FloatingPoint
Member
I see numerous conversations about SharkHide, but I am curious if anyone has tried Alumetron.
ALUMETRON
- Thread starter FloatingPoint
- Start date
cwag911
Moderator
Never heard of it.
adkboater
Well-Known Member
What is it?? Always curious to learn!
adkboater
Well-Known Member
Mike31406
Well-Known Member
Something new! At least to me.
Michiman
Well-Known Member
Almost sounds too good to be true but I like what I see. It would be nice to hear from someone with real world experience with the product.
Spoiledrotten
Well-Known Member
These are the 3 reviews on Amazon:
Aurora Alumetron Clear Polymer Coating for Aluminum 16oz.
byAurora Marine
Price:$39.97+ $9.50 shipping
All reviewersAll starsText, image, video
1.0 out of 5 starsVery Disappointed
ByDesertcallalilyon November 6, 2017
Verified Purchase
Not impressed. We read all the reviews on this product, watched the instructional video, contacted the manufacturer, and followed all instructions perfectly. We applied this product to our brand new (never been in the water) pontoons. We not only cleaned the brand new pontoons with denatured water and lacquer thinner prior to application, we thoroughly dusted and inspected the pontoons for any dirt and dust particles. We even waited two days longer than the recommended cure time before we launched our boat in water. At first, the pontoons looked great. But after only one trip out on the lake, the coating was chipped, scratched, and peeled off in a number of large places. It seems that the least little bit of debris can scratch this finish off. We again called the manufacturer and were told we probably didn’t apply it right (absolutely not the case) and that we could reapply the coating to the damaged areas. We did reapply to the damaged areas, but they still look damaged. We are SO disappointed that our brand new $60,000 boat looks like this. The pictures show the “repaired” areas on the pontoons.
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5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars
ByWayne Binkinson June 3, 2017
Verified Purchase
Works as described. Very effective
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4.0 out of 5 starsStill looks like new after 3 months!
ByShereeon September 4, 2017
Verified Purchase
It has been a few months and it is holding up well. Quite the process to apply but works well. I would do it again, or ask me in 5 years.
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Aurora Alumetron Clear Polymer Coating for Aluminum 16oz.
byAurora Marine
Price:$39.97+ $9.50 shipping
All reviewersAll starsText, image, video
1.0 out of 5 starsVery Disappointed
ByDesertcallalilyon November 6, 2017
Verified Purchase
Not impressed. We read all the reviews on this product, watched the instructional video, contacted the manufacturer, and followed all instructions perfectly. We applied this product to our brand new (never been in the water) pontoons. We not only cleaned the brand new pontoons with denatured water and lacquer thinner prior to application, we thoroughly dusted and inspected the pontoons for any dirt and dust particles. We even waited two days longer than the recommended cure time before we launched our boat in water. At first, the pontoons looked great. But after only one trip out on the lake, the coating was chipped, scratched, and peeled off in a number of large places. It seems that the least little bit of debris can scratch this finish off. We again called the manufacturer and were told we probably didn’t apply it right (absolutely not the case) and that we could reapply the coating to the damaged areas. We did reapply to the damaged areas, but they still look damaged. We are SO disappointed that our brand new $60,000 boat looks like this. The pictures show the “repaired” areas on the pontoons.
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5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars
ByWayne Binkinson June 3, 2017
Verified Purchase
Works as described. Very effective
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4.0 out of 5 starsStill looks like new after 3 months!
ByShereeon September 4, 2017
Verified Purchase
It has been a few months and it is holding up well. Quite the process to apply but works well. I would do it again, or ask me in 5 years.
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Wondering if any one tried the Aurora protectant and or the bottom coat. and if so how has it done. Considering trying the cleaner lifting the boat and putting the protectant and bottom coating on. I leave the boat in the water most of the summer and have lost serious performance even with cleaning it every couple weeks while in the water. It feels like it has kept the boat from lifting properly as much as anything.
I have
Both Alumetron and Sharkhide can be stripped off with Lacquer thinner but it’s documented you should only clean them with mild soap and water because flammable chemicals and harsh detergents will harm them. So given this is already true, any chemicals in the water like leaked oils, gasoline, fertilizer, or laundry, etc are going to harm them and the protectant will wear off in a matter of time. There is no guarantee that every lake doesn’t have harmful chemicals which will strip off the protectant seal. These protectants really are only meant to protect pontoons from oxidation on boats that are kept on a lift or a trailer not boats kept in a wet slip. I have done a lot of research on this and for the folks who are lucky to pull their boat out with the Sharkhide still all still intact their boats are in some of the cleanest bodies of water but that’s no guarantee from one lake to the next.
