Color change

[C-Nile]

I mentioned this before but will throw it out there again. I would not post it but I helped and saw it happen.

A old guy I knew in California bought a old gold metal flake tri hull ski boat. It was faded so bad I was afraid to touch it thinking I would push thru the fiber glass. He claimed that he could bring it back to life with out a buffer. I said ok and said I would stop by in a few days with my buffer to help out when what ever he had planned failed.

Two days later I stop by and was amazed. He had brought half the boat back to life. It was so shiny and clean it was had to look at. You could see not only your self in the paint but the cars across the street. I was impressed. I asked for his secret. I was told that if i did not believe him and he proved it I had to do half of what was left ( which was why i stopped by anyhow). I bit and he told me, I called bull shit. He then wiped down and 1 by 1 ft area for about 3 min with his secret tool and a rag. No buffer was used. After a good wash the still to be waxed hull was a perfect match to the rest of the shiny boat. I was again impressed and ended up going more then my half of the boat with transmission fluid...... that's right red tranny fluid and a rag will remove the worse oxidation you have ever seen. Just do a little at a time and wash really well right after with a dewaxer or dish soap. ( by the way don't wash your boat or car with dish soap, you are removing the wax) . Then you can hand wax the boat or use a buffer your choice. that boat looked great for the 4 years he lived and was still looking great when his wife sold it.

Tom,
I did some research on the web, and while some people say they found success with ATF, I would highly advise against its use. It may work, because ATF contains a list of chemicals to include anti-oxidation compounds and surfactants. The thing I would worry about is toxicity and running afoul of government environmental regulations. Further, ATF's contain a complex formulation of ingredients that differ by manufacturer over time. You could actually harm the gelcoat. So I would recommend to our readership conventionally accepted methods for gelcoat restoration and protection.

Rich

 

[starcrafttom]

screw the feds and your mileage my differ :lol:

just brought it up as I was suprised it worked at all. Oh and we wore gloves, where hicks not stupid :wink:

 

[Sunbeam]

So my question to you: would using a dedicated compounding and wet-sanding process as you described, and then applying wax, have resulted in an entirely different outcome?

Yes, I think so. Once a boat is "chalked," I would say it is beyond a simple cleaner/wax type process, if one wants lasting results. Even a light haze - with "shine showing through" - can benefit from the process, although you don't have to start with as aggressive of a compound.

Although you can go right through the gelcoat (if you don't know what you are doing), on the other hand it is actually relatively thick as compared to paint. So if you are careful and/or know what you are doing, you can easily compound or wet sand it and still have plenty of thickness left (on a typical boat). I have seen boats rubbed right through to the cloth pattern, but that is usually after doing it many times, and or carelessly (or just not knowing how to do it properly). Or it's possible to encounter a thin spot where the original gelcoat was accidentally not quite thick enough (if a small area, this can be repaired).

If a good compounding or wet-sanding is done, and then a quality wax put on (I like Collinite 885), it will be much longer lasting than a few weeks or months.

The basic idea is like sanding wood: You go up through the "grits," from fine to coarser on a sample area until you find the least coarse that will do the job, and then you start there and work your way back to fine going over the whole boat. Even after it looks shiny, going through finer and finer grits will improve the looks and longevity, because there are fewer fine scratches and imperfections to absorb UV in future.

Compounds and polishes have "grit levels" just like sandpaper, only its suspended in the product instead of glued onto a sheet of paper. A good buffer also makes a huge difference. I have never had any luck with a "homeowner" buffer. I now use a Makita 9227, but I used to rent a "real" buffer from a tool rental place when I wanted to do the job.

Here is a post that lays it out much better than I can just with words (is it okay to link to another forum?)

http://www.sailnet.com/forums/gear-maintenance/52772-tips-compound-polish-wax.html

I do it pretty much how he outlines it. I recently tried the Presta products and like them, but I've also used 3M and Meguiars in the past. The microfiber cloths really do help.

PS: Although since you keep your lovely Marinaut in covered storage, you'll probably only need to wash and wax for many years to come :thup

 

[bob-kir]

I sprayed my dull and oxidized gelcoated fiberglass motor home with a high quality 2 part clear polyurethane and 6 years later it is still as shiny as the day I painted it! It sits outside and has never has been waxed.
Like any paint job, prep is everything. I dewaxed the surface and wet sanded with 320 grit and sprayed 3 coats. It took some time to sand and tape off the areas that you didn't want to paint but it's a one time job. Haven't touched it since! Of course you have to have good color left in your gel coat to start with.
Most of the 2 part automotive paints seem to hold up well on boats as long as they are used above the water line. With clear you don't have to worry about chips showing the old color.
Bob

 

[C-Nile]

Although you can go right through the gelcoat (if you don't know what you are doing)

PS: Although since you keep your lovely Marinaut in covered storage, you'll probably only need to wash and wax for many years to come :thup

As to your first statement, you got that right -- the shoe fits. if my gelcoat ever chalks I'll leave it to professionals. As for your second statement -- keeping our Marinaut in a boat house keeps her looking brand new, as you would expect for any good boat. After two full seasons, she still looks great. We wax the upper and lower hulls yearly, so other then the gradual evaporation of the gelcoat layer over time, she should stay looking new for at least another 10 to 15 years.

Thanks for your post. It was quite an education!

Rich