Buff, Buffer, Buffering, Buffington... or.. not...


S

SabrToothSqrl

Well-known member
With owning a few black cars, it was time to step it up to a real dual action buffer and tools... so I did.

Spent 6 hours on EACH of my cars. Then turned to the boat. My everything hurts.

The good news is, the cars look awesome.
The boat... well, the graphics look good, but it's left some residue around them.
I can buff off the residue, but it's a hassle.

The DA buffer with a 5" pad just isn't going to cut it w/a 30 foot boat!

What do you guys use for the white fiberglass?
I plan to masking tape off the graphics I did, and get the white... whiter.

thanks.

28810584_10213701905194761_23991816_o.jpg28811033_10213701907434817_185668366_o.jpg28810652_10213693582986711_401015322_o.jpg28810185_10213693584346745_159352678_o.jpg28876752_10213693220097639_1316017636_o.jpg28879990_10213701905434767_663579490_o.jpg
 
I did mine this past fall (310SS) with a 6" D/A Porter Cable buffer - Chemical Guys buffing pads (white / orange depending on level of oxidation, which was minimal) to spread the wax / hand wipe to remove and buff. Had the boat out of the water on stands so needed ladder / scaffolding to reach some areas. Did topside down to water line. Took 2 days (about 6 hours per day). Strenuous. But looked great when done. I think this may be a job that I hire out in the future!
 
I have also been using a Porter Cable 6.5" pad + an assortment of polishes and waxes.

Most recently, I used Chemical Guys' Marine Revive Polish (white pad) followed by their Boat Wet Wax (red pad).

My boat being a 2017, oxidation isn't yet a problem (and I hope with regular TLC it never becomes one). You may need a green or yellow pad with a polish (test on a small area) as the stronger abrasion will cut down the oxidation.
 
FastMarkA said:
You may need a green or yellow pad with a polish (test on a small area) as the stronger abrasion will cut down the oxidation.
Click to expand...

Hey FastMarkA, good input. Mine's a 2015 - stored outdoors during northern summers for its first 2-1/2 years but then inside heated warehouses during winter and spring. Its now in North TX and on a lift under covered storage. Prior owner waxed 2x per year and washed weekly. When I bought it this fall, it looked very good (but not quite great). Your suggestion of green/yellow pad combo is one step more aggressive than I wanted to go (hence my orange/white choice). I think I "caught" the oxidation just in time and before it became hard to clean up. This fall I used McQuires products but after reading a bunch, I learned that all of the soft waxes tend to have short lifetime especially in TX summer. As spring progresses, I'm going to put on a 3M Marine Ultra Performance Paste Wax to build up a longer lasting base for the summer and then touch up with McGuires products as the summer goes on. I'm still experimenting on the best way to take care of things.
 
If I've learned one thing in my detailing hobby, it's that if you buy [garbage] products, you'll get [garbage] results.

These days, I spend the extra money on three things (1) guacamole at Chipotle, (2) red wine, and (3) detailing products.

Chemical Guys is very reasonable for the quality; the other I really like is Menzerna One-Step with Premium Protection. The results aren't only better, but the application is easier.
 
+1 on advoiding garbage products. The best I have found is Collinite 920 fiberglass cleaner with buffer dose amasing job, then 885 paste wax by hand, on and off. Then soft buffing wheel to shine up.
 
Am I interpreting from the previous 2 posts that you both put McGuires and 3M Paste Wax products in the "garbage products" category?
 
I rate 3 M waxes but only applied by hand. I then Quick Detail around any overspray once the boat is waxed by a DA or rotary. Always tape graphics. Little goes a long way and remember wax is self sacrificial, and will not last for more than a few months, maximum.
 
I really did not mean it that way, I have seen 3M products used to good results, i would not consider either of those garbage, but have had the best resaults out of Collinite. I would stay away from all in ones or the off brands.
 
rclementtx said:
Am I interpreting from the previous 2 posts that you both put McGuires and 3M Paste Wax products in the "garbage products" category?
Click to expand...

Not to offend, but that's usually where I categorize them.

Having used both 3M and Meguiar's, I find they dry way too fast (water is cheaper than oil), which leads to streaking on the fiberglass, and I haven't even started on the elbow-grease required to fully remove them. Maybe my 17-year-old arms thought it was no big deal, by my 37-year-old arms don't hold back their discontent (for a few days, in fact) for the extra required labor. To add insult to injury, the dust resulting from their removal is just...I don't know...annoying and unnecessary?

I will give 3M some credit in the longevity department. I've had water bead up nicely for 4-5 months, and that's with being exposed to the elements 24/7.

