Wax vs Polish

S

sruman

Cadet
Joined
Jun 6, 2009
Messages
24
What is the difference between the two products?
Are 'all in one' restorer/wax products good (3M)?
I have a boat with fading gel coat (oxidation?). When it is wet, it looks great, when dry, very dull.
How do I know which product to buy? Both, based on description, seem to do the trick. Just looking to see what the differences are, and when to use each one.
 
woosterken

woosterken

Lieutenant
Joined
May 18, 2005
Messages
1,431
Re: Wax vs Polish

I think the polish takes the oxidation off,and the wax provides protection from the sun and the likes.

woosterken
 
B

BeaufortTJustice

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Oct 8, 2009
Messages
248
Re: Wax vs Polish

Woosterken is correct...to expound upon his response:

the reason behind it is that polish contains an abrasive ingredient (which provides the "polishing" effect), wax generally does not (there are exceptions, depending on brand / type).

Generally, a polish is used when needed to remove oxidation, otherwise go with the wax. I made the mistake years ago with my first car of repeatedly using polishing compound on it and after a time I think I removed the clearcoat...point being, I think there is such a thing as too much of a good thing.

Hopes this helps and compliments previous post. Happy boating.
 
D

D_J_Winn

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Oct 12, 2009
Messages
31
Re: Wax vs Polish

If you have light oxidation you want a polish, I highly recommend the uses of M3 steep 1 It contains a little rubbing compound with a mix of waxes to help protect your boat. It will give you the look you are looking for. This will remove the oxidation and and return the luster. Once the oxidation is gone switch to marine wax.
 
marine4003

marine4003

Lieutenant Junior Grade
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Feb 3, 2008
Messages
1,119
Re: Wax vs Polish

Suggestion: buy one bottle of compound, one of polish,and a quality marine wax. in a small area (2x2) use the compound then polish then wax..next to that area just polish &then wax..see how they compare. generally the process is..compound..polish then 2 coats of good ( meguires,collinite)wax. done right it will last for 6-9 months depending on use and conditions..good luck.
 
S

sruman

Cadet
Joined
Jun 6, 2009
Messages
24
Re: Wax vs Polish

Is it better to apply by hand, or use a buffer? I heard to be careful with a buffer, as you can 'burn' the finish?
Thoughts?
 
ziggy

ziggy

Admiral
Joined
Jun 30, 2004
Messages
7,473
Re: Wax vs Polish

Thoughts?
Click to expand...
if ya do it by hand, yer more likely to see any defects that may have occurred w/o notice. ya get to feel every inch of your boat when waxing by hand..
 
scbackpacker

scbackpacker

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Aug 26, 2009
Messages
130
Re: Wax vs Polish

Yes you will feel every inch if doing it by hand. I have a bottle of 3M 1 step Marine cleaner & wax I bought from the company store a while back so I had to buy a boat to use it on. The finish on the boat looks good but it could be better. So I started hand waxing the finish. It goes on easy but it's like some of the other 3M automotive waxes takes some rubbing to get off. If it last as long as the car wax does it'll be a while before i need to wax again. Now the sun just shines off the finish. The Marine cleaner & wax contains a light rubbing compound combined with carnuba and other waxes (right off the bottle).
 
C

Chuck H.

Cadet
Joined
Aug 26, 2009
Messages
7
Re: Wax vs Polish

You might want to take a look at Bow to Stern (BTS) in place of wax. It won't remove oxidation, but will put a polymer sealant on your gel coat and every other surface on your boat. Most people who try it won't go back to anything else after they see the results.
 
marine4003

marine4003

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Feb 3, 2008
Messages
1,119
Re: Wax vs Polish

All in one products are convenient..but not long lasting, to obtain a good , deep ,long lasting protective coat that requires less maintenance use 3 separate products. compound removes oxidized gel coat,or dried top surface layer for a better explanation. But compound will leave micro scratches in the finish..that's where polish comes in, polish removes any residual oxidation and levels micro scratches. Wax , wax is the "barrier coat" by that, i mean it should be comprised of good adhesion quality's..UV protection and good water repellent. Excellent products aren't cheap, but consider this..having cheap product for $5 bucks a 12oz bottle = wax 4 times a year = $20. Great product at $10 a bottle 1 time a year = $10. Plus the time it takes. So , its false economy to purchase cheap products. All in one wax & polish doesn't do as good of a job removing oxidation on older finishes as does compound/polish method , sure it may look good at first, but how often do you need to repeat the process to maintain that look? do it right and it saves you time & money in the long run.Good product = Collinite . Meguires . 3M . Crap = "magic elixirs" promising amazing results with hardly and effort. There's only ONE WAY to obtain a good,long lasting finish..HARD WORK.
 
A

amanphoto

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jun 21, 2008
Messages
336
Re: Wax vs Polish

don't wax - use polymer polish. The wax doesn't bond to the fiberglass and it will still oxidize under the wax. Your going to have to wet sand to remove the oxidation and then buff out the sand marks and then polish. When you wet sand put a little soap in your water and wrap your sand paper around a sponge. It take a little time, but the finished product is nice.

check out this...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_I9cEDKSLHE

Good Luck
 
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