Gelcoat is boring

[KKYS]

How much can you say about it? Grab your rotory and a wool pad
and you'll get a factory shine.
A circus monkey can do it.

I just don't know what to say to offer quality information.

[A-train]

What's typical rpm to run the rotary at on gel coat ?

[glen e]

1500-2500 rpm...like the man said, rotary and wool do the job...love duragloss 561 to get it beautiful......Clean the pad twice as often as paint....

[ShineTimeDetail]

I have my first RV wed....the one side is nasty oxidized. What kind of compounding and what do you follow it up with?

[A-train]

1500-2500 rpm...like the man said, rotary and wool do the job...love duragloss 561 to get it beautiful......Clean the pad twice as often as paint....

Simple enough. Thanks!

[Mike Phillips]

Clean the pad twice as often as paint....




And if you want to make buffing oxidized gel-coat as easy on you as possible, clean your wool pad after every section. It add a little time to the overall process but abrading each new section will be easier and your pad and compound will work more effectively and from my experience, the residue wipes off easier when it's not all mixed up with the gunk on the pad from the last section.

If you buff out a lot of gel-coat boats, motorhomes or anything that's oxidized a lot, as in you do this for a living, the really do yourself a favor and get a pad washer like the System 2000 unit from Lake Country and for dang sure have a spur.


http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/1036/Jan30Class0023_.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/797/NewToRB006.jpg




On Autogeek.net


Autogeek System 2000 Pad Washer for Rotary Polishers (http://www.autogeek.net/system-2000-pad-washer.html)

Detailer's Polishing Pad Rejuvenator (http://www.autogeek.net/dp730.html)

Lake Country Wool Pad Spur (http://www.autogeek.net/wool-pad-spur.html)


:xyxthumbs:

[ShineTimeDetail]

1500-2500 rpm...like the man said, rotary and wool do the job...love duragloss 561 to get it beautiful......Clean the pad twice as often as paint....

I used megs boat oxidation remover and it didn't work well at all.

[Mike Phillips]

Oh yeah...

Not all gel-coat is boring to buff out... I was stuck buffing this out for 20 years... the first time took a lot of work because it had years of old wax built-up on the hull that had trapped dirt and oxidation under it. In fact there was what looked like a black cloud in the orange gel-coat. The first time I buffed this out after buffing out just a section you could instantly see the difference as the side that was compounded was a bright orange and the side that wasn't compounded was a blackish orange.

After the first time of doing the real aggressive cutting step I still had to stay on top of of it for the rest of the time I owned it because the pigments in the gel-coat were coming close to the point of no return.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/715/1970SangerDragBoat003.jpg


http://archive.meguiarsonline.com/gallery/data/500/270SangerDragBoat.jpg

Note the stereo bolted to the passenger's side head on the engine, (just behind the passenger seat) and if
you look you can see a 76 Gas Station Ball on the tip of the stereo antenna behind the Indy Champ air scoop. http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/images/smilies/smile.gif

http://www.showcargarage.com/gallery/files/1/dragboat3smallerc.jpg


This is me racing it on Dexter Reservoir in Oregon...
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/715/Racingthequartermilem.jpg





I kept this one up for my best friend Eric too, he can weld and turn wrenches but didn't really care about maintaining a show boat finish...

This my friends is a Sanger, Bubble Deck, Runner Bottom V-Drive Drag Boat.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/715/TequilaSunriseSangerDragBoat.jpg



Now that's the kind of gel-coat I like buffing and driving!



:)

[ShineTimeDetail]

Jeezus! How tall is that truck!

[BillE]

I used megs boat oxidation remover and it didn't work well at all.

M-49 (Oxidation Remover) is a pretty light cut product. Look at M-67 (One Step) which is more of a 'medium cut' and/or M-91 (Power Cut) which is a truly heavy cut compound.

Bill

[ShineTimeDetail]

Megs is like 30 bucks and duragloss is 12. Is there a huge difference? Is power cut much different than 105

[Mike Phillips]

Jeezus! How tall is that truck!

I have the other half of the picture at home but it's sitting on either 40" Swampers. That truck actually became this truck and my friend Eric still owns it today, in fact last year he went throught and rebuilt it with his two boys...

This is Eric's truck, I helped Eric build this literally from the ground up as we started with 4" square stock pipe and welded up a custom frame. This was back in 1982 and just this year Eric and his two boys completely rebuilt and repainted this truck. Eric lives on 10 acres of forest land and when we get to Oregon my 10-year old son Rand is going to get to take this baby out into the field and drive it around. (Sitting in Dad's lap of course).

Believe it or not, this is street legal in Oregon, I should know I've drove it around for years when I lived there.

http://www.showcargarage.com/gallery/files/1/FosterMudFlats013.jpg


That's Eric grabbing the door handle to give perspective as to how tall the truck is, Eric is about 5' 11"
http://www.showcargarage.com/gallery/files/1/SwampMonster.jpg

http://www.showcargarage.com/gallery/files/1/FosterMudFlats007c.jpg



Okay, now back to gel-coats...


:D

[ShineTimeDetail]

Okay, now back to gel-coats...





How are we supposed to talk about gel coats now??

[KKYS]

And if you want to make buffing oxidized gel-coat as easy on you as possible, clean your wool pad after every section. It add a little time to the overall process but abrading each new section will be easier and your pad and compound will work more effectively and from my experience, the residue wipes off easier when it's not all mixed up with the gunk on the pad from the last section.

:xyxthumbs:

Hi Mike :

Another thing a guy can do for real chalky gelcoat, is prep the surface.

Something like a Sia 6120 Siavlies Ultra Fine Nonwoven disc cleans up the
clutter of dead gelcoat prior to compounding. It is an extra step, but its quick and
allows the compounds and wool pads to perform better.

Steve

[ShineTimeDetail]

What would polish would you finish with for a compound?