What/How to polish the gel coat??

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10-28-2012, 10:22 PM
EricU

What/How to polish the gel coat??
I have a '01 LSV (Yellow and White) and one of my winter projects is to buff out the gel coat after seeing 98Roo's post of bringing his boat back from the dead. My '01 is not as bad as 98Roo's but we bought our's earlier this year from a guy that let it sit outside alot.

I am having the interior redone and want to bring the shine back to the gel coat and get rid of the side "Mobius" stickers (I still don't know what that is)

What do I need?
1. A rotary buffer?
2. What polishes?
3. Any helpful suggestions?
Also, any suggestions on how to polish up a rad-a-cage tower?

I really hope I don't have to wet sand the entire boat as I have a messed up shoulder, am old, fat, bald, etc, etc.... Just wet sanding my sub enclosure was a pain to me (and I have at least two more to build!!)

Thanks, Eric.
10-28-2012, 11:02 PM
beat taco

3 Attachment(s)

Two choices IMO:
Attachment 16400

The small one does a great job and is very user friendly, I strongly recommend it, especially for beginners. I have gone around with different products but must say the 3M compounds are my current favorites.
I have brought back some severely oxidized gel coats without sanding. Wish I had before pics but the blue stripe around the top of my boat was almost white it was so oxidized when I got it.
Attachment 16401
Attachment 16402
10-29-2012, 12:32 AM
EricU
Quote:

Originally Posted by beat taco

...I have gone around with different products but must say the 3M compounds are my current favorites...
1. Any particular recomendations as to which of the 3M products? They seem to have quite a few
2. What is the best place to pick them up? At the local auto paint supply?
Thanks, Eric.
10-29-2012, 12:54 AM
bergermaister

Quote:

Originally Posted by EricU

I have a '01 LSV (Yellow and White)

^This I would like to see. Do you have the light metal flake finish in the yellow?

I've wondered myself about buffing too far into it and messing that up. Also having to deal with ghosting around the letters where decals are removed. Saw another member's blue boat that was pretty bad after decals were removed and a whole lot of work to take it out, but I'm thinking/hoping yellow would not show up as much.
10-29-2012, 08:34 AM
bkearney
Quote:
Originally Posted by EricU

I have a '01 LSV (Yellow and White) and one of my winter projects is to buff out the gel coat after seeing 98Roo's post of bringing his boat back from the dead. My '01 is not as bad as 98Roo's but we bought our's earlier this year from a guy that let it sit outside alot.

I am having the interior redone and want to bring the shine back to the gel coat and get rid of the side "Mobius" stickers (I still don't know what that is)

What do I need?

A rotary buffer?
What polishes?
Any helpful suggestions?

Also, any suggestions on how to polish up a rad-a-cage tower?

I really hope I don't have to wet sand the entire boat as I have a messed up shoulder, am old, fat, bald, etc, etc.... Just wet sanding my sub enclosure was a pain to me (and I have at least two more to build!!)

Thanks, Eric.
No idea on the tower, but I would love to hear others. Here was my post on a Blue 2003 LSV.

http://kearneyville.com/2012/02/27/f...oat-detailing/

-- bk
10-29-2012, 12:53 PM
EricU

Quote:

Originally Posted by bkearney

...Here was my post on a Blue 2003 LSV.

http://kearneyville.com/2012/02/27/f...oat-detailing/

-- bk

BKearney, Nice job, that is the kind of results that I am looking for.

Did you ever try to repair the gel coat scratches? I am sure I have a few as this summer was the year that I taught the kids how to launch and load the boat, with a few "mishaps"

Eric.
10-29-2012, 12:55 PM
EricU

Quote:

Originally Posted by bergermaister

^This I would like to see. Do you have the light metal flake finish in the yellow?...

No metal flake at all, and what would you like to see?

Eric.
10-29-2012, 01:00 PM
bergermaister

few pics of your boat - sounds like a twin to mine almost. Same kind of maintenance and TLC things going on.

I didn't know there was an LSV in 2001.
10-29-2012, 01:10 PM
EricU

3 Attachment(s)

Quote:

Originally Posted by bergermaister

few pics of your boat - sounds like a twin to mine almost. Same kind of maintenance and TLC things going on.

I didn't know there was an LSV in 2001.

I don't know either, that is just what we call it, because we have no idea what it is other than a Moomba and it is a V-drive. I still don't know what a "Mobius" is!!

These are a couple of pics after just picking it up and one of the new Bimini and tower speakers.

Eric.

Attachment 16464 Attachment 16466 Attachment 16465
10-29-2012, 01:22 PM
bergermaister

Love that bimini! That is what I want to go with - over the tower, strapless, duo color. Very sharp!

I don't blame you on wanting to lose the decals - heard those referred to as the "Barbie graphics" more than once. LOL
10-29-2012, 01:33 PM
EricU

Quote:

Originally Posted by bergermaister

Love that bimini! That is what I want to go with - over the tower, strapless, duo color. Very sharp!

We like it also, very happy with it. Doesn't look as "low" when on the water, but I can now stand up in the boat!! which comes in handy.

Now if I could only find a place to buy a towable cover! The guy that did my bimini for about $800 shot me a price of almost $2k!!!! I almost fell over!

Funny thing is I can get a cover for my suburban for less than $200 - That is quite a difference, guess there is a lot more Suburbans out there.

