How to Protect the Bottom of an Aluminum Boat
Protecting the bottom of an aluminum boat can be as easy as protecting the bed of a pickup truck and uses the same material that is used for truck bed liners. The process takes up to five hours from start to finish, and the coating can be applied to the bottom of the boat with paint rollers or a paint brush. It does require some work with volatile chemicals, so the coating should not be done in a garage, unless the garage is very well ventilated.
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Things You'll Need
- Paint roller
- Paint pan
- Paint "mixing sticks" (available at any paint or discount store)
- Liquid truck-bed liner kit
- #120 grit sandpaper
- Palm sander
- Acetone (for surface prep)
- Rubber (not latex) gloves
- Assorted rags
- Safety glasses
Instructions
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Wipe the bottom of the boat with rags soaked in acetone. Wear rubber (not latex) gloves and safety glasses while preparing the surface. The surface must be completely clean for the liner material to dry correctly and adhere properly to the bottom. Sand the bottom with the palm sander and wipe clean with acetone-soaked rags to remove sanding dust.
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Thin the bed liner according to the directions for the particular bed liner. Most bed liners require you to add a thinner. Some recommend xylene, like Herculiner; others, like Gravitex, require dilution with proprietary chemicals.
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3
Paint the bottom of the boat by pouring some of the diluted bed liner into your paint pan and apply the paint with the paint roller as if you were applying a coat of paint to the bottom of the boat. When the first coat of bed liner has dried until it's tacky, apply a second coat.
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Allow the bed-liner to dry completely before using your boat. Drying will usually take four to six days.
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