1997 Nitro Bass Boat with oxidation

[discoverypro]

Hello,

I am new to the forums and this is my very first post. I have come here because i want to hear from the pros. I did a lot of reading prior to becoming a member yesterday and I have found a couple product that i ordered from here.

First off let me just say I have a 1997 Nitro Bass Boat( this baby is mine--just bought it like 3 weeks ago) and I didnt really notice the fading and oxidation that is really on the boat. So I began reading on these forums as to how to take off the oxidation and I came across a couple threads that were just all about DURAGLOSS 501 followed up with Collinite--845. I ended up buying both products and wanted to redo my boat. I just want the boat to look somewhat New and taken care of--price is no expense..

Questions i have are simple and to the point with Experts in mind. Keep in mind the oxidation(and it is only moderately oxidized) is only around the top side of the boat but I will do what i can of the boat as it sits on the trailer.

1. What type or brand of Rotary buffer would you suggest? Understanding that only high speed buffer will do the trick of taking out the oxidation.

2. Did I buy the right products for the Job?

3. What are your Expert thoughts of what I have chosen to do with what i have purchased?

4. I hope you guys can help a newbie out--please give me your expert cleaning advice

Thank you guys !!!!

I appreciate any help i can get here...

[Jimmie]

#1=not necessarily true. My neighbor used a PC7424 (orbital style buffer) on his boats oxidation and eventually got all the cloudiness. It took about 5-6 passes though. Much faster with a rotary.
#2= I'm a fan of DG501 topped with Collinite. Got it on my motorhome. #3=However I think that your going to need an abrasive polish to get the cloudiness out of that gel coat. DG501 is a chemical cleaner (AIO).
#4=Give what you got a try. You never know. Just a normal wash, dry, and go after it with the DG501 (low speeds work better for me with DG501).

see it's your first post. You should get more ideas. These guys are great.

[discoverypro]

#3=However I think that your going to need an abrasive polish to get the cloudiness out of that gel coat. DG501 is a chemical cleaner (AIO).

Oh i thought i was reading the DG501 was NOT an AIO. Thats Why i bought it thinking it would do the trick.

Maybe in like 2 passes instead of 4-5 with a PC. If you think of an abrasive polish for Fiberglass boats what would you use???

I assume you would then use the abrasive polish first, the use the DG501 and then follow up lastly with collinte 845.

Thanks guys

[Mike Phillips]

First off let me just say I have a 1997 Nitro Bass Boat( this baby is mine--just bought it like 3 weeks ago) and I didnt really notice the fading and oxidation that is really on the boat.

So I began reading on these forums as to how to take off the oxidation and I came across a couple threads that were just all about DURAGLOSS 501 followed up with Collinite--845. I ended up buying both products and wanted to redo my boat. I just want the boat to look somewhat New and taken care of--price is no expense..

Does it look like one of these?

[Jimmie]

Oh i thought i was reading the DG501 was NOT an AIO. Thats Why i bought it thinking it would do the trick.

Maybe in like 2 passes instead of 4-5 with a PC. If you think of an abrasive polish for Fiberglass boats what would you use???

I assume you would then use the abrasive polish first, the use the DG501 and then follow up lastly with collinte 845.

Thanks guys

The AIO statement, you're probably correct. DG501 is a marine/rv sealant with some heavy cleaning ability.
Abrasive polish? my go to polishes are still Optimum so I'd try those first. Then if need be I'd try to Menzerna SIP/106f (for harder clear coats). Many are having good success with the Meguiars 105, but I haven't tried it yet.
You are absolutely correct in your sequence of product use.

PS: Mike, those pics look identical to my neighbors "Skeeter".

[Mike Phillips]

PS: Mike, those pics look identical to my neighbors "Skeeter".

I just did a quick Google search as it helps to see what a person is working on sometimes.

Boats like these don't have a lot of horizontal surface area where is where the sun beats down and fades the paint and where water dwells both of which promote oxidation.

Most of the surface area on the boats pictures above are vertical panels, so my guess is the worst part of the OP's oxidation is on the smaller horizontal panels which means the sides should buff-out pretty easily but the horizontal surfaces might not, hard to say without being there in person.

If the finish has metallic flake in it, or mylar flake, then if you buff to much of the surface off you'll get into the flake and create a surface that has a texture and if you do this there's no practical or affordable remedy.

Meguiar's makes a pretty complete like of Marine products that work really great for removing oxidation of gel-coat finishes which are for the most part polyester resins.

That said, if the problem is just surface oxidation then just about any abrasive compound will chew off the dead resin and expose a fresh base which can then be polished and sealed with a wax or sealant. Note that after all the correction work and sealing work are done if the boat is kept outdoors you will have to continually maintain it or it will just revert back to a dull oxidized appearance. In a perfect world, you'll be able to store the boat under some kind of cover.


Any chance a pictures can be taken to show the works spots on the boat?

