint for aluminum than is used on fiberglass.
 
Defender is having the annual Warehouse Sale this weekend. they usually have mfg reps there also and the paint mfg reps have also been there. Also - The prices are a little cheaper this weekend also. I'll be there on Sat
 
Stinky_Hooker said:
Get it powder coated and be done with it...i had one done here with a platform for like 150-200. Money well spent. :beer:
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Wouldn't I have to remove it then to powdercoat?

Carl, I am out of town this weekend but thinking of swinging by Defender today...
 
Powdercoat is nice, but even it has weakness's. The biggest killer of the aluminum is it being unbonded and in contact with the water. If it is completely encased then this isn't an issue. One chip though and it WILL begin corroding and the powdercoat will come off. The only way to properly paint it would be to remove it and have it media blasted, then prime it in a ZINC CHROMATE etching primer and follow up with a hard epoxy paint. Don't forget the inside of the bracket as well as electrolisis doesn't care where it begins, it will attack any exposed metal. I would also find a way to bond the bracket to the engines anodes or add an anode to it. This will do ALOT for preventing corrosion. Also check with large marinas as they have special anti-foulant paints for large ships that are aluminum.
 
THEFERMANATOR said:
Powdercoat is nice, but even it has weakness's. The biggest killer of the aluminum is it being unbonded and in contact with the water. If it is completely encased then this isn't an issue. One chip though and it WILL begin corroding and the powdercoat will come off. The only way to properly paint it would be to remove it and have it media blasted, then prime it in a ZINC CHROMATE etching primer and follow up with a hard epoxy paint. Don't forget the inside of the bracket as well as electrolisis doesn't care where it begins, it will attack any exposed metal. I would also find a way to bond the bracket to the engines anodes or add an anode to it. This will do ALOT for preventing corrosion. Also check with large marinas as they have special anti-foulant paints for large ships that are aluminum.
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It does have a zinc on it so that is good....
 
whale said:
It does have a zinc on it so that is good....
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Take special note of TF's note to use special anti-fouling on your aluminum bracket. The stuff typically used on fiberglass hulls is loaded with copper as the active ingredient. Copper and aluminum are at opposite ends of the nobility scale....contact with copper will quickly turn the aluminum into dust in salt water.
 
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