Wax aplication on 40ft boat, 10in bonnet's? or use foam pads?

[Strip Poker 388]

Ive been buffing and polishing for 2 1/2 weeks now. The last polishing was with the 3m ultra fina That step Ive been doing in the dark with the light reflecting the see swirl marks. So now Ive started waxing it, I got spaghetti arms already,,, lol I just got in some lq pinnacle wax to try, So Ive been using a 10" orbital buffer w/ thick microfiber bonnet. they have gotten old and need replacing or something new, I cant find the higher quality/thicker microfiber bonnets, ive been using it to put the liquid wax on and then taking off by hand, do you all know of a high quality bonnet or another way to apply the wax? I saw the micro bonnets here they didnt look any better than the cheap import stuff at auto stores.


I got all the 3m perfect it pads, thought about the blue pad thats for the ultra fina, but its the Makita 9227 that spins pretty fast,1400rpm?

Ive also got the griots 3in orbital polisher with all kinds of foam pads that i use on small stuff or around the outdrives, tight areas etc.

This is paint w/ clear coat so its not like most boat that are gel coat,the reason I put it in this section and not in the boat section.

What you all input,suggestions?

Thanks for any help

Rob



dark pick from warehouse and other 2 from last the car show,so its paint

[CarolinasFinestDetailing]

Bro...look into Optimum Opti Seal, CarPro Reload, or CarPro Hydr02. You`ll thank me later.

[Jay's 128i]

CarPro Hydr02 FOR SURE!!!!! CarolinasFinestDetailing is correct on this one!!!!!

[Whitewater25]

Ive been buffing and polishing for 2 1/2 weeks now. The last polishing was with the 3m ultra fina That step Ive been doing in the dark with the light reflecting the see swirl marks. So now Ive started waxing it, I got spaghetti arms already,,, lol I just got in some lq pinnacle wax to try, So Ive been using a 10" orbital buffer w/ thick microfiber bonnet. they have gotten old and need replacing or something new, I cant find the higher quality/thicker microfiber bonnets, ive been using it to put the liquid wax on and then taking off by hand, do you all know of a high quality bonnet or another way to apply the wax? I saw the micro bonnets here they didnt look any better than the cheap import stuff at auto stores.


I got all the 3m perfect it pads, thought about the blue pad thats for the ultra fina, but its the Makita 9227 that spins pretty fast,1400rpm?

Ive also got the griots 3in orbital polisher with all kinds of foam pads that i use on small stuff or around the outdrives, tight areas etc.

This is paint w/ clear coat so its not like most boat that are gel coat,the reason I put it in this section and not in the boat section.

What you all input,suggestions?

Thanks for any help

Rob



dark pick from warehouse and other 2 from last the car show,so its paint

What kind of paint, auto or marine? It makes a difference

[Strip Poker 388]

Bro...look into Optimum Opti Seal, CarPro Reload, or CarPro Hydr02. You`ll thank me later.

Whats the diff in the Optimum Opti Seal clear resin layer vs Klasse High Gloss Sealant Glaze, klasse SG sealant, klasse sealant glase,klasse sealant I tried the Klasse and did not like the Klasse Sealant Glaze acrylic coat. it left a greasy/silicone type film, I tried rubbing it out. I need do somemore research on it, Thanks

I got some Pinnacle Liquid Souveran Car Wax, going try it somemore tonight on the deck


Rob

these look thicker, but out of stock
AutoRight 9 or 10 Inch Microfiber Bonnet | AutoRight

[Mike Phillips]

I wouldn't use a cloth bonnet to apply a finsihng wax. The bonnet will soak up a lot of product and doesn't work as well as a foam pad on a DA.

If you use the 3M convaluted foam pad on a rotary my guess is you'll leave shallow holograms. That's the nature of rotary buffers but it's also very possible you won't see them... at least till the wax starts to wear off.

I use the Griot's 3" mini polisher as a mini waxer all the time but the largest pad you can use is about 4" and that would take forever on a boat this size.

The best way would be using a tool you don't own, any of these would work and I actually show them for this purpose in my boat detailing book.

FLEX 3401 with soft foam pad
Porter Cable 7424XP with a soft foam pad
RUPES BigFoot 21 with a soft foam pad

Out of the options you shared I'd probably opt for the rotary with super soft pad. INstead of using the 3M pad maybe get a gold jeweling pad from Autogeek and use it.



7.5"
CCS 7.5 foam pads, lake country 7.5 inch pads, 7 inch ccs foam pads, ccs pads by lake country, lake country mfg, lake country manufacturing

8.5"
CCS 8.5 inch Foam Pads, Lake Country 8.5 inch ccs pads, lake country ccs foam pads, rotary ccs foam pads, ccs polishing pads


This style,


Gold Super Soft Jewelling Foam 8.5"– Use the gold pad to apply a very fine polish or glaze as the final step of the polishing process. Jewelling is the term coined for this step because it intensifies gloss and reflectivity, like a jewel. The gold foam pad also works well for wax and sealant application.

[Strip Poker 388]

Its just like any showcar paint job, spies hecker polyurethane base coat and their high solids clear.

Ive never heard of a marine paint,maybe enamels, the regular boat company's use just a gel coat, the others w/ custom paint jobs use automotive, mostly polyurethanes back when i had mine painted

Thanks
Rob


Painted 2009

[Strip Poker 388]

I wouldn't use a cloth bonnet to apply a finsihng wax. The bonnet will soak up a lot of product and doesn't work as well as a foam pad on a DA.