Quote:

I don't blame you on wanting to lose the decals - heard those referred to as the "Barbie graphics" more than once. LOL

It was pretty sharp in 1986!!

I got the boat so cheap with less than 200 hours on it (not anymore!) and was planning on just using it as a temp wakeboard boat until I could find a Natique this winter, but I ended up loving the way it rides so we are cleaning her up, already added a PerfectPass and a new stereo and of course the Bimini.

Eric.
10-29-2012, 01:43 PM
bergermaister

Shop around - I have heard the same but found a guy who will do a custom towable, strapless cover for around $800 for me. He does mostly fishing boats but owns a Sanger - funny. This is a "its who you know" sort of deal though as my brother has been bringing his boats to the guy for the last 20 years. Average was more like $1200 at most places. Maybe scope out Evolution covers and see what they can do for you.

Curious if you can you tow on the road with the bimini out? At freeway speed?
10-29-2012, 01:53 PM
EricU

Quote:

Originally Posted by bergermaister

Shop around - I have heard the same but found a guy who will do a custom towable, strapless cover for around $800 for me. He does mostly fishing boats but owns a Sanger - funny. This is a "its who you know" sort of deal though as my brother has been bringing his boats to the guy for the last 20 years.

What about your old fat bald long lost brother down in Northern California?????

Quote:

Curious if you can you tow on the road with the bimini out? At freeway speed?

All the time, I figure the cover doesn't know if its on the lake or a trailer though I pretty much keep it under 65, and if I am going more than an hour I will wrap it up. The guy didn't put any straps on the cover, which I thought was wierd, but it actually just sits right against the tower, but I am going to sew in a couple of straps just in case.

Funny thing is when we picked up the boat at the guy's shop, which is about an hour and a half south of me, he would NOT let the boat leave with the top up!!!

Eric
10-29-2012, 01:54 PM
bkearney

Quote:

Originally Posted by EricU

BKearney, Nice job, that is the kind of results that I am looking for.

Did you ever try to repair the gel coat scratches? I am sure I have a few as this summer was the year that I taught the kids how to launch and load the boat, with a few "mishaps"

Eric.

I wet sanded a few of them, and the rest were so small I did not worry about it. I have one bad one, and it seems like I would need to spend about 50 to 100 dollars to match the color. And, TBH, since it sits below the water line I only ever see it in my driveway. From what I can tell, it would require new patch material, a dremal, and alot of wet sanding.
10-29-2012, 04:04 PM
New Guy

FYI That is the LSV not the MOBV the LSV is 20'8" and the MOBV i believe it 22' X"

The bimini is awesome any way to get some more pictures of it. I think that I am going to make something similar but I am going to make it snap to itself instead of the tower.
10-29-2012, 04:09 PM
EricU

Quote:

Originally Posted by New Guy

...The bimini is awesome any way to get some more pictures of it. I think that I am going to make something similar but I am going to make it snap to itself instead of the tower.

Not until I pull it out of its garage to take it down for the new interior which I have not finished designing. Poor boat is just sitting in a garage with its tower and bimini down next to an old car.

I cant believe that I didnt take any more pics the last day we were out, but I was busy with GLASS all day - the water was surreal!!!

Eric.
10-29-2012, 04:24 PM
bergermaister

Quote:

Originally Posted by EricU

I cant believe that I didnt take any more pics the last day we were out,

The kids used to ask why I was taking pictures of the boat just sitting there sometimes.

"To help daddy get through the winter baby..."
10-29-2012, 04:30 PM
EricU

Quote:

Originally Posted by bergermaister

The kids used to ask why I was taking pictures of the boat just sitting there sometimes.

"To help daddy get through the winter baby..."

No kidding there! I am sitting here getting prepared to weather out one of our severe Northern California storms coming in on wednesday. Might even have to put long pants on, brutal - just brutal!!

Eric
11-11-2012, 12:06 PM
98Roo

Nice boat! I got my hi speed buffer for like $40 at harbor freight and picked up some wool pads from Oreilly Autoparts.
This vid is great! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ke5kfYz9Ybw
11-11-2012, 09:39 PM
dhyams

Arr, I've never bought any power tool at Harbor Freight that I didn't want to take back. I bought a dual action polisher to do my boat with (probably just the step up from what you bought), and I hate it. It's basically an orbital-type polisher, because any time that it is in contact with the surface, it stops spinning. I also bought a scroll saw there one time that didn't work well at all.

If I had it to do over again, I would just buy the dual action porter cable. A lot of people seem to be very happy with it, and it might have made my 5 hour polishing job only take 2 hours (just finished that up this past Saturday).
11-12-2012, 06:57 PM
98Roo

I use the DA polisher from Shurhold with their polish. You need a hi-speed buffer with speed adjustments to polish the gel coat with compound.
11-14-2012, 01:25 AM
bhowell

Subscribing.
11-14-2012, 10:08 PM
rdlangston13

We need to have a boat cleaning party

Sent from my iPhone newtys droid killer using Tapatalk
11-14-2012, 10:26 PM
bhowell

Quote:

Originally Posted by rdlangston13

We need to have a boat cleaning party

Let's do it. I have a Craftsman polisher. I want to get the boat back to looking great.

http://www.sears.com/craftsman-10-in...p-00910723000P

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