POLISHING AND SHARKHIDING PONTOONS
Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2012 8:23 am
For those who are interested in polishing and Sharkhiding your pontoons, here is a step by step pictorial of when I did mine.
Start out getting the right tools and supplies. I called Clint at Flatwater to set me up with what I needed when I bought my Manitou in 2007. He can be contacted at 618.624.4091, look for his products at http://www.sharkhide.com/index.html
I bought 2 quarts of Sharkhide Protectant, 2 quarts of Cleaner and 1 can of polish. More than enough to do 2 boats, actually. I did both my old Manitou and my new Premier.
I used my 8" 3000 to 8000 RPM Sander/ Polisher and 5 buffing pads
1 gallon of Lacquer thinner
About 2 dozen old cotton rags and 1 roll of paper towels
600 and 1000 grit wet/dry sandpaper to sand out scratches
A brass chisel and a small dead blow hammer to knock of welding slag.
Masking tape, I used 2" wide
Plastic to cover the trailer.
My old red Manitou Hat to show off the shine and use as a guide to see the difference in my areas, done. (Waiting for my Premier hat)
Start out by removing any prior protectant by washing the pontoons off with laqcuer thinner poured into a rag. If any protectorant is on, you'll see it dissolve. Get it all off, or the Cleaner won't attack the aluminum, which is what you want it to do.
Next, when drying the pontoon off you can feel any slag which was splattered on the pontonn during the welding process. Remove this with a soft tap on a chisel with a hammer I could even just use my hand in most cases. Wetsand the rest off and any scratches you want to remove. In my case, it was the bad scratches down the center of my pontoons from the previous owners docking technique. I don't think he had one!
Next, dry again. Then tape of all areas you are not going to treat and cover the trailer with plastic sheeting. Tp protect them from the acid and polishing compound.
Get ready to clean...
Dilute the Sharkhide Cleaner to strength needed. I diluted mine 3 parts water to 1 part cleaner. In a garden sprayer or spray bottle.
Spray on the cleaner, evenly, let it foam up. After about 3 minutes of working time, I rinsed it off with water. Leaving behing a nice white finish, that will let the polishing compound do its job, easier.
Polish time! Working in about a 3 foot section, I started at the top of the pontoon and worked my way down to the the masking tape line at the trailer bunk. Moving the polisher in an "S" pattern. Clean excess compound from the pad when it builds up and bites hard. Add more compound to the pontoon when it seems like it does not bite any more. You want it to bite into the aluminum and work good. Clean the pontoon as you finish up that section with lacquer thinner.
Go to the next section and repeat all the steps until you are done with that pontoon.
After finishing the polishing. Wash the pontoon off with lacquer thinner to remove all the compound. You must remove it all. Use white rags or paper towels and do it until you get no black residue on the rags. This is clean. Otherwise the Sharkhide will not stick to the aluminum.
After you are done, its time to put on the Protectant. It does not take much! Using a clean rag. Fold it to the size of your palm. Pour alittle Protectant to the front of the rag and wipe it on in sections about 6 foot long. I found that working in a right to left, drop under the first swipe and going left to right. Re-applying and repeating that motion, worked the best for me. I did miss a few small spots, but after the first coat cures, in about 24 to 36 hours, you apply the 2nd coat, you can catch all the spots, missed. Don't try to apply to missed spots when it is still wet, it will dissolve the first application and look splotchy. After the second coat is on, you can either stop there or apply a third. I did 2 coats on the Manitou and 3 on my Premier. I still have 1 Quart of Protectant and Cleaner, and about 1/4 can of the polish left over for future touch ups or my next boat.
The stuff lasts forever, will not rub off from the trailering or fenders rubbing on the pontoons.
If any one has any questions or comment, contact me at sales@ezfender.com or Clint at sharkhide@peaknet.net
I know he will be glad to help you out.
Clint or JT, since you are doing yours, if you have anything to add, feel free to!
