Buffing/Waxing advice. You can thank me later!

Hi Bob,

Great post! I've used 3M's "Imperial" line of Liquid Compounds for over 20 years (available in most auto paint supply stores). This is a two step process starting with their Microfinishing compound, followed by a glazing compound. The first being used to breakdown heavily oxidized surfaces and the latter of the two will bring out a brand new, just released from the mold finish.

It's a LOT of work, using a high speed wheel with a lambskin bonnet, but it's worked extremely well for me over the years. I've been looking for something that would require less steps to bring about the same results and the system you've eluded to sounds like the ticket.

It's about that time of year again to buff the deck, so I'm going to give it a try. I might add this... I used a polymer based wax last year to protect the newly buffed finish (Ultra-Wax from Rain-X) and I have to say I'm impressed with how well it has held up. For many years, I've used Rain Dance, thinking this.. the harder I work, the longer it will last. Wrong! These new polymer waxes are EXTREMELY easy to apply and even EASIER to remove. I'll never go back to "carnuba" based waxes again. (I think I spelled that correctly)

Another thing I might add... I tried an "orbital" buffer for the first time last year and was NOT impressed with the finish it left. Granted, there were less swirl marks, but these types of buffers don't have the speed that results in a "mirror" type finish. They are however, good for applying/removing wax.

If you have an oxidized deck and you want to restore a new finish, you simply must use a high-speed wheel. I use a Sears Craftsmen Grinder, with a rubber wheel and bonnet. That machine has served me well for nearly 20 years.

Thanks for your post. Great info!

Carl

>>Hey Carl, being a polymer does the Rain X stuff actually have >>wax in it, or do they just call it that?

Hi Bob,

Rain-X calls it a "wax", but the ingredients aren't listed on the label. What's noticeable is the UV protection this product offers. It has definately lasted longer than tradtional waxes.

>>Also, have you noticed any better protection against black >>streaks?

I can't say this has improved, with the exception of washing the black streaks off, which is always easier on a waxed surface. Because gelcoat is a porous finish that dirt and stains can permeate, the wax adds a protective "fill-in" layer that helps keep the dirt on the surface and out of your pigment.

>>What kind of boats are you using it on (size, gelcoat, paint)? >>And lastly, buff the deck? What kind of decks do you have?

I've had alot of boats through the years. If I can remember them in cronological order dating back to my pre-teen years, it would start with my runabouts and performance boats...

1971 13’ Boston Whaler
1974 16’ Donzi Sport
1975 18’ Donzi 2+3
1980 21’ Shadow
1986 24’ Skater
1977 27’ Magnum
1996 28’ Skater
1984 21' Shadow
1992 25’ Powerplay (still have this)

As for the yachts (these are family owned too)

1952 81’ Air-Sea-Rescue Conversion Yacht
1947 46’ Chris-Craft
1969 65’ Chris-Craft
1986 36’ Trojan
1992 38’ Ocean Sportfish
1988 45’ Hatteras Sportfish
1967 57’ Chris-Craft Constellation
1974 58’ Chris-Craft Roamer
1974 57’ Hatteras Motoryacht
1982 72’ Broward (our current boat)

I've buffed a few decks over the years! I honestly don't mind the work when I have the time. It's therapeutic.

Now...I don't consider myself an expert on too many things, but typically, I do all of the work myself on our boats, whether it be restoring finishes to removing risers, so I really appreciate your post on the products you've found that make life easier for all of us.

I don't have 84' of anything to deal with, but I can tell you it's a lot of work buffing my 32'er. I got tired of buffing a couple of years ago & went with the wipe on finishes. Took me a few tries to find a good one though. Ended up having to strip a few of them off.
I use some stuff called Shine-Again now, I just hand the bottle to my wife & say shine the boat!... I never break out in a sweat during the whole process!

My 2 cents..... Larry

The gelcoat was old, faded & chalky on my boats. I got tired of trying to buff it, didn't come back that well anyway. So, I decided to give the wipe on stuff a try. I heard about them on a sailing forum I visit, & saw them at a boat show.
They are all basically a wipe on clear coat. You definitely need to clean where ever you want to apply this stuff real good. It will seal in any dirt, etc...
All the ones I tried looked good at 10+ feet, but when you got closer you could see the flaws.
New glass II looked good at a distance, but when you got closer you could see the streaking. When applying it, it would start to flake off of your gloves & get into your work. I was able to remove it with simple green & a scrub brush though. Took me longer to remove it than to apply it.
Poli-glow worked much the same way, though didn’t flake as much. It came with it’s own stripper.
Shine-Again didn’t have the flaking problems & didn’t seem to matter what direction I was putting it on.
I needed to put on one or two coats more than the others though. I think it has less solids so it goes on smoother (with more coats). I ended up sticking with that because of ease of application & overall appearance. It looked better up close. More thinner coats looked a lot better too.
For mainenance I apply a couple of coats in the spring & the fall.
I was thinking about Vert Glas& Island Girl, but they were twice the price so I cannot say how well they work.
My 2 cents,
Larry

Ressurection

Well, as this thread is 5 years old, I thought it could use resurrecting . . .

