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mjr119
05-20-2015, 10:30 AM
So I have some light to moderate oxidation on the black portion of my boat. I have already been over it once with turtle wax rubbing compound from wal mart, then I went over it with Starbrite wax with PTEF. It looks MUCH better after doing that, but I still have some oxidation and ghosting from stickers that I removed. I did not put a full 100% effort into the job because I had never polished or buffed before, so I didnt want to be too aggressive with the compounding. Now that I see how much it helped, I was to do a better job on it this time around.


I am looking at the 3M imperial compound, it says heavy duty for heavy oxidation. Will this be too much for my needs? I am also considering the 3M color restorer, which says it is for light oxidation. But will this get rid of the sticker ghosts?

I plan to use one of the above, and follow with 3M Finesse-it 2 glaze. But I have a bottle of Turtle Wax polish, would this be an acceptable substitute?

After the polish/glaze I will finish it off with a coat of Starbrite wax with PTEF (I like this stuff, but I am open to other recommendations).

I know this topic has been beat to death, but I want to hear what people are using now! Thanks!

zabooda
05-20-2015, 11:23 AM
My experience with oxidation is it will return maybe weeks, months or a year later. It wasn't until I had a clear coat finish applied that it stopped and it actually looked like a new surface.

CookieMonster
05-20-2015, 12:03 PM
My experience with oxidation is it will return maybe weeks, months or a year later. It wasn't until I had a clear coat finish applied that it stopped and it actually looked like a new surface.

How much does that run? I was planning to get mine detailed in and out, oxidation removed and all for $450; but if it comes back quick I don't want to waste my money.

996scott
05-20-2015, 12:07 PM
3M makes great stuff, I use it a lot. I would use the LEAST aggressive product first and then check the results. If it wasn't enough you can always go more aggressive. Are you using a random orbital sander or by hand? Using an electric polisher is a HUGE help. this is a good site to get info and tips.

http://www.premiumboatcare.com/

mjr119
05-20-2015, 12:09 PM
I am using a polisher/sander. Im using the low speed polish setting. Wool pad. Moderate pressure.

zabooda
05-20-2015, 12:56 PM
The boat I had clear coated was a 1979 Glastron Carlson metal flake finish that I had refinished around 1998. I would remove the oxidation each spring and it looked good all year but eventually it was less effective and within a couple of weeks the oxidation would start coming back. It was a closed bow and that area and everything above the rub rail oxidized so I had just that surface clear coated so none of the hull was done. The price wasn't too bad but then I removed all the hardware and prepped the surface.

You need to see how long the oxidization stays away as for me once a year buffing wasn't too bad especially when getting it out of winterization and getting the boat cleaned up.

mjr119
05-20-2015, 01:39 PM
Yeah I am okay with one or twice a year buff or wax. Ill try the color restorer and see where that gets me. I know it isnt bad enough to need wet sanding.

wolfeman131
05-20-2015, 01:55 PM
How much does that run? I was planning to get mine detailed in and out, oxidation removed and all for $450; but if it comes back quick I don't want to waste my money.

I'd drop that $450 and spend my free time on the water

CookieMonster
05-20-2015, 01:57 PM
I'd drop that $450 and spend my free time on the water

Sounds good to me. I hated detailing vehicles for a living and really don't want to miss a weekend on the water to detail the Moomba.

mjr119
05-20-2015, 03:12 PM
If I could find someone local I would gladly pay that if they did a good job.

mjr119
06-02-2015, 08:44 AM
So I bought a nice polisher/buffer, some 3M Restorer & Wax, and some Meguiar's Flagship Marine Wax. Now I am almost ready to tackle this job!

But of course, I do have some additional questions.

What kind of pad should I use for the 3M restorer? It's a rubbing compound so should I use a foam pad or a cutting pad? Also what speed should I buff at (600-3000 rpms)

What should I use for the wax? Wool? What speed should I wax?

I still have a bottle of turtle wax polish, should I try this between rubbing and waxing?

beat taco
06-02-2015, 12:37 PM
What kind of polisher? Rotary or dual action? That will change the speed. Wool pads are for cutting. You want a wool pad on gel coat anytime you are cutting. A foam pad with aggressive compound takes work just to remove hard water spots. A wool pad will eat through them many times quicker using the same compound.
As you get finer with the compound you can switch to foam if you are doing a several stage polish. To apply wax I always put a terry cloth bonnet over a foam pad. I remove the wax with a microfiber towel. You can use bonnets to remove wax but they have a small suface area and to remove wax you want to be working clean sections of cloth (constantly rotatating).
Without a number system or more info it's hard to tell how fine or aggressive the turtle wax is. You could always test a spot after you do the restore and see if it's worth it.

mjr119
06-02-2015, 01:11 PM
Thanks for the reply.

I bought a variable speed rotary polisher with soft start (A nice feature).

Most of the cutting pads I've found online are foam. I have foam and wool pads, I think I will try the foam pad first and see where it gets me. My oxidation is light-to-moderate, so I dont want to be too aggressive unless it's completely necessary. As for the turtle wax, I think I will use it on a small portion and see if it gives a noticeable difference compared to the unpolished section.


I found this online:

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?43076-1979-Ski-Supreme-ski-boat-back-from-Davey-Jones-Locker&highlight=davey%20jones

It seems to be a good tutorial. Notice that his cutting pad is foam as well. Not sure if it matters that he is using a dual action polisher.

Whitey
06-02-2015, 01:22 PM
The DA polisher with foam is the way to go for inexperienced. It will do a great job with little risk of ruining your gel coat. If the boat needs more extensive work like wet sanding there is a lot of information out there on the forums. This is a good post on wakeworld.

http://www.wakeworld.com/forum/showthread.php?t=796397

beat taco
06-02-2015, 05:08 PM
Like I say don't waste a bunch of time with foam when cutting gel coat. Try both and you will see how much faster it is to use wool. It's practically impossible to burn through gel coat, unlike paint. What you do need to stay away from is your rub rail, and any rubber, vinyl, or plastic that will burn quickly. A foam pad on a ra polisher works perfect in tight areas and yes they are very forgiving and easy to use. I use both styles frequently.