Hope this helps everyone out!
Bryan
Start out getting the right tools and supplies. I called Clint at Flatwater to set me up with what I needed when I bought my Manitou in 2007. He can be contacted at 618.624.4091, look for his products at http://www.sharkhide.com/index.html
I bought 2 quarts of Sharkhide Protectant, 2 quarts of Cleaner and 1 can of polish. More than enough to do 2 boats, actually. I did both my old Manitou and my new Premier.
I used my 8" 3000 to 8000 RPM Sander/ Polisher and 5 buffing pads
1 gallon of Lacquer thinner
About 2 dozen old cotton rags and 1 roll of paper towels
600 and 1000 grit wet/dry sandpaper to sand out scratches
A brass chisel and a small dead blow hammer to knock of welding slag.
Masking tape, I used 2" wide
Plastic to cover the trailer.
My old red Manitou Hat to show off the shine and use as a guide to see the difference in my areas, done. (Waiting for my Premier hat)
Start out by removing any prior protectant by washing the pontoons off with laqcuer thinner poured into a rag. If any protectorant is on, you'll see it dissolve. Get it all off, or the Cleaner won't attack the aluminum, which is what you want it to do.
Next, when drying the pontoon off you can feel any slag which was splattered on the pontonn during the welding process. Remove this with a soft tap on a chisel with a hammer I could even just use my hand in most cases. Wetsand the rest off and any scratches you want to remove. In my case, it was the bad scratches down the center of my pontoons from the previous owners docking technique. I don't think he had one!
Next, dry again. Then tape of all areas you are not going to treat and cover the trailer with plastic sheeting. Tp protect them from the acid and polishing compound.
Get ready to clean...
Dilute the Sharkhide Cleaner to strength needed. I diluted mine 3 parts water to 1 part cleaner. In a garden sprayer or spray bottle.
Spray on the cleaner, evenly, let it foam up. After about 3 minutes of working time, I rinsed it off with water. Leaving behing a nice white finish, that will let the polishing compound do its job, easier.
Polish time! Working in about a 3 foot section, I started at the top of the pontoon and worked my way down to the the masking tape line at the trailer bunk. Moving the polisher in an "S" pattern. Clean excess compound from the pad when it builds up and bites hard. Add more compound to the pontoon when it seems like it does not bite any more. You want it to bite into the aluminum and work good. Clean the pontoon as you finish up that section with lacquer thinner.
Go to the next section and repeat all the steps until you are done with that pontoon.
After finishing the polishing. Wash the pontoon off with lacquer thinner to remove all the compound. You must remove it all. Use white rags or paper towels and do it until you get no black residue on the rags. This is clean. Otherwise the Sharkhide will not stick to the aluminum.
After you are done, its time to put on the Protectant. It does not take much! Using a clean rag. Fold it to the size of your palm. Pour alittle Protectant to the front of the rag and wipe it on in sections about 6 foot long. I found that working in a right to left, drop under the first swipe and going left to right. Re-applying and repeating that motion, worked the best for me. I did miss a few small spots, but after the first coat cures, in about 24 to 36 hours, you apply the 2nd coat, you can catch all the spots, missed. Don't try to apply to missed spots when it is still wet, it will dissolve the first application and look splotchy. After the second coat is on, you can either stop there or apply a third. I did 2 coats on the Manitou and 3 on my Premier. I still have 1 Quart of Protectant and Cleaner, and about 1/4 can of the polish left over for future touch ups or my next boat.
The stuff lasts forever, will not rub off from the trailering or fenders rubbing on the pontoons.
If any one has any questions or comment, contact me at sales@ezfender.com or Clint at sharkhide@peaknet.net
I know he will be glad to help you out.
Clint or JT, since you are doing yours, if you have anything to add, feel free to!
Hope this helps everyone out!
Bryan
Soon as your done there mine need to be done too. You do the polishing and I'll buy the beer. 
