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Post by gimp0918 on Feb 25, 2015 20:04:10 GMT -5
Well, I'm back looking for some technical assistance. I'm refurbishing the bright work on my '60 center deck. I found a good "how to" restore cast aluminum on an automotive forum that instructed me to use progressively finer grits of dry sand paper (40 thru 220), then switching to finer grits of wet sand paper. I finish up with a buff using red Turtle Shell rubbing compound followed by another buff with white Turtle Shell compound. I've had good results overall but have trouble removing pitting on parts (such as the hand rail ends and rub rail ends)that have cast-in contours and the pitting runs along the margins of the contours. I've tried using some appliances in a Dremel accessory kit and had some success with an 80 grit flap wheel it contained. However, I still couldn't get into the contour. Might someone know of a piece of equipment either for the Dremel, a power drill, or grinding/buffing wheel that they've used? Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated - as always.
Doug |
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Post by Bandit on Feb 26, 2015 17:38:48 GMT -5
Hey Doug, I spent many weeks polishing all of my G3 aluminum trim, and I got pretty good at it. I used a bench grinder, where I replaced one of the wheels with a buffing wheel. I used the standard polish (Black, white and brown), where the black was the most course and used it first. Then followed by white. In most cases white was as fine as I needed. The brown is finer, and I used that on some of the pieces. For the rub rails, grab handle tubes, and sponson rails... these pieces are anodized, so you have to remove the anodizing before they can be polished. I made a bath out of plastic sheet (big enough to hold the rub rail alum., and mixed up some drain-o in hot water. I soaked the pieces in the mix for about 20 minutes and it dissolved the coating... then I buffed up those pieces. The rub and sponson rail had lots of dings in it, so I sanded them before polishing. I started with 220 grit dry, hand sanded the dings... then i moved to a vibrating palm sander with 400 grit to sand it smooth. after that, it went to the buffing. On the rub rails, I managed to get some 4" wheels for my angle grinder, and buffed with black then white polishing compound. Have to be really careful because of the high speed. When I got all done, I coated all the freshly polished aluminum with Penetrol. Don't use any clearcoat, it looks like crap in a short time (I've seen others who had tried this). The Penetrol is cheap, available at your local hardware/paint store... and goes on with a rag. 4 years later, my aluminum is still as shiney as it was when I got done with it. Attachment DeletedBTW: The starburst emblem is made of zinc or something... it doesnt buff out, just turns black... I just just polished mine by hand. Dean |
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Post by johnp on Feb 27, 2015 16:13:01 GMT -5
Doug:
Like Dean, we used an upright polisher for all the metal and aluminum on our 1960 G-3. I found a very good metal polish at "Auto Zone"
called "BILLET" Polish made by "Mothers." I have to say that it is THE BEST polish I have ever used. It is somewhat expensive but works very, very well.
On our rubrails going down the sponson, we took off the anodizing and then had them powdercoated by a local shop and they also came out great.
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Post by gimp0918 on Feb 27, 2015 17:51:14 GMT -5
Thanks John and Dean. I didn't know about dissolving the anodizing. I've just been wire wheeling it off. It does the trick but I suspect it takes off surface aluminum and is causing the pebbly surface I see. I'll do the soak on the next piece and see if it's different. Thanks again.
Doug
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Post by Bandit on Feb 27, 2015 21:52:20 GMT -5
Just Google it, you will find the proper mix strength. Do it outside, as it gives off hydrogen gas! A boom wouldn't be fun!
