Just cleaned my badly stained pontoons

Spoiledrotten

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I've used Scotchbrite pads on many things in the past, but never on aluminum pontoons..... mainly because I've never owned a pontoon boat before.

After working for several hours with dry elbows since all of my elbow grease was worn out, trying to get the stains off of the logs, it hit me that the scotchbrite pads would be much better than trying a rag and cleansers. Anyway, after rubbing with a SB pad, I still thought this was too much work. It hit me again! Why not get my little electric vibrating sander, put a SB pad on it, then just stroke the logs the way they were meant to be stroked; gentle and easy.

My wife had picked up some of that Bartenders Friend powder, so I got that with my hose and sander, and started to finish the job I started. It went like a cutting a piece of chocolate cake. I had that sander gliding over the toons, They were shining like new by the time I got through with the first one (about 15 mins for the outside of one).

I, then, moved to the second while the first was rinsed well and drying. I went back and applied a nice finishing coat of Lemon Pledge to help protect the metal from the elements on our next adventure.

This first shot is not showing how they looked before I spent a half of a day rubbing with everything I had to try to get the brown stains off, but you can imagine, and know how they get after spending time in a river fed reservoir.



Here's my sander and SB pad



And this is after a 15 minute run down the length of the toon.



And finished up with this

 
 
Here's a tip for you 3M makes three different grit pads RED being the most aggressive or course GREY being slightly less aggressive and WHITE being the least aggressive depending upon the amount of grain you like you can use these pads to either Remove scratches or simply touch up a aera Example if you toons have rubber fender polished marks a white pad will blend in the polished section real good. But it you need a small or light scuff removed try GREY and a scratch RED will do the trick then you can go back over it with what ever lighter grit pad to give your the grain or finish you like
 
Thanks, MrG! Good advice.
 
Nice job Spoiled Rotten!!! But let me make a quick suggestion........your newly cleaned/polished toons that you worked so hard on isn't going to be protected by the lemon Pledge. It looks nice and shiny and smells good but the first time you hit the water it's coming off.........

Look into a product called Sharkhide. Go to sharkhide.com and read about the metal protectant that will protect your pontoons for several years depending on use and water conditions where you are. If you have any questions the fine people on this forum that have applied it or have had it factory applied will be glad to answer them for you......
 
I took the boat out after a dose of Lemon Pledge. When I got home, the toons looked as good as when I finished working on them. I simply took a few minutes and applied a fresh coat. My next door neighbor has been using it on his bass boat for about 10 years, now. He swears by it, and his boat looks like he just pulled it off of the show room floor. I'll keep using his technique for a while to see how it does. Very pleased so far. 
 
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Good advice spoiled rotten
 
I have a new slx on order and when I asked my dealer about having shark  hide put on in the build as an option , he said it was not worth it. Now I've read many on here who swear by it. So is it something I should purchase and apply myself before putting it in the lake once I get my new boat? I applied for a slip in our lake, so hopefully it will be sitting in the water most of the summer.
 
I did the same thing.  I enquired about it when I ordered but the dealer didn't really recommend doing it.  I've since put it on myself.  It's not hard.  Basically just clean the new toons with lacquer thinner and apply the Sharkhide.  Just wipe it on with a cloth diaper.  Wait a day and apply another coat if desired.  I put two real good coats on the inside toons and about 4 coats on the outside.  It needs to be redone every few years depending on wear.
 
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Hornby, yes, put it on before it ever sees the water, in fact put it on as soon as possible. Aluminum oxidizes whether it is in the water or not, so get it on there soon!
 
Here is the problem of not having your dealer put it on.  They usually put it in the water for a test ride, once it comes out it sits and that new shine is now gone and adding sharkhide over that won't bring back the shine.  I could not fit between my tunes to put it on my middle toon, that was a nightmare.  I would tell dealership to do it, mine said they would do it for $400, what  a mistake I made!
 
Oh I Know 


I know 


Me Me 


Dealers for whatever reason are not educated on selling the Best Pontoon on Earth


Bennington needs to educate the majority of their dealerships to the level of the owners on this site !!


pittsburgh.jpg
 
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The answer is to have Bennington do it before it leaves the factory. They have the equipment to spray it on indoors on an overhead hoist where they can get to every nook and cranny. Honestly, the dealers don't really like to do it, as it's not a big money maker for them and it's difficult after the fact on a tri-toon.
 
I trust your input, Tom. I ordered factory-applied Sharkhide on my new boat.
 
I ordered my 2013 RSR with Sharkhide from the factory. I keep the boat on a lift, and the toons look as good today as when I took delivery!! Wasn't a ton of money either as I recall. Told my dealer at the time I was thinking about it, and he mentioned to have the factory do it. No regrets!!!
 
It seems the majority on this forum like the Sharkhide, especially when added at the factory.  I also read where some say it's not worth it.  My dealer says it's not worth it because we have very dirty lakes - lots of mud and by mid summer my gelcoated open bow was caked in algae.  I would love to keep my toons clean but figure it will need to get acid washed yearly, regardless of the sharkhide.   Dealer also said if the Sharkhide gets scuffed by a run in with a pier then matching it with a new coat looks terrible.   I'm really struggling with this decision as I know it's going to be best when applied at the factory as a new build but wondering if it's worth the $500 - or am I going to just acid wash it off this fall anyway.   I see some beautiful toons that have a mirror finish and I don't think I plan to spend that much time on them nor will I pull the boat to do a mid season scrub down.  This will be my first season every with a toon, so I will not have a lift, the toons will stay in contact with this dirty water until mid September when I pull it and acid wash then.  I'm getting a brand new boat and I do love them to stay clean but not sure I will win this battle - so all you Sharkhide folks - what do you think I should do?
 
If you are going to leave the boat in a dirty lake and not do the toons until it comes out in addition to looking like crap it is going to slow down the boat dramatically. 


If I were in your position I would sharkhide and either get in the water once a week and hand scrub or pull the boat out with the trailer and pressure wash it as needed 
 
I had sharkhide. Year one boat sat in a nasty lake. took it out to go to LOTO t the end of the season, power washed the toons looked like day i first got her. Year 2 & 3 boat was on a lift. Looked great got pleanty of complimants. Had I not got the sharkhide toons would looked like crap for years 2 & 3. Having a nice looking boat is what helped me sell it. I'm convienced it would have been difficult had the toons looked like a hot mess. Anyone that tells you not to get the sharkhide has an alterier movite or just plain does not like to keep things looking nice. This is my opinion, I could be wrong.


I forgot to mention performance. I got a 250SHO cuz I like to go fast, dirty toons you lose 10 +MPH, almost like your throwing money down the drain.
 
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