With the mast full stripped, I took the opportunity to prep it for paint: sanding, etching, and priming. I started with the 5" orbital sander and 80-grit paper to remove most of the heavy oxidation along the length of the mast, constantly moving and working across the convex surfaces. Oxidation was heaviest around the mast fittings (eye straps, through-bolts for tangs and the spreaders, cleats, etc.), and was to be expected. Coming to the end of the spar, I switched to 220-grit paper and redoubled my efforts in order to clean up the remaining oxidation. The result was a shiny aluminum surface - a dramatic improvement from the dull, heavily oxidized surface of Biscuit's stick. I flipped the mast and repeated the sanding process for the other side. A few hours into the work, I completed the sanding and cleaned up the work area.

At this point I decided to change the pair of saw horses, opting for a set I had recently built and which had a 2x6 laid on its broad side for the work surface. The flat surface would allow me to insert lengths of scrap wood and clamp them to the top surface of the saw horses. The result was a suspended mast, allowing unencumbered access to either side. This setup was necessary for the next step in preparing the mast for paint - chemical etching. I grabbed a small bucket and poured in ~10 ounces of TotalBoat's aluminum etching product, selected a maroon scouring pad, put on safety gloves, and headed to the mast. I saturated the scouring pad with the etching liquid and began to scrub the surface fairly aggressively to remove any surface oxidation and contaminates. I worked the length of the mast, and careful to not let the chemical dry on the surface, waited a few minutes before rinses the mast with a two 1-gallon jugs of spring water. I dried the mast off with clean rags.

I headed back into the shop to mix a small pot of TotalBoat's two-part aluminum primer. With the two-part paint mixed, I covered it and set it to the side for the paint's required 15-minute induction period. While the paint was doing its thing, I headed back to the mast to thoroughly solvent-was the surface in the final prep for the primer. After a cold bottle of water, I gathered the paint and foam brush and headed back to the mast. I started at the base of the mast and made my way to the mast head, painting 8 to 10 inches at a time and brushing back into the prior section to promote a consistent surface. I ended up getting two coats on one side of the mast. In the coming week, I will flip the mast to etch and continue priming.

Total Hrs: 7.25