Best way to remove rust stains from toe rail?

Zac Penn · Post by **Zac Penn** » Tue Aug 20, 2013 6:34 am

Once we put the boat back on the trailer we are going to remove the toe rail and replace the screws with actual stainless steel hardware. The previous owners used standard screws because there are a bunch of rust stains on the aluminum. I tried CLR, MEK and Acetone and none of those worked.

Your help is appreciated.
Zac

EmergencyExit · Post by **EmergencyExit** » Tue Aug 20, 2013 11:04 am

I've used Whink Rust Remover effectively before..little brown bottle Like Here

parared · Post by **parared** » Tue Aug 20, 2013 11:39 am

No help, but this last weekend I was giving Dia a bath. So I'm working in the cockpit scrubbing in circles, when I start thinking 'where did all these rust spots come from?' I make almost two complete circles before I noticed my toe was bleeding

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briceburg · Post by **briceburg** » Tue Aug 20, 2013 7:37 pm

For removing and trying to make rust inert I've used Ospho before with great success [like cleaning a truck bed before lining it].

Since it's aluminum you probably don't need to worry about it rusting more though; so maybe some ospho and then just anti corrosion hardware to cover?

You could also try polishing it off. That's what I do on my my '74 SuperBeetles cheap chrome hubcaps and they come back shiny. use something like Noxin metal polish.

Can you take a picture of the toe rail when it's off? I need to replace mine because I think it's a source of water getting in... [C26]

~ Brice

Zac Penn · Post by **Zac Penn** » Fri Aug 23, 2013 10:35 am

Thanks for the suggestions. We got the toe rails off today and you would be AMAZED at how much junk was in the port side rail. Absolutely filthy! The starboard rail was practically bone dry and nothing but dust behind the rail. I wonder why that was?

Either way they are removed, cleaned with CLR and Simple Green, and I will be picking up some Ospho to really get those rust spots. I would hate to go through all this trouble of painting the boat to keep having rust stains drip down the boat. I was completely thrown off after I removed the rub rail and found that all of the screws were actually stainless and none of them were rusting. It was the actual aluminum rail that was rusting. Never would have guessed.

Here are some pics of the rails and the rust spots...