To address your complaint that you were told you could reapply the Alumetron to the damaged areas but they still looked damaged sounds like there was a misunderstanding because that’s impossible to undo the staining on the aluminum through simply resealing it. Once the protectant seal is damaged and oxidation starts to form on the aluminum, resealing it cannot undo the oxidation that has already started to build up. The only way to get rid of the stains and oxidation is to polish the aluminum to restore its shiny appearance. Resealing with a protectant Alumetron or Sharkhide will only seal the existing condition of the surface of the aluminum underneath it.
There are a lot of variables involved that impact whether aluminum protectants actually will work to protect the pontoons especially if the boat is kept in a wet slip. It doesn’t matter if it’s Sharkhide or Alumetron and it doesn’t necessarily mean there is a problem with the product. I just applied Sharkhide to brand new mill finish pontoons this year but I’ve learned that if there are tires at the dock posts they will scuff the sharkhide off easily and that’s exactly what happened to mine in one section when launching my boat at a marina that uses tires at all of its docks rather than horizontal bumpers. At first after launching I thought everything was ok because I saw a white line that appeared to go away when I rubbed it with my finger but 2 days later I saw patches of brown lines forming in that same area which is the aluminum being stained from oxidation and that’s when I knew the sharkhide had been scuffed off already in that section. The rest of the pontoon was fine but slowly over time the sharkhide has been wearing off below the waterline from algae and whatever unknown chemicals are in the water and I am seeing oxidation form in other places.These are the 3 reviews on Amazon:
Aurora Alumetron Clear Polymer Coating for Aluminum 16oz.
byAurora Marine
Price:$39.97+ $9.50 shipping
All reviewersAll starsText, image, video
1.0 out of 5 starsVery Disappointed
ByDesertcallalilyon November 6, 2017
Verified Purchase
Not impressed. We read all the reviews on this product, watched the instructional video, contacted the manufacturer, and followed all instructions perfectly. We applied this product to our brand new (never been in the water) pontoons. We not only cleaned the brand new pontoons with denatured water and lacquer thinner prior to application, we thoroughly dusted and inspected the pontoons for any dirt and dust particles. We even waited two days longer than the recommended cure time before we launched our boat in water. At first, the pontoons looked great. But after only one trip out on the lake, the coating was chipped, scratched, and peeled off in a number of large places. It seems that the least little bit of debris can scratch this finish off. We again called the manufacturer and were told we probably didn’t apply it right (absolutely not the case) and that we could reapply the coating to the damaged areas. We did reapply to the damaged areas, but they still look damaged. We are SO disappointed that our brand new $60,000 boat looks like this. The pictures show the “repaired” areas on the pontoons.
One person found this helpful
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5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars
ByWayne Binkinson June 3, 2017
Verified Purchase
Works as described. Very effective
Helpful
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4.0 out of 5 starsStill looks like new after 3 months!
ByShereeon September 4, 2017
Verified Purchase
It has been a few months and it is holding up well. Quite the process to apply but works well. I would do it again, or ask me in 5 years.
Helpful
Not Helpful
|Report abuse
Both Alumetron and Sharkhide can be stripped off with Lacquer thinner but it’s documented you should only clean them with mild soap and water because flammable chemicals and harsh detergents will harm them. So given this is already true, any chemicals in the water like leaked oils, gasoline, fertilizer, or laundry, etc are going to harm them and the protectant will wear off in a matter of time. There is no guarantee that every lake doesn’t have harmful chemicals which will strip off the protectant seal. These protectants really are only meant to protect pontoons from oxidation on boats that are kept on a lift or a trailer not boats kept in a wet slip. I have done a lot of research on this and for the folks who are lucky to pull their boat out with the Sharkhide still all still intact their boats are in some of the cleanest bodies of water but that’s no guarantee from one lake to the next.
To address your complaint that you were told you could reapply the Alumetron to the damaged areas but they still looked damaged sounds like there was a misunderstanding because that’s impossible to undo the staining on the aluminum through simply resealing it. Once the protectant seal is damaged and oxidation starts to form on the aluminum, resealing it cannot undo the oxidation that has already started to build up. The only way to get rid of the stains and oxidation is to polish the aluminum to restore its shiny appearance. Resealing with a protectant Alumetron or Sharkhide will only seal the existing condition of the surface of the aluminum underneath it.
Jack M
Moderator
This post is 6 years old. But If your boat is in a slip the Sharkhide does wear off in a few weeks. I have the dealer reapply mine every other season. Even with it worn off it's still easier to wipe off the slime than untreated toons .