The canoe is aluminum. It has some paint remaining on it from what i am assuming is the original factory paint. The paint is just in patches, so my question is do i sand only where the paint is, or the whole canoe? Will sanding the aluminum damage it? Or should I not sand it at all, and just use paint stripper? After getting the old paint off, what kind of primer should i use? or is it not necessary to prime? What kind of paint should I use? I plan on it being multi tone(a leafy camo, of olive drab, flat black, and a gray tone).
...if you paint it black, it'll never tip.
Go to a paint trade shop tell them what your trying to achieve. They will probably suggest a primer to etch the aluminium. Once its been etched you can paint it any colour you wish. If you don't etch the aluminium, the paint will probably fall off. The etching gives the paint something to adhere to. Cheers!!
Pete is on the right track, but I think that rather than primer, what you need is to wash the aluminum with acid after you use a chemical stripper to get the paint off. The acid dissolves the layer of corrosion that all aluminum gets with exposure to air and also gives the fresh primer something to adhere to. You can lightly sand aluminum by hand or with a random orbit sander, but aluminum dust has been linked to alzheimer's disease so wear a good mask. But if your canoe has a lot of paint still on it or a lot of rivets and seams, then a stripper made for aluminum will save you a lot of time and effort. Go to a place that specializes in paints and finishes specific to the boating, recreational vehicle, or trucking industries as they deal with aluminum all the time and have the specialized products that you need in order to refinish and repaint it because it isn't like steel or wood and requires specific formulations. If you try to skip a step or buy the wrong stuff, your efforts will probably not succeed because working with aluminum is unlike any other material. Read and follow all directions and safety instructions carefully because the chemicals involved are strong and can give off toxic fumes. Because most things made from aluminum are subject to a wide variety of climates and rough handling, you need to buy products that are specially formulated for it and follow the steps and safety precautions exactly or all your hard work will probably be for naught.