If if you can get some digital pictures and e-mail them to me I'll upload them into your gallery for you and place them in this thread.

Mike.Phillips@Autogeek.net

[discoverypro]

I just did a quick Google search as it helps to see what a person is working on sometimes.

Boats like these don't have a lot of horizontal surface area where is where the sun beats down and fades the paint and where water dwells both of which promote oxidation.

Most of the surface area on the boats pictures above are vertical panels, so my guess is the worst part of the OP's oxidation is on the smaller horizontal panels which means the sides should buff-out pretty easily but the horizontal surfaces might not, hard to say without being there in person.

If the finish has metallic flake in it, or mylar flake, then if you buff to much of the surface off you'll get into the flake and create a surface that has a texture and if you do this there's no practical or affordable remedy.

Meguiar's makes a pretty complete like of Marine products that work really great for removing oxidation of gel-coat finishes which are for the most part polyester resins.

That said, if the problem is just surface oxidation then just about any abrasive compound will chew off the dead resin and expose a fresh base which can then be polished and sealed with a wax or sealant. Note that after all the correction work and sealing work are done if the boat is kept outdoors you will have to continually maintain it or it will just revert back to a dull oxidized appearance. In a perfect world, you'll be able to store the boat under some kind of cover.


Any chance a pictures can be taken to show the works spots on the boat?

If if you can get some digital pictures and e-mail them to me I'll upload them into your gallery for you and place them in this thread.

Mike.Phillips@Autogeek.net

thanks guys for helping me out--here are some of the bad spots on the boat and yes your correct in stating that much of this oxidation is in the vertical plane of the boat and not on the sides. It really is a nice looking boat for a 1997 with hardly any care to it--but she is mine now and i want her to look AWESOME --thats why i came here. If i take a wet finger and rub through the oxidation it pretty much goes away so therefore i know it is probably only mile to moderatley oxidized.

Here are some pics so maybe you can help me











Like i said is only looks really minor and that i think i can get this off in one or two passes with DG501 and follow it up with Collinite 845. Just need to rent a high speed buffer and hopefully i can get this done in a day or so.

Also --can someone answer me this question....I was told to NEVER EVER--forever Never ever WAX THE BOTTOM of a boat. Because the boat actually grips the water and that if it is waxed it wont have the bite???? Dont know If i truely buy into that theory but thats what a local dealership here in Abilene, Tx told me. This might just be a myth for all i know but he said you can wax everything BUT THE BOTTOM.

Most of this mild oxidation is around the Transom and on the horizontal parts of the boat.

I thank you guys again for you help with this

[discoverypro]

Here is a picture of the entire boat



oh and BTW--when it gets finished I am having a custom Cover made for the boat as i really dont want this baby to sit in the sun all the time. And in West Texas the Sun can be Brutal on any car,truck, rv or Marine type vehicle. So a cover will be the best for this and will also save my interior as well

[Mike Phillips]

This picture here looks like a spot with missing clear coat?




Is the edge around this area rough? Can you feel it with your finger?

What does the blue metallic paint in this spot look like? Is it just as glossy or kind of flat? In the picture it looks like it's clear and glossy like the surrounding paint.


If you take ANY kind of paint cleaner or polish and rub on the finish surround this spot to you see blue pigment on your cloth? Or just the color of the polish?

Repeat this to the spot, if you rub on the spot do you get blue pigment on your cloth?

The rest of the finish looks pretty decent and you're right a light paint cleaner, cleaner/polish or light cutting polish or even a quality cleaner/wax should restore it pretty easily and then top it off with a sealant of your choice.


Also, don't get a rotary buffer/high speed buffer to buff this out, it will likely leave swirls and take more paint off than necessary, especially don't do this if you're not a seasoned expert with this type of tool. That goes double if you're seeing blue pigment coming off the spot in the picture above.

Invest in a dual action polisher or do your work by hand.

[discoverypro]

This picture here looks like a spot with missing clear coat?




Is the edge around this area rough? Can you feel it with your finger?

What does the blue metallic paint in this spot look like? Is it just as glossy or kind of flat? In the picture it looks like it's clear and glossy like the surrounding paint.

thanks Mike, Yes that spot you see is the worst spot on the boat and its in the transom of the boat. The area is glossy underneath and should buff out. It kind of flakes in the area and i just dont have my products yet to start. But i will watch out for Blue coming off on the pad.

I assume then the products i have chosen to work with should work then right? I could possibly use the DG 501 with a dual action polisher and then finish it with Collinite 845 and it should be good to go. How will i know though if i need to make more than 1-2 passes with the DG501?

Do I need to use a cutting wool pad with a DA polisher? and then follow up with a white pad-orange pad or blue pad? The Actual process and pad choice i get confused on.

Are there any Videos on how this process works? I would love to watch a video on how to remove oxidation or just a simple video on what each of the pads do.

just let me know

Thank you again