Thinking of skipping Buff Magic and wetsanding?

[SeaNile]

2004 Rinker 312 with a navy blue hull. Bought it last year and it was pretty hazy and oxidized. Paid a detailer to bring it back to life and they did a pretty good job. I didn't get the specifics but I know they used 3M products and compounded and then waxed. The owner did say to really bring the shine back that it should be wet sanded. The work they did lasted about 3 weeks then the hazyness came back, especially on the side facing the sun. I have wetsanded a boat before (1974 31 Bertram) and it it's not that difficult of a job. I have the Harbor Freight rotary polisher, 5 wool pads or so, foam pads and recently bought Buff Magic and Pro Polish. I don't mind going with the Presta Supercut of need be, it's only a few more $$ to add to the project.

So my question is, do I have a go at it with the Buff Magic or should i jump right to wet sanding the boat?

Here are a few before and after pics from last seasons job.

[Ted S.]

Very nice boat!

I don't recommend wetsanding unless you have a PTG.

[aerogt01]

I was under the impression gelcoat is pretty thick, but I'm not a reliable source on the matter.. Also, that you need an expensive PTG to read over fiberglass.

[glen e]

wetsand it all you want...done it many times...try a section near the transom and see - start with 800, then 1500 and finally 2500...then the rotary......

You can also try a heavier compound first like 3M super duty or Aquabuff 1000.....

[Ted S.]

I was under the impression gelcoat is pretty thick, but I'm not a reliable source on the matter.. Also, that you need an expensive PTG to read over fiberglass.

Tells ya how much I know about boats.

[tuscarora dave]

I'd start with the 3M Super Duty and wool pad and go from there. You might find that it easily cuts that oxidation and may not even need the extra sanding steps. I've cleaned up gel coat that looked worse than that very easily with Super Duty followed by a lighter polish with a foam polishing pad. I suggest testing a few methods first before just jumping right into wet sanding.

[Nappers]

I'd start with the 3M Super Duty and wool pad and go from there. You might find that it easily cuts that oxidation and may not even need the extra sanding steps. I've cleaned up gel coat that looked worse than that very easily with Super Duty followed by a lighter polish with a foam polishing pad. I suggest testing a few methods first before just jumping right into wet sanding.

I agree, my old stand by for oxidation is M80, a great product with great oils to clean up oxidization.....

Start least aggressive first I heard someone mention.....

[Mike Phillips]

Some gel-coat finishes are very hard, if it were me and I was thinking about wetsanding the gel-coat I would start by doing a Test Spot and then checking to see how difficult it was to remove my sanding marks.

Shouldn't be a problem but doing a test is a safe route to go no matter what a person is thinking about wetsanding...

[SeaNile]

What I am trying to avoid is doing 4 steps or more. I don't mind compound, polish then wax but wetsanding with 2 different grits, then compound, polish and wax will take too long. I'm going to order some Presta Supercut to have in case the Buff Magic doesn't cut it.

[KKYS]

Hi Folks:
This is my first post on AG. My name is Steve and I’m from the Ft Myers FL area.
We ordered some products, for the first time, from AG last week and we were very satisfied. Thanks AG.
Anyway back on topic……………
First of all, wet sanding is fine option if you’re comfortable with it. You can get a satisfactory 3 step result using Buff Magic (white).Here are a few things we do with heavy oxidation and Buff Magic.
First off as we wash the vessel we will use a white Scotch brite type of brush like a bathtub scrubber, trying to knock off as much of the dead gel coat as we can. This will help during the buffing process. We buy the 10lbs buckets of BM white, so we like to mix in some water to thin it down a little bit. Then we use a cheap paint brush to apply BM in the area and buff away with a good wool pad. BM white uses DAT or something similar, it starts out as 600 to 800 grit (they claim) and diminishes from there, which is great. But we’ve found one of the most important things you can do, in order to fully benefit from this product, is vigilance in keeping your wool pads clean and moist. Also we keep a spray bottle of water at hand for an occasional spritz. That dead gel coat can suck the moisture out of a product pretty quick before it has time to fully break down, especially in the sun and if the hull is hot. If you’re not familiar with using BM, after you buff a section wipe it down with acetone let it dry and inspect that you got down far enough into fresh gel coat. If you’re satisfied, then you should be able to use a polish/sealer with a foam pad. Then top off with your favorite wax.
Steve