My C250's perch seats have some serious brown stains on them from crevice corrosion at stainless contact points. Now that the boat is out of a salt water environment, I would like to remove the rust stains. I've removed the rust from the stainless parts easily with oxalic acid and steel wool. However, the Starboard has been much tougher to clean. I tried the Whisk Rust Stain Remover (hydrofloric acid based) and it didn't touch it. I tried bleach and it didn't work either. I also tried some Soft Scrub, and it took some out but still a lot left.
Any suggestions of what would help remove it without damaging the plastic?
Once it's gone I plan to bed the seat material onto the stainless frame with non-adhesive caulk to fill the gaps and prevent water intrusion into the crevices. Any suggestions of what kind of caulk would be best. (I'm told not to use silicone caulk on plastic materials.)
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I really hope you didn't use steel wool on the stainless steel. Doing so pretty much guarantees that you'll have rust problems in the future. It embeds tiny steel particles in the stainless steel that become starting sites for future corrosion.
As for the plastic... did you try using MaryKate On-and-Off Gel? If that doesn't work, you can always try Spotless Stainless, which I reviewed not too long ago, and works pretty well at removing rust stains and cleaning up stainless steel.
If the area you want to bed the stainless is underneath the seats, you could always try butyl tape to seal/fill the space between the steel and the starboard. However, my suggestion would be to passivate the stainless steel and not use any sealant or caulk. Stainless steel corrodes far more readily if deprived of oxygen... Spotless Stainless is a treatment that is designed to passivate the surface of the stainless steel and help reduce future corrosion.
Here is a photo of the stainless steel swim ladder on my boat prior to applying and using Spotless Stainless.
Here is the same swim ladder after using Spotless Stainless once:
'Nuf said.
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Sailingdog
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Telstar 28
New England
You know what the first rule of sailing is? ...Love. You can learn all the math in the 'verse, but you take
a boat to the sea you don't love, she'll shake you off just as sure as the turning of the worlds. Love keeps
her going when she oughta fall down, tells you she's hurting 'fore she keens. Makes her a home.
—Cpt. Mal Reynolds, Serenity (edited)
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Well, I did make some limited use of steel wool for a couple of really tough spots. What's done is done, but I can paint on some plastic stuff and peel it off to remove as many of the fragments as possible. I'll be sure to do that before I replace the seats.
I saw your review of spotless stainless but did not see anything about how it works on plastics. Acids work great on metal and ceramics because they dissolve a molecular layer, loosening the rust particles so they remove easily. Ditto for fiberglass - that's why oxalic acid is so good for removing discoloration. But this starboard plastic (which I think is HDPE) seems to be much more resistant to acid, so I am not confident that your Spotless Stainless would be successful. Have you tried it on stained starboard?
We have 80's temperatures coming this weekend, so I really want the seats to be installed by Saturday. No time to order anything online.
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I'll let you know, as I'll be treating the starboard stern rail seats from my boat later this month.
Quote:
Originally Posted by RhythmDoctor
Well, I did make some limited use of steel wool for a couple of really tough spots. What's done is done, but I can paint on some plastic stuff and peel it off to remove as many of the fragments as possible. I'll be sure to do that before I replace the seats.
I saw your review of spotless stainless but did not see anything about how it works on plastics. Acids work great on metal and ceramics because they dissolve a molecular layer, loosening the rust particles so they remove easily. Ditto for fiberglass - that's why oxalic acid is so good for removing discoloration. But this starboard plastic (which I think is HDPE) seems to be much more resistant to acid, so I am not confident that your Spotless Stainless would be successful. Have you tried it on stained starboard?
We have 80's temperatures coming this weekend, so I really want the seats to be installed by Saturday. No time to order anything online.
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Sailingdog
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Telstar 28
New England
You know what the first rule of sailing is? ...Love. You can learn all the math in the 'verse, but you take
a boat to the sea you don't love, she'll shake you off just as sure as the turning of the worlds. Love keeps
her going when she oughta fall down, tells you she's hurting 'fore she keens. Makes her a home.
—Cpt. Mal Reynolds, Serenity (edited)
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I just bought FSR it didnt' work on rust stains around the ladder flanges on the transom of my boat, CLR didn't work either. spotless stainless looks great for the metal ! I must get some.
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Denise, Bristol PA, Oday 30. On Tidal Delaware River, Anchor Yacht Club.
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We have a thick Starboard wear plate in front of our Windlass that the chain runs over as it is taken in or deployed and accordingly develops rust stains. I found that thoroughly saturating a paper towel with Wink Rust Stain Remover--a mild acid solution--and laying it over the stain will get most, but not all of the stain out. It seems that Starboard is more porus than one might expect and it takes a long while for the acid to gobble up the iron oxide. In no case use a bleaching agent--an Oxidizer--which will only exacerbate the staining.
FWIW...
__________________ "It is not so much for its beauty that the sea makes a claim upon men's hearts, as for that subtle something, that quality of air, that emanation from the waves, that so wonderfully renews a weary spirit."
For about $4, you can buy a gal of muriatic acid (dilute) at any hardware or pool store which works far better than anything else suggested, doesn't damage anything and is very easy to use.
I've used it on SS, aluminum, gelcoat stains and starboard stains equally well. Just rinse off when you are done and wear latex or neoprene gloves.
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