If you use the 3M convaluted foam pad on a rotary my guess is you'll leave shallow holograms. That's the nature of rotary buffers but it's also very possible you won't see them... at least till the wax starts to wear off.

I use the Griot's 3" mini polisher as a mini waxer all the time but the largest pad you can use is about 4" and that would take forever on a boat this size.

The best way would be using a tool you don't own, any of these would work and I actually show them for this purpose in my boat detailing book.

FLEX 3401 with soft foam pad
Porter Cable 7424XP with a soft foam pad
RUPES BigFoot 21 with a soft foam pad

Out of the options you shared I'd probably opt for the rotary with super soft pad. INstead of using the 3M pad maybe get a gold jeweling pad from Autogeek and use it.



7.5"
CCS 7.5 foam pads, lake country 7.5 inch pads, 7 inch ccs foam pads, ccs pads by lake country, lake country mfg, lake country manufacturing

8.5"
CCS 8.5 inch Foam Pads, Lake Country 8.5 inch ccs pads, lake country ccs foam pads, rotary ccs foam pads, ccs polishing pads


This style,


Gold Super Soft Jewelling Foam 8.5"– Use the gold pad to apply a very fine polish or glaze as the final step of the polishing process. Jewelling is the term coined for this step because it intensifies gloss and reflectivity, like a jewel. The gold foam pad also works well for wax and sealant application.

guess they dont make a foam pad for my 10in Orbital polishers,

Yea prob not going put wax on with the 3m pad on makitia

The gariots 3in prob want be that bad putting wax on,i got the time

I prob need ck into the Orbital w/ the foam pad you recommended,ive got a bunch of stuff I polish on pretty regular hell I prob already spent 3-400 in the 3m stuff just restocking

I use the old 3m foam and wool pads to polish big alum stuff sometimes

Thanks
Rob

[Mike Phillips]

guess they dont make a foam pad for my 10in Orbital polishers,

I'm guessing you're talking about one of these?



TOB = Traditional Orbital Buffer aka The Wax Spreader

guess they dont make a foam pad for my 10in Orbital polishers,

The answer to your question is "no". This is because these old school buffer are designed to stretch a bonnet over a foam backing pad that is permanently attached to the buffer.

In order to use it with a foam pad you would have to attach some VELCRO to the foam backing pad so modern foam pads could "attach".

I've seen guys to this by the way and somewhere on this forum is a thread where a forum member shared how he converted his old school TOB to use modern foam pads. Of course it was still only good for spreading out a coat of wax, not any type of compounding or polishing as they are too slow and wimpy for this type of work on modern clearcoats.

I prob need ck into the Orbital w/ the foam pad you recommended,ive got a bunch of stuff I polish on pretty regular

hell I prob already spent 3-400 in the 3m stuff just restocking

Two suggestions... If you're going to be detailing cars and boats for the long run, (like me, been doing this since I was a kid), then to compliment the rotary buffer you already own get one of these,

Porter Cable 7424XP or Griot's Garage 6" dual action polishers.

Most people go for the Griot's as it has more power and a better warranty than the PC. With one of these tools you can,

Machine sand - I show this in my boat detailing book
Machine compound
Machine polish
Machine wax
Machine scrub tires, carpet, upholstery,

NOTE: If you like, I have articles, videos and pictures showing these tools doing all these things.



Or go full out and get the FLEX 3401 - here's my quote....

"With the FLEX 3401 you can power through any detail job"

That means since this is a gear-driven orbital polisher the pad simply will not stall out like it will on ALL the free spinning orbital polishers on the market. This means you can knock a project out faster than any other tool without burning the paint or leaving holograms.

And of course, you can machine wax with the FLEX 3401

Pictures & Comments: July 2015 Detailing Boot Camp Class!

[Strip Poker 388]

I'm guessing you're talking about one of these?



TOB = Traditional Orbital Buffer aka The Wax Spreader








The answer to your question is "no". This is because these old school buffer are designed to stretch a bonnet over a foam backing pad that is permanently attached to the buffer.

In order to use it with a foam pad you would have to attach some VELCRO to the foam backing pad so modern foam pads could "attach".

I've seen guys to this by the way and somewhere on this forum is a thread where a forum member shared how he converted his old school TOB to use modern foam pads. Of course it was still only good for spreading out a coat of wax, not any type of compounding or polishing as they are too slow and wimpy for this type of work on modern clearcoats.





Two suggestions... If you're going to be detailing cars and boats for the long run, (like me, been doing this since I was a kid), then to compliment the rotary buffer you already own get one of these,

Porter Cable 7424XP or Griot's Garage 6" dual action polishers.

Most people go for the Griot's as it has more power and a better warranty than the PC. With one of these tools you can,

Machine sand - I show this in my boat detailing book
Machine compound
Machine polish
Machine wax
Machine scrub tires, carpet, upholstery,

NOTE: If you like, I have articles, videos and pictures showing these tools doing all these things.



Or go full out and get the FLEX 3401 - here's my quote....

"With the FLEX 3401 you can power through any detail job"

That means since this is a gear-driven orbital polisher the pad simply will not stall out like it will on ALL the free spinning orbital polishers on the market. This means you can knock a project out faster than any other tool without burning the paint or leaving holograms.

And of course, you can machine wax with the FLEX 3401

Pictures & Comments: July 2015 Detailing Boot Camp Class!

Mike thanks for the info, IS there any/much difference in the Griots 6in compared to the 3 inch I already have? or just larger pad making it apply faster?

is the action the same in the 2?

Is the action in the Flex alot better than the Griots?

Thanks
Rob