Tube Cleaning

[tuned]

There has been a ton of discussion both here and elsewhere concerning the various chemicals out there to eat that persistent green off of the tubes. I am trying to be thorough with info. Here is my experience as of yesterday:

After a lot of reading, I decided to pay the money (about $35) and got a gallon of ALUMINUM BRITE from Napa. Many folks have said that same formula can be gotten cheaper elsewhere. I have not done the full research on this, so I can't comment on that.

I have seen photos of people using it with a pair of shorts and shades. Coming from an industrial safety background, I am going to say that is unwise. Here is MY PPE:

The Tyvek suit even was a bit questionable, but it is slightly plastic coated to offer limited protection. I also had a helper on 'hose duty' in case of an accident, as well as to rinse.

I used a battery powered weed sprayer and decided to do 'worst first'. I got on the creeper and started in the middle of the boat (underneath) and VERY carefully worked my way outward.

Using the 3 foot wand and keeping all acid away from any possibility of dripping on me was a challenge. I would do about a quarter of the boat at a time(inside of tubes only). Within seconds, I could see nasty green slime literally RUNNING off the tubes!! Fairly healthy cloud of who knows what as well. My mask worked well, but my helper said that the odor was strong. I let it sit for five minutes or so, then had my helper hand the hose in for rinsing.

Decontamination was a high priority at all times. Rubber gloves with lots of hand rinsing. Wet paper towels to wipe exposed skin (just in case). No itches, no issues.

Once I got to the outside of the tubes, I used the last of my gallon of acid and got them a bit more thoroughly. It is hard to see from the pics, but it DID turn the tubes white as expected. I am told that this can then be buffed out nicely. As I was only concerned with the scum line and below, I didn't care what it looked like.

BEFORE


AFTER


Now that I had my carpeted trailer totally contaminated with acid (we rinsed as best we could), it was directly to the lake for one of my earliest launches ever! Normally the ice wouldn't even be out for a couple more weeks. A good trailer dunking completed the rinse cycle. Then it was off for a nice cruise (Al ran like a million bucks).
Tho I didn't find the main ice pack (BIG lake), we did find some remnants:

Aaand some pretty girls


Summarizing, I gained a bunch of speed with a clean hull. The beast is resting comfortably it dock and not a neighbor boat in sight. Wieners!

[teecro]

While a bit on the over dramatic side with the Haz Mat suit it's all good if your happy...

The NAPA Alum Brite may indeed be an acid it is very much on the mild side as I worked comfortably in shorts and sandals and even poured directly into a green scrubbie for some hand scrubbing on the tough spots with no ill affects or peeling of skin...

I work with bulk cement an alkaline and we use sulfamic as well as muriatic acid ordered by the pallet and have to say the NAPA is nothing compared...

Next go round I'll try the O'Reilly Alum Brite as it is listed at about half the price but it is supposed to be the same product...

[tuned]

While a bit on the over dramatic side with the Haz Mat suit it's all good if your happy...

The NAPA Alum Brite may indeed be an acid it is very much on the mild side as I worked comfortably in shorts and sandals and even poured directly into a green scrubbie for some hand scrubbing on the tough spots with no ill affects or peeling of skin...

I work with bulk cement an alkaline and we use sulfamic as well as muriatic acid ordered by the pallet and have to say the NAPA is nothing compared...

Next go round I'll try the O'Reilly Alum Brite as it is listed at about half the price but it is supposed to be the same product...

Thanks for the input, mate.

I had heard the same about O'Reilly. I'd want to compare ingredients and strengths tho.
As far as the suit is concerned, I have to respectfully disagree about overkill. The MSDS lists that stuff at a number 3 on the health hazard scale. 4 is as high as it goes. Perhaps your skin has been 'pre-alkalized' so the acid didn't get you. I ain't takin no chances. Even the suit is improper, but better than nothing. OSHA recommends full rubber for #3 health hazard and above. Remember that I was lying underneath that thingy, doing overhead work.
I think my damned company has finally succeeded in brainwashing me about this stuff. Drives my friends crazy, but at least they can still hear, see and breathe.

[teecro]

... I have to respectfully disagree about overkill. The MSDS lists that stuff at a number 3 on the health hazard scale. 4 is as high as it goes. Perhaps your skin has been 'pre-alkalized' so the acid didn't get you. I ain't takin no chances. Even the suit is improper, but better than nothing. OSHA recommends full rubber for #3 health hazard and above. Remember that I was lying underneath that thingy, doing overhead work.
I think my damned company has finally succeeded in brainwashing me about this stuff. Drives my friends crazy, but at least they can still hear, see and breathe.

And you can; that's what's so keen about freedom eh mate!

Perhaps I am a bit hard headed from 30 years of handling cement....

[tuned]

Perhaps I am a bit hard headed from 30 years of handling cement....

I think this is the part that got me---from the MSDS:
Contact is irritating and may cause unusual, large, pustular skin rash that appears similar to ballooning of the skin. Can cause serious burns; these burns do not appear serious at first, but may generate all the way to the bone.

I'm not sure which was worse, the word pustular or the 'burns to the bone' part.

This is an interesting discussion. Anyone ever get burned with this type of stuff?

[BoatCop]

I've found that a 50/50 (approx, no measuring) dilution of the NAPA cleaner with water does as good of a job as straight cleaner. I did my entire boat (22' Tracker w/25" pontoons) with a spray bottle. Only used about 1/3 of a gallon of the NAPA stuff.