Cleaning the Pullpit

[SayGudday]

She's old, she's dirty, worn out and beaten up, but I still love her so it's time to give the old gal a little face lift. My pullpit, pushpit and stanchions are all spotty, not with rust, just old age I think. Anyone have any suggestions about the best way of cleaning them that will last the longest? As it is I clean them every few days with just a little steelwool but the dark spots come back quickly (days). I'm on a mooring ball so I'd like to find some cleaner that's as environmentally friendly as possible.

[svhoneybee]

My understanding is that steel wool makes things worse. Embeds tiny fragments of steel which then rust.

[Auzzee]

You should try to avoid all abrasive cleaners when cleaning stainless steel. A 3M Scotchbrite pad is the exception. Try using undiluted white vinegar on a cloth. If than doesn't work, you can use a 10% solution of nitric acid. It is wise to use gloves and to be very careful with the undiluted acid.

Nitric acid does not attack either the nickel or steel content in s/s in the same agressive way that sulphuric acid does. If the cause of the rust problem is embedded steel particles (say from steel wool) oxalic acid may be the better choice as a cleaner.

The acid solution will not damage paint or topsides, but it is wise to flush the areas around your pullpit and staunchion bases as soon as practicable after cleaning. The mild acid run-off into the sea will be immediately neutralised by the alkaline sea water.

[sctpc]

Auzzee has it then to stop it coming back use Lanox mx4 Infact I spray my Bukh every winter it keeps corrosion away. I also use it for bringing old aluminum back from that dry look, timber ends, and perspex haze it the best all rounder ive found.

I have no interests in that company just like there products.

[Auzzee]

WARNING
In the above post there is a link which gives good information about Lanox. However, at the bottom of the Lanox page there is a link to US testimonials from boating and marine users. I opened this file and was immediately warned by my antivirus programme that there was an attempted intrusion attack on my computer from a UK based site.

It may have been coincidental, however, I would caution you against opening the link within the link.

[redbopeep]

I removed the offending link above since our member shouldn't care where one gets info for Lanox. Here's a link to a google search for the product:

Google Lanox

[Jewel]

After cleanings, try waxing with automotive type stuff. I use pure lanolin heated some and rubbed on thin. I buy it in a drug store where nursing mothers get their stuff. Comes in a tube and is gooy. I guess you could find a thinner, but I just heat and apply and try to rub it off. Lasts about 6-8 months. Put it on turnbuckle ends and threads, keeps the water out.

[SayGudday]

@svhoneybee I had heard that too but when I first got her she really needed the steel wool to get her back to clean. She'd been raced but not loved, unfortunately.

@Auzzee Thanks mate! That's good information and that's the route I'm going to take. And thanks for the virus warning too.

@sctpc Much appreciated.

@Jewel Never heard of that. Will give it a shot.

[JeanneP]

I noticed that the stainless steel on our boats developed rust and rust spots where the steel wasn't brightly polished anymore. The greater the scratches, the harder it was to keep that area bright and shiny.

I took my high speed rotary tool (mine was a Dremel, but there are other makes) with cotton polishing wheel, some polishing compound for steel, and polished up those dull spots to a mirror-smooth brightness. That solved the problem. The polishing compound is wax-based, so everything had a hard wax coating after polishing.

Back in 1996 we spent about 6 months in Lawry's Marina in Buddina, Queensland while I recuperated from a myriad of cancer treatments (they worked, since I'm still around). We took advantage of the stationary inactivity to do a lot of work on the 'Melon, including removing and repairing/replacing a great deal of hardware on the boat. There was a rigging shop in the marina, and the owner very generously let me use his bench grinder (?) to polish all our stainless hardware. What a difference all that polishing made. For several years afterward all our stanchions and other stainless needed to bring them back to bright was a fresh-water wash with a soft cloth.

Dremel makes (or made, since I don't see it on their website) a 12V saw blade sharpener with a cigarette lighter plug. We rigged up an extension cord for it and I could go around the boat polishing everything that needed it without removing the gear. IMO one of the best tools we had on the boat.

[babylonlarry]

Brass. wool is availasble aot hardword stores, no rust.

[SayGudday]

I would LOVE some more bronze work on the boat. Sadly, I have asked my bank manager about that and she just laughed and said "I married you, isn't that enough?"