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Post by 16again on Aug 15, 2015 15:59:19 GMT -5
Before polishing the rub rail I need to remove them from my 59. Removed all the rivets but still cannot move the rub rail. Appears to be inserted between deck and hull as opposed merely sandwiched. I don't want to completely separate the two halves of the boat just get the rub rail off for polishing if that's possible. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks Jack |
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Post by downunder on Aug 18, 2015 9:40:01 GMT -5
Attachment DeletedG'day Jack, Above is a drawing (A) of the (original factory fitted) rub rail section on my '59 G3, and I expect yours is the same, unless it has been replaced at some stage in its 56 year life with a different non-original extrusion. The rail is held in place to the deck (top moulding) by the "L" tongue. That is, the rub rail is secured to the deck before assembly over the hull moulding, therefore it will lift off still attached to the deck when all the securing rivets have been removed. Then you can remove the rub rail from the deck. If your deck has been separated in a previous renovation it may have been glued in place on re-assembly of the two halves, or even had fiberglass strips applied from inside, to the seam. I recall someone's G3 which was mysteriously getting water inside and it had a bog fillet applied as in drawing B and a non-factory rub rail fitted. The leak was subsequently found to enter via the sponson seam. To save you asking later, to get at the sponson seam you must remove the plywood fillet inside when the deck is off. It makes sense to ensure that seam is waterproof while you have the deck off – there is quite a discussion about this somewhere on the old forum.. Hope this helps, let us all know if you succeed and what you find. Good luck, Ken
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Post by 16again on Aug 18, 2015 11:51:33 GMT -5
Thanks Ken-
It is as I suspected. Hadn't really wanted to separate the boat but if the sponson's have a tendency to leak maybe I should rethink my original plan.
Thanks again
Jack
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Post by Bandit on Aug 19, 2015 11:28:02 GMT -5
Hey Ken,
Where do you come up with all these great G3 illustrations? Did you have your hands in the Tritt file drawers?
Its interesting, but my rub rail on my '59 was slightly different... it was basically shaped like your drawing, but your "L" had a lip that wrapped up and over the hull edge. The rub rail could be placed on the hull, then I could line up the rivet holes, and then set the deck on top of them, and it would support the deck before riveting it together. The 1" pop-rivets extended from the outer rub rail, through the hull and through the inner rub rail lip.
One other note I recall, when I took it apart... even though I carefully drilled all the seventy-some rivets out. The deck didn't want to come off easily. (this was the first time the deck ever was off the boat) I had planned to just lift it off... but noooooo... the old gal wasn't going to make it easy for me. The little bits of rivet that the drill didn't get, because they were not 100% on track with my drill bit... held the deck down. It took a lot of poking in the holes, wiggling and some light prying to get it to release. I had to work my way all around the boat, before she let go. There wasn't glue in the groove, but years of packed in crud that didn't help either.
One word of advice, (because I learned the hard way) when you rivet the deck back on... start at the bow and work your way down both sides of the boat at the same time... finishing at the transom. The first time, I just randomly picked a starting point and went around the boat. Things were not in good alignment when I got back to the start (rub rail didnt want to be tight against the hull), so I re-drilled them all out again... pulled the deck to clean out the shards from the RR groove, and started over. This time starting at the bow as I described, and it worked a whole lot better.
Dean
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Post by downunder on Aug 27, 2015 8:56:09 GMT -5
Dean, I make the drawings as I need them and happily make them available to G3 owners. There is very little available except the seat templates and Bill Tritt's patent drawings. I have my original G3 and a (sadly) modified G3 and I am in the process of bringing the 'modified' boat back to where it should be. I refer to my good G3. I believe there are only 6 or 7 G3s in Australia and I have two of them. Or should I say 1-3/4 (!?!) The modifications on the sad-one included having the curved transom cut out and a flat transom grafted in place so I needed to know the curve – hence the plan showing the transom radius. The rub rail had been removed completely and in my search for a suitable local replacement I had to know the size & section of the original. Yes I did find something which is very close in external appearance and size and I have it here waiting. Only a genuine G3 owner would ever spot the difference. The end caps and bow fittings will slip on with very minor modification And so it goes … Interesting that your rub rail has an inner lip. From your description I have modified my drawing to illustrate your description. Is this drawing close? Cheers, Ken Attachment Deleted |
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mike
Ensign
Posts: 7
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Post by mike on Feb 15, 2020 23:22:24 GMT -5
image C is how mine looks as well. Has an upper lip that hangs over where the rivet goes through as well
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