Bottom line, there's a whole world of quality detailing products out there which are simply not as well known, likely a result of the smaller companies not having the mass market distribution/marketing budget. Once I started spending a few extra dollars/bottle on these products which were made with specific purpose and typically by chemical engineers who are enthusiastic about their application, I have never stepped foot in the car products aisle at a Target or AutoZone again.
 
I'm pretty happy w/the meguiars stuff on my cars, but maybe I don't know better. It works a lot better than other 'store' brands I've used.

As for the boat, I'm open to any/all ideas. It's 30' long and all the white top and sides needs buffed, so link me to whatever buffer and whatever pad and whatever chemicals you guys know work, and I'll give it a go! Or maybe my buffer is fine, and I just need the backer/pad/chemicals.

thanks!

We are at T minus 1 month or maybe 1.5 months until it's on a lift on the water and doing the sides would be impossible... so git 'r dun.
 
I have used the 3M Marine Compound and Finishing material for heavily oxidized areas followed by the Finesse-it II for a magnificent shine. I then coat it with a hard paste wax (Collinite).

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk
 
SabrToothSqrl said:
I'm pretty happy w/the meguiars stuff on my cars, but maybe I don't know better. It works a lot better than other 'store' brands I've used.

As for the boat, I'm open to any/all ideas. It's 30' long and all the white top and sides needs buffed, so link me to whatever buffer and whatever pad and whatever chemicals you guys know work, and I'll give it a go! Or maybe my buffer is fine, and I just need the backer/pad/chemicals.

thanks!

We are at T minus 1 month or maybe 1.5 months until it's on a lift on the water and doing the sides would be impossible... so git 'r dun.
Click to expand...

Your buffer is probably fine; so long as you have the backer pad with hook/loop so you can easily fit it with the foam pads, you should be ok.

It sounds like you've recently buffed the boat (my judgment is based on the first post in the thread).

If so, you've surely knocked down at least one layer of oxidation (it's hard to gauge oxidation/condition from photos).

While I make no promises your everything won't hurt, you can probably save some pain and do an "all in one" (polish/wax combo) with this Polish and Sealant from Chemical Guys. Fiberglass is pretty hearty (compared to the paint on a car), so I'd probably use a white or green pad (I have no idea the logic behind the pad coloring relative to its ability to cut, so you just have to kind of memorize it).

You'll want to follow it up with a quick detailer; any will do, but if you want my favorite, it's Sonax Quick Detailer.

If you feel like doing two rounds (a polish and a separate wax), then I'd probably recommend polishing with Menzerna's One-Step Marine Polish followed by their Premium Protection (for the wax/sealant). The problem with Menzerna is can be tough to get in the U.S. at a reasonable cost; I usually buy it when I'm over in Europe (and since work sends me there regularly, it's "free shipping" so to speak).

Chemical Guys also has a decent two-step offering: their Revive Polish coupled with Boat Wet Wax. Again, it's more elbow grease, but depending on how meticulous you are, you could save a few Advil and just do the single-step process and be totally satisfied.
 
IMG_20170420_141535961.jpg


After 3 step process listed above. Boat was not super heavily oxidized, but sufficient enough that the finish did not reflect like this.
 
eric_b said:
After 3 step process listed above. Boat was not super heavily oxidized, but sufficient enough that the finish did not reflect like this.
Click to expand...

Great finish!

It certainly requires a cocktail of Advil, Biofreeze, and your adult beverage of choice, but for those who value a reflective hull, it's worth the work.

What I've been doing in the off season is a layer each month. So back in January, I did the polishing layer...twice. Then in February, I applied the wax. I'll do another coat of wax this next week, but breaking up the work gives better results. (By the time round two is done, I'm pretty fatigued, and really just don't G.A.S. and prefer to be done.)
 
SabrToothSqrl said:
Wow that is shiny. Mine is no where near that on the white fiberglass... yet...
Click to expand...
Cheap harbor freight rotary buffer with a 3M heavy wool pad for the Marine Compound and then a lighter wool pad for the Finesse-it and hand application and removal on the wax.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk
 
From recent BoatUS newsletter on caring for gelcoat ...

