Painting Anodized Aluminum Mast

Has the mast been painted before.

Painting anodized aluminum mast. How do i paint my anodized aluminum mast. Any alternatives to painting. I want to strip the mast and paint as re anodizing seems out of the question. Any suggestions such as caustic soda or ez off as opposed to sanding or blasting.

Rinse away all of the soap or you will have trouble with adhesion. However if you need to paint over anodized aluminum there are a couple of preparation techniques you can employ that will allow you to achieve an attractive long lasting finish. It doesn t matter what you do to get the surface bare chemically or mechanically because it immediately begins to reform oxide to protect itself. If not make sure you use an etching primer on the aluminum or the paint will not stick properly.

If you skip this step the paint will fail at the hardware interfaces within a couple of years. Aluminum sailboat mast refinishing. Anodized aluminum is a specific type of metal used for items in the home and on vehicles. Why the need to paint.

If damage does occur make your repairs quickly. In terms of prevention bed each and every piece of hardware from individual fasteners to mast steps tracks and compass bases where they interface with. In your own home you may have anodized aluminum windows or even pans made from the material. Anodizing is the best possible surface for paint adhesion.

Restoring the pieces is a process that involves harsh chemicals but refinishing the pieces is a completely different process. It is difficult to paint over anodizing. If you plan on raising and lowering your mast a lot for trailering i would consider a two part paint which will give a much tougher finish which would be more scratch resistant. Therefore if you have painted aluminum hardware on board and nearly every boat does the best approach is to prevent damage to the paint.

You can achieve professional looking results if you paint it yourself as long as you properly prepare the aluminum for painting and set aside adequate time to complete the job. Apply one coat of interprotect 2000e thinned 15 20 with 2316n reducing solvent. No special primers or anything like that normally associated with painting aluminum is required. Step 1 clean the surface of the anodized aluminum using water dish soap and a coarse brush.

If you have the funds to hand the project to a pro you could have the mast re anodized. Bare aluminum is highly reactive with air. If it is in very poor shape remove it before painting. Hiring a professional to paint your aluminum sailboat mast can be very expensive especially if you have a large sailboat.

Then give it a heavy sanding using 60 or 80 grit sandpaper.