Was contacted to polish a boat

[NiSyam]

Hello everyone,

I was asked if I could polish a boat today and told my client I've never touched a boat in my life ! but he still wants me to do it ( based on some work I've done for him in the past)

He said he just wants the top polished, boat is 20' long.

What are some of the things I should now about polishing boats? I watched a couple of videos on youtube and that's it.

Is it easy to burn the gel coal ? What speed should i set my makita at ? Arm speed? Process? Do you have to clay the boat ?

please chime in!

Thanks

[tuscarora dave]

Treat it as you would anything and do a test section to see what it's going to take to get the results you are looking for. Gel coat is typically very hard and tough and not easy to burn at all. Not all boats are gel coat and you should never just assume that some parts aren't made of or coated with some other materials such as paints or plastics or even powder coating. You just never know so you should really go easy until you know for sure what you are working on.

If it is all gel coat and it's heavily oxidized, plan on using some heavy duty compound (I like 3M SuperDuty) and some wool pads then follow that with something lighter with foam pads.

[habeba86]

I personally like working on boats better than cars. There is a little moe elbow grease involved, but I find the surface less picky because the gel-coat is so tough. I say go for it!

[BillE]

Take a look over at > Premium Boat and RV Detailing Supplies (http://www.premiumboatcare.com) . It is a sister site to AG. Mike P has a video about boat polishing etc.

Poo, I can't find it there.

Maybe Mike will chime in with the address...

Bill

[Perfections]

What kind of condition is the boat in and what are his expectations?