[FONT=&quot][h=2]Cleaning[/h]The first step in restoring the gloss to dull gelcoat is always a thorough cleaning. Add a cup of detergent to a gallon of water — warm water is better — and use a sponge to wash the surface with this solution. Be sure to protect your hands with rubber gloves.
If mildew is present, add a cup of household bleach to your cleaning solution. Difficult stains like fish blood and waterline scum may require the direct application of a concentrated cleaner formulated for fiberglass. Rinse the clean surface thoroughly and let it dry.
[h=2]Degreasing[/h]For dependable results from wax or polish, the gelcoat surface must be completely free of oil and grease. Detergents often fail to fully remove these contaminants from porous gelcoat. Wipe the entire surface with a rag soaked in MEK (preferred) or acetone, turning the rag often and replacing it when you run out of clean areas. Again, protect your skin with thick rubber gloves.
[h=2]Wax[/h]Keeping gelcoat coated with wax-starting when the boat is new — is the best way to prolong its life. Regularly waxed gelcoat can retain its gloss for 15 years or more. The real purpose of a coat of wax is to protect, but wax also has restorative properties if the gelcoat is not too badly weathered.
Application instructions vary among brands, but in general you apply the wax with a cloth or foam pad using a circular motion. Let the wax dry to a haze, then buff away the excess with a soft cloth, such as an old bath towel. The remaining wax fills microscopic pitting in the gelcoat and provides a new, smooth, reflective surface.
[h=2]Polishing[/h]Polish is not a coating, but rather an abrasive — like extremely fine sandpaper. Polishing removes the pitted surface rather than coating it. Use a soft cloth to apply polish to a small area at a time, rubbing with a circular motion until the surface becomes glassy. After polishing, you should apply a coat of wax to protect the surface and improve the gloss. Some polish products include wax in their formulations.
[h=2]Using Rubbing Compound[/h]If the gelcoat is weathered so badly that polish fails to restore its shine, you will need the stronger abrasives rubbing compound contains. Wax on the surface can cause the compound to cut unevenly, so first remove all wax by "sweeping" the surface in one direction — not back and forth — with rags saturated with dewax solvent or toluene.
Select a rubbing compound formulated for fiberglass and use it exactly like polish, rubbing it with a circular motion until the surface turns glassy. The gelcoat on your boat is about 10 times as thick as the paint on your car, so compound shouldn't cut all the way through it as long as you are careful not to rub in one place too long. If the gelcoat starts to look transparent, stop.
After the surface has been compounded, polish it, then coat it with wax and buff it. Providing the gelcoat has an adequate thickness — your boat might have been compounded previously — this process will restore the shine to fiberglass in almost any condition.
[h=2]Do You Need an Electric Buffer?[/h]You can wax, polish, and compound by hand, but on anything but the smallest boat, your arm is going to get very tired. An electric buffer takes much of the work out of keeping a boat shining and is less expensive and less painful than elbow replacement.
Electric buffers operate at relatively slow speeds, so don't try to "make do" with a polishing bonnet fitted to a disk sander or a sanding pad chucked into a drill. You will either ruin the surface or ruin the tool. A buffer with an orbital motion will leave fewer swirl marks.
[h=2]Restorer[/h]In recent years a number of products have come on the market that claim to restore the surface of the gelcoat. Restorer formulations renew the gloss in essentially the same way as wax — by providing a new smooth surface — but without the need for buffing. Results can be dramatic, but because restorers are a plastic (acrylic) coating — similar to urethane varnish — they can wear off, flake off, and occasionally discolor. Restorer kits typically include a prep wash and sometimes a polish in addition to the restorer. A specialized stripper for removing old sealer is also necessary.
There are variations in the recommended application, but in general it is the same as already described — clean, polish, and coat. The acrylic sealer is usually water-thin, so applying it to the hull is much easier than, say, paste wax. And it dries to hard film, so no buffing is needed. However you do have to apply several coats — five is typical — to get a good shine. If the product you have selected doesn't include an applicator, use a sponge or a soft cloth to wipe the sealer onto the gelcoat. Drying times are short, so subsequent coats can generally be applied almost immediately.
A multicoat application can restore the shine to weathered gelcoat for up to a year, but when it is time to renew it, you will need to remove the old sealer using the special stripper supplied in the kit (or available separately). Apply five fresh coats of sealer and your boat should shine for another year.


[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Don Casey has been one of the most consulted experts on boat care and upgrades for 30 years, and is one of the BoatUS Magazine's panel of experts. He and his wife cruise aboard their 30-footer part of the year in the eastern Caribbean. His books include Don Casey's Complete Illustrated Sailboat Maintenance Manual, and the recently updated This Old Boat, the bible for do-it-yourself boaters.


[/FONT]
 
Just remember there's quite a few formula that are painted and not gel that has a significant impact on the approach

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
 
Can I get a recommendation on a polishing compound to use on the Imron Paint. 2015 400ss that's new to me on April 12th. Have it set for a detail on the 13th.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top