Anybody have product/method they swear by for reviving gelcoat?

The new 3M marine wax with Scotchguard works really really well. I have had it protect on one yacht for 16 months before it needed to be re-wax in south Florida........Aquabuff 2000 is a good compound.

Depends on how bad the gelcoat is. If it's really bad then you may need to three step it. Wet sand, compound and polish. Followed by what ever protectant you like.

I perfer to use foam pads for the final polishing to elminate swirl marks. In fact I like to use foam pads on a HD orbital buffer to totally eliminate the chance of swirl marks. Like Makita BO6040 polisher or the Porter Cable 7424 HD Plus.

I like Aqua Buff or 3Ms Finesse-it followed by Zaino. I've heard good thinks about Buff Magic and their polymer coating Pro Polish.

Zaino is the only product I've used that did not strip off everytime I had to use degreaser on the transom of a boat that had a bad stationwagon effect.
I found I could wash the transom 3-4 times with straight degreaser to get the soot off and the water would still bead up on the gelcoat protected by the Zaino. Also with the Zaino it was very easy to wash off any black streaks left behind from the rain. And there are far fewer streaks after it rains with the Zaino than with conventional wax. Which the dirt streaks just seem to stick to.

+1 on Zaino. I was turned on to this product by the previous owner of my NSX. The paint on the car had a luster and depth unlike any I had seen before. It had several coats of Zaino. Show car guys swear by this stuff. It's super easy to apply and remove, leaving no wax residue. Best of all, it still beads after a couple of washes. It's a bit more expensive than some store-shelf waxes, so I haven't used it on something as large as a boat.

Where do they sell Zaino wax, specifically in the Fort Lauderdale area?

Just so as you know, a boatbuilder friend of mine advises, every time you wax and buff you are removing gelcoat. If you must , do it by hand, keep the heat down. Or, best yet, PAINT and just wash.

Yes, everytime you compound, you are removing some gelcoat. The longer you go between waxing, the heavier you will have to compound. This is true, but if you maintain the finish the compounding is very minimal.

If you wax the vessel it does not remove any gelcoat. If waxing is done often enough, you will rarely if ever have to compound. This is usually the best method. The Wax creates a barrier between the elements and the gelcoat and protects it. I have a few vessels that are waxed often enough that they haven't been compounded yet and they're 4 years old, and still shine like the day they left the factory.

Painting with Awlgrip is good as well, but very pricey to do. And yes, Awlgrip is supposed to be ONLY washed with Awlwash soap and never waxed or compounded. However, if you use an ammonia based soap such as Orpine on Awlgrip it will shorten it's life considerably (by 2-3 years according to the Awlgrip rep I spoke to) and it will start looking a little hazy in a few years. I had one vessel that was 13 years on it's paint job and it still looked shiny and had good reflection, yet you could see the primer coming through the paint in several places.

As for wet sanding, I would never ever recommend doing that to gelcoat. It opens the pores in the gelcoat, and then the boat HAS to be waxed every 2 or 3 months or it goes right back to the way it looked before wet sanding it in no time. It is more preferental to use a heavy compound on it instead.

It's available manufacturer direct. I don't think you can't buy it in stores. They have a full line of car care products. I'm using is "Z2 Pro" Show Car Polish. It's formulated for clear coat paint, so check with them about use on gelcoat.

www.zainobros.com

zainostore.com

Zaino may seem more expensive on the surface compared to wax but a little goes a very long way and it out lasts wax by a wide margin.

Zaino does have a product for gelcoat. Works great by the way.

Has anyone tried Rejex made by Corrosion X corporation. Its a polymer product that is excellent. Have used it on my 43 for two years and its very easy to apply and lasts well in the Fl sun.

Do not get a high speed buffer. Choose your buffing compound carefully. Read the warnings. Gelcoat is NOT the same as an automotive finish. A high speed buffer that generates high temperatures from friction, or too coarse a compound, will ruin the area you are working. Approach the repair with care.

Dear Ancient Mariner,

You're living up to your name. In the new world, the tools of the trade are a good wheel and liquid compound. It's the same technique a yard uses for a hull fresh out of the mold, or a deck exposed to a decade of sun. In contrast to an automotive finish, speed and heat are your friends with gelcoat. And when you speak of compound being too coarse for the same, you should take note that 600-grit sandpaper is often used as the first step in bringing badly-faded gelcoat back to life.