How to Remove Dents & Scratches on a Pontoon Boat

The type of pontoon boat known as a party barge -- a pontoon boat with twin metal hulls, with a detachable flat deck between them --has a special problem that fiberglass pontoon boats don't have: scratches and dents on its hulls. To repair these dings, you need to use the same glue puller an auto body shops uses to remove small dents in a car's body. For the pontoon boat owner, this is a project that will preserve the watertight integrity of the metal hulls and keep the boat looking good during the season.

Things You'll Need

  • Ding massager kit
  • Clear goggles
  • Welder's gloves
  • Isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol)
  • Slide hammer
  • Razor knife
  • Palm sander
  • 600-grit sandpaper
  • High-speed surface finishing disk
  • Disk grinder
  • 150-grit sanding disk
  • 220-grit sanding disk
  • 320-grit sanding disk
  • Aluminum polish
  • Automotive paste wax
  • Clean cloth
  • Electric buffer
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Instructions

  1. Dents

    • 1

      Insert a glue stick into the glue gun from the ding massager kit. Plug the glue gun in and allow the gun to heat. Don eye protection -- a pair of clear goggles is ideal -- and a pair of welder's gloves.

    • 2

      Wipe the pulling nib with isopropyl alcohol. Use a large pulling nib for a big dent and a small pulling nib for smaller dents.

    • 3

      Pick up the glue gun and slather hot glue on the bottom of the nib. Turn the nib down and position the glue-covered bottom of the nib in the center of the dent, without pushing down on the nib, so there is at least 1/8 inch of glue between the nib and the surface of the pontoon. Hold the nib in place for 20 seconds to allow the glue to begin to set -- it will set fully in about three minutes.

    • 4

      Screw the slide hammer into the hole in the top of the nib. Slide the handle down the shaft of the slide hammer. Pull upward on the handle, to apply several quick taps to the nib, until the hammer and nib pull the dent out.

    • 5

      Unscrew the slide hammer when the dent pops out. Use a razor knife to separate the nib from the hull. Sand the area where the nib was attached with a palm sander and 600 grit sandpaper.

    Scratches

    • 6

      Install a high-speed surface finishing disk into a disk grinder. Sand the scratches with the finishing disk until the largest scratches disappear.

    • 7

      Switch to a 150- grit disk and continue to sand the area. As small scratches disappear, switch to 220-, 320- and 600-grit sanding disks.

    • 8

      Apply aluminum polish to the scratched area using circular motions. Polish the metal until the smallest scratches are gone. Apply a coat of automotive paste wax using a clean cloth. Buff with an electric buffer.