CLEAN YOUR PONTOONS - How to Acid Wash Pontoons

[@larrypapciak5409]

Do the pontoons need to be sealed or polished after using the aluminum brightener?

[@tomspontoons]

You could seal them with a product like Shark Hyde after, but they’ll eventually need another acid wash or polish. Removing the sealant would make it even more challenging the second time.

[@austinphibbs6827]

Thanks, Tom! I am planning to clean my boat, but I wasn't sure about the steps that I needed to be completed. Thank you for the run down!

[@tomspontoons]

Been meaning to make this video for a while. I don't do a ton of acid washing, but this customer requested it so we went ahead and took care of it while it was torn down. They're super happy with the result and the price is a fraction of what having someone polish them would be (only to fade back to dull oxidized aluminum within a couple years anyway).

[@RandomlyAwkward1]

The video looks great Tom! Nice voiceover too… I was considering taking the anti-fouling paint off of my pontoons, but I’m afraid it’s plugging a bunch of holes!

[@tomspontoons]

@@RandomlyAwkward1 Thanks! I still need to get that microphone setup if I'm going to do more voice over stuff. Sitting there using my computer microphone isn't exactly ideal! If I lived down south I would 100% keep any anti-fouling paint on the aluminum, unless I was removing it to replace it with fresh paint. Or just clean it up, scuff it well, and paint over top of the old if you're confident there are pin holes or corrosion pitting happening. It's not something I'm versed in as we don't do anything like that way up here in the fresh water.

[@Jason.F.]

Another great informative video, thanks man!

[@tomspontoons]

Thanks for watching and leaving a comment too!

Thanks Tom! Your videos have given me the courage to tackle my own renovation! Thank you for taking the time to put the content out there for us. Any suggestions for removing AF paint from toons? The boat I purchased came with 3 layers! Thanks again for all your hard work.

[@tomspontoons]

That's the best feedback I can ever hope to get....giving people the tricks of the trade and passing along my knowledge and experiences to give the confidence to tackle things yourself at home. I've never dealt with AF paint as we're up in freshwater here in Michigan. I've only ever seen it sand blasted off of boats. That's one of those items that might be worth pricing out from the pros to be sure it's done correctly if you plan to continue using it in saltwater.

[@danielboltz3635]

I started by presure washing the grime off, then used the NAPA aluminum brightener and it’s not removing the scale or very well. Spent 2 hours on one side of a toon and it still has scale. It also doesn’t sud up like a soap except on the bare aluminum. Tried scrubbing to no avail. What else could be done to help remove the scale? Some sites say to never use muratic acid as it will damage the aluminum. Thanks

[@tomspontoons]

I would use muriatic acid at that point to eat away at the scale. We've used muriatic acid on pontoons and outboards for decades. As long as you get the acid rinsed off it should not cause any issues to the aluminum. Saltwater and electrolysis pose a much greater threat to the aluminum and cleaning with acid if rinsed well after. It's usually the trailer bunk carpet that is a bigger concern as that's harder to rinse off with the pontoon sitting on it.

[@DrJeffM]

how would you adjust for bunk style trailers? my pontoon is the trailer and I want to do this and maybe polish them in the off season.

[@tomspontoons]

Ideally rent a center lift trailer for the weekend and do this on a center lift trailer. If you do this on a bunk trailer you've got to get it rinsed exceptionally well when you're done to prevent the acid from eating away at the trailer and bunks.

[@jasonworkman4660]

Was always wondering do you clean the toons and chassis before starting rebuilds?

[@tomspontoons]

Actually this is a rare thing for us. This boat was getting literally every option, and it wasn’t a bad scale build up so I agreed to tackle it while it was stripped down. Glad I did, it really made it look nice!! And it’s WAY less expensive than paying someone to polish them (I DO NOT POLISH TOONS!!)

[@brimarkkroese1900]

Where can i get intouch ? For restoring my pontoon

[@tomspontoons]

www.tomstoons.com

[@WnYFella]

Hey guys I've been soaking up your content, and y'all Rock! Question for you. I recently bought a lower end pontoon boat. It is 16 yrs old and sat on trailer most all of its life. While giving it my 1st washdown I've noticed aluminum rust (oxidation) this you can feel as I run my hand across the toon. How do you recommend I approach this? Thanks Mike

[@tomspontoons]

Thanks for watching and for the kind words! Is it pitting like corrosion? You could try an acid product like this brightener in a small spot that can't be seen easily to see if that helps. I wouldn't want to sand them...that leads to polishing and all sorts of not-fun!

[@WnYFella]

Yes pitting is white oxidation I call it aluminum rust. I will try acid wash. So how do you protect against it coming back? Thanks again!

[@tomspontoons]

@@WnYFellait shouldn’t happen if you’re in freshwater unless you towed it on a salty winter day. You should be able to get it cleaned off and then use an aluminum protectant like Shark Hide.