Tereva wrote:
I have a Clipper Solitude with damaged gunwales. The paint peeled off and you can see the raw metal. Same with the bow plate (in fiberglass in think).
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1a5HHpKsun0EMshYFaFjNCb-g66paqKv6/view?usp=sharingMy understanding is that this has zero impact on the gunwales durability and that it is just a cosmetic issue. Can someone confirm this?
Also, to fix this, I just need to do a bit of sanding and repaint using an enamel paint. Can I use any paint or do I need to use some kind of "marine" paint?
I’m still guessing that the aluminum gunwales were electroplated, not anodized or painted.
Yes, zero impact on aluminum gunwale durability. Well, maybe not “zero”; if you paddle a lot of salt or tidal waters you might eventually have corrosion issues. If the wear areas are not flakey sharp that might cut a finger or hand it is largely cosmetic.
The wear shown in the photos appears to make come in part from sliding the canoe on and off roof or storage racks. That wear would continue to be an issue with paint, +/- depending on how thick and tough the paint coat.
Enamel spray paint, even done in multiple coats, is not very thick. Multiple coats of brushed on enamel paint would be thicker (and present less of an overspray issue). And some 1 or 2 part epoxy paint probably be the most durable.
I would lightly sand the gunwales and use the appropriate primer, maybe a primer for aluminum, although I have no idea how well that primer works over electroplating.
If the gunwales were originally electroplated (Clipper should know) you might find useful painting information on some bicycle forum; a lot of bike frames were electroplated.
Some info on repainting electroplated gunwales on a Swift Otter here:
http://www.canoetripping.net/forums/for ... er-rebuildIn the thread photos it looks like the 2nd coat of paint went on before the first had fully cured and the paint crazed. Even spray paints now recommend waiting 48 hours before recoating.