Need recommendations for boat compounding

[Expert Car Care]

I dont know if you guys talk much about boats, but they
are far more difficult than cars I find and I've been doing a
lot of them lately. I have been using a rotary Hitachi for the main compounding then I go to a Dual Action polisher for polish and final wax. Getting that cloudiness out of red gelcoat is almost impossible, but I have been having better results lately.

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll38/Richard42_2008/Boat%20Detailing/Redboat008.jpg

This is before the final wax with one side done. Any suggestions for a good compound to use on this sort of gelcoat?
here I have used a few different products including:

Collinite boat cleaner
This stuff works ok, but it is really runny, you end up going through a lot more than you need to and it wont stay on the pad, spatters too easy.


Meguiar's ultra cut compound
This is my most aggressive compound, but the stuff is really hard to wipe off and dries almost instantly. Actually it dries while Im compounding and I have to use a cleaner spray like "final inspection" just to be able to clean it off.


Meguiars one step marine compound.
This stuff works the best of the three I found, but I would still like something more aggressive for these foggy red gelcoats.

[Donnym]

There are two products I've used on my boat with excellent results. You can try AquaBuff 2000 or Buff Magic from YachtBrite which is used by Sea Ray Boats to buff out their new boats right out of the mold.

[Rsurfer]

Meg's 105 and a wool pad.

[JonMiles]

Gel Coat Labs- heavy cut compound; follow with fine cut polish, then seal with your favorite. These are great products specifically made for boats. A wool pad is best IME

[Lasthope05]

For gel coats I go real heavy, 3m super duty w/ wool. When that doesnt work, I wetsand.

Whats great about 3m super duty is its cheap has a boat load more cut then M105 and is available locally at pepboys.

[So.Cal.]

A friend of mine who used to Detail Boats always used Aqua Buff.

[Mike Phillips]

Read through this thread as I demonstrated a number of different product lines on some very old gel-coat...

1967 Starline Deville - Extreme Makeover (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/show-n-shine/21147-1967-starline-deville-extreme-makeover.html)



Out of everything I used everything worked but I would give the edge to the 3M system for removing oxidation and also the XMT #4



Here's where I'm going to do a Test Spot by machine using the Flex Lightweight Rotary Buffer with the Griot's Garage 3" Mini Polishing pad and the Pinnacle XMT #4

After this shot I grabbed some random microfiber towels to cover the surrounding areas because usually the spatter from your process when wiped off will tend to improve the ugly side and I like to preserve all the ugliness in the "before" side when doing a side-by-side demonstration.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/762/1967SD009.jpg



Did my best to show how nice the small 3" Griot's Garage Mini buffing pads are on the rotary for long thin panels. Keep in mind I'm holding the rotary buffer in one hand and the Rebel T1i in the other hand.




1967 Starline Deville - Extreme Makeover (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQtBLjOI8Co] - FlexRBwithXMT4[/URL]



And here's a few after shots... note how rich in color the orange is now...

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/762/1967SD010.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/762/1967SD028.jpg




Here's another excerpt...





Someone asked me about the 3M Marine Line so I've taped off a section on the back of the boat to demonstrate the 3M Marine Rubbing Compound with a 8" Wool Cutting pad on the Flex Lightweight Rotary Buffer.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/762/1967SD038.jpg

Note that I've removed anything off the rear deck that can be removed without too much work to enable me to do the best job of restoring this 42 year old gel-coat. Plus then I can clean up the holes a little and the thread for all the stainless steel screws and re-assemble everything nice and clean.


After the 3M "System"
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/762/1967SD048.jpg







Lots of pictures and products in this thread...

[URL="http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/show-n-shine/21147-1967-starline-deville-extreme-makeover.html)


I've kidded Max to put the Pinnacle XMT #4 into a blue bottle with a boat on it and call it Heavy Duty Gel-Coat Oxidation Remover.

It's pretty aggressive stuff and it will leave a swirl or haze in the finish but it buffs out easily with the next less aggressive product.

I'm a big fan of #3 Machine Glaze after any compounding step on oxidized gel-coats as it uses the same oils found in #7 and they will migrate into porous materials like gel-coats and the presence of these oils acts to fill voids so other liquids like water cannot get in and cause oxidation, plus these oils are famous for bringing out the full richness of color. There's a key element in these oils that does this job, heard this a long time ago from someone that would know, he was talking in the context of pigmented single stage paint but the same principal would apply to pigmented gel-coats.

I used it with great success many years on my Hugger Orange Sanger Drag Boat...

1970 Sanger V-Drive Drag Boat - 402 BBC - 18% Overdrive - 11" x 17" Prop
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/715/1970SangerDragBoat003.jpg


:)

[Expert Car Care]

Terrific replies guys, thanks very much. I will look into trying out some of these products. I also have to get some more wool pads. I havent had much luck with them as the backing felt keeps falling off so I have been using cutting pads.

[Expert Car Care]

A few more pics of that boat. Unfortunately it was picked up so fast after I was done I was unable to get a final pic:

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll38/Richard42_2008/Boat%20Detailing/Redboat007.jpg

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll38/Richard42_2008/Boat%20Detailing/Redboat005.jpg