Hi all, just getting ready for another Colorado summer in my QS 8.1 and I'm hoping to find a way to stop all of the black marks all over the inside of the canvas from the Bimini poles. It happens during transport and how the trailer is folded down. Is there something I can put on the poles to stop it? Thanks!
Since the poles are steel, you should be able to have them powder coated. Spray paint might work, but powder coating is really durable.
[quote source="/post/19730/thread" author="@stevesanders" timestamp="1458518347"]Since the poles are steel, you should be able to have them powder coated. Spray paint might work, but powder coating is really durable.[/quote]Which requires a full tear down of the poles to be sent out for powder coating.
I think some people are reluctant to do that.,, but powder coating is very durable. It adds some thickness so make sure you tape off the bottom portions of the poles, so they will fit back in the holders when you get em back from the painters.
[quote timestamp="1458533199" source="/post/19738/thread" author="@clyde"][quote timestamp="1458518347" author="@stevesanders" source="/post/19730/thread"]Since the poles are steel, you should be able to have them powder coated. Spray paint might work, but powder coating is really durable.[/quote]Which requires a full tear down of the poles to be sent out for powder coating.
I think some people are reluctant to do that.,, but powder coating is very durable. It adds some thickness so make sure you tape off the bottom portions of the poles, so they will fit back in the holders when you get em back from the painters.
[/quote]Although "full teardown" could be one way to desceibe it, there's just one screw on each end of the bimmi poles and some velcro. I don't think i twould be that difficult.
I would leave the "holders" in place on each end of the bimmis and wrap them with masking tape. Attaching a tag to each one to identify which location it came from would probably help for reassembly.
[quote source="/post/19728/thread" timestamp="1458510833" author="@offroadgirl"]Hi all, just getting ready for another Colorado summer in my QS 8.1 and I'm hoping to find a way to stop all of the black marks all over the inside of the canvas from the Bimini poles. It happens during transport and how the trailer is folded down. Is there something I can put on the poles to stop it? Thanks![/quote]I know you hate it (my wife hates it) but our tent is now going into its 7th season and we just ignore it (well, I ignore it :D ). My take has always been that so long as it is not mold it's just cosmetic and a minor nuisance. There seems not to be any product that will take the marks off. (There might be but I'd be reluctant to use it as it might harm the canvas and the waterproofing.) I suspect that powder coating would likely be vastly expensive, and unless there is a safe way to remove the existing marks they will remain. The marks do get a little worse, but they eventually reach a stage where they are just...there. :|
I've put on my thinking cap - to try and think outside the box. Most people are probably familiar with heat-shrink tubing used to protect wiring splices etc. I wonder if that same tubing is available in larger than typical diameters? If it was you could slip a tube of the plastic over the steel framing tube and then use a heat gun to shrink it nice'n tight. I suppose alternatively you could get some electrical tape & wrap the frame. They are now making electrical tape in many colours so you could have nice pink Bimini poles. There's also the option of just spraying them with a can of Tremclad. Again you could have them pink if you want...
i have seen 2:1 and 4:1 heat shrink in diameters all the way up to 2"
not exactly cheap (maybe $75 for a 50' roll), but some time with a pair of scissors and a heat gun and you would be all set. you may not find it in pink though :P
I'll research heat-shrink tubing -- thanks, all!
It looks like they make it for fishing rods, which should be about the same diameter as the biminis: http://www.mudhole.com/Colored-Heat-Shrink-Grip-Material
Tons of options here: http://heatshrinktubing.net
Next question: does anyone know the total length of the biminis in a QS 8.1, roughly, so I can estimate how much this would cost? I assume it's fairly straightforward to remove the connection at one end so I can slip the tubing on, right?
Thanks!
Thanks for the update! Maybe hit the same spot again and see if anymore comes off. Where did you buy your polish by the way?
[quote timestamp="1459969017" author="Imaginer697" source="/post/20284/thread"][div][/div]I just cleaned my poles with Wright's Silver Cream ($4.00) and the white t-shirt I started with is now black. I will not know for sure whether it cured the problem until I close it up and use it, but I believe it has to help. [/quote]Awesome, keep us posted!
Nice, I'm going to do this when I get a chance.
Now how do I get the old marks off?
I'm sure duct tape would work but come summertime the adhesive would probably melt and cause more issues.
Cleaning he poles with silver polish worked very well. I could immediately tell where I missed because there was a corresponding black mark on the canvass. Also, if you do this, remember to clean the top of the divider between the sink and bench seat. I did not think of cleaning that and have two parallel black lines on the roof.
Yep
I managed to clean the poles with the tent up, but the end poles were difficult. Would be much easier the way you describe. Btw, several camping trips later, no new black marks. Have not found a way yet to remove existing black marks.
I have no idea if this will work, but I went Google-happy and after several tries came across this from Celina Tent:
Pole Stains: Black stains from aluminum and galvanized side poles are ugly. Some tent professionals have discovered that liquid silver polish removes the aluminum dust and does not damage the vinyl.
They are talking more aluminum oxide it seems, but they have a picture of a bottle of Wright's liquid silver polish next to the text. Those of you have been using silver polish on the poles might want to try a small spot of the black stain and see if liquid silver polish gets it out? If it does, please tell me? ::)
https://www.gettent.com/images/tent-care-cleaning-and-storage.pdf
The Bimini poles in my 2006 10.0 are anodized aluminum. I get some black oxide (aluminum oxide as it "rusts"). Presumably anything that seals the aluminum from the air ie/wax will slow the oxidation. Again my poles are pretty good that way.