How to Spruce Up an Aluminum Boat

You don't have to spend thousands of dollars to spruce up an aluminum boat. In fact, you can often do so with materials you have on hand. This means you can turn a broken-down aluminum jon boat into a boat that's suitable for your own use or for sale. As long as the boat isn't sitting on the bottom of your favorite body of a water, a weekend's work can yield results.

Things You'll Need

  • New rivets
  • Two 4-pound sledgehammers
  • Marine silicone caulk
  • 80-grit sandpaper
  • Composite sound isolation material
  • 1/2-inch marine plywood
  • Paint
  • Paintbrush
  • Palm sander
  • Aluminum oxide primer
  • 400-grit sandpaper
  • Automotive paste wax
  • Electric buffer
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Instructions

  1. Repair

    • 1

      Insert new rivets where rivets are missing in the hull. Hold the head of one 4-pound sledge against the butt of the rivet while striking the head of the rivet with a second 4-pound sledge.

    • 2

      Apply marine silicone caulk to all joints in the hull. Allow the caulk to cure for 24 hours. Sand the caulk to a smooth surface, using 80-grit sandpaper.

    • 3

      Cut composite sound isolation material to fit the bottom of the boat using a jigsaw. Lay the composite sound isolation material in the bottom of the boat. Cut 1/2-inch marine plywood to fit the bottom of the boat.

    • 4

      Paint all surfaces of the plywood using a paintbrush. Use a color of paint that complements or contrasts to the color of the aluminum hull.

    Paint

    • 5

      Sand both the interior and exterior of the boat with a palm sander and 80-grit sandpaper. Apply an aluminum oxide primer paint to all surfaces using a disposable paintbrush. Allow the primer to dry for at least 24 hours.

    • 6

      Apply three top coats of a finish paint. Allow each coat to dry for 24 hours before sanding lightly with 400-grit sandpaper. Apply automotive paste wax to the boat after the last coat of paint has dried, using an overlapping circular motion. Allow the wax to dry to a haze.

    • 7

      Buff the haze away using an electric buffer.