Gelcoat that is not very oxidized but has fine scratches...

Pun

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jul 12, 2004
Messages
128
Well, I just finished my floor, and now I'm onto restoring the gelcoat. My gelcoat has some very mild oxidation, but a lot of very fine surface scratches. I've got a lot of experience buffing and wetsanding, but I wonder what are the best materials to use. I'm actually thinking a real heavy compound would take out everything I need to take out with no wetsanding necessary, since there's no chalkiness to the boat.<br /><br />Some people say 3M Imperial, some say rubbing compound, some say polymer coatings. What should I use? <br /><br />I've also seen cryptic posts by a user named bounder who claims to have a method that saves time and works great, but in all the searched posts I've read, he never says what it is. Anyone know what it is that bounder uses?
 

Pun

Petty Officer 2nd Class
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Jul 12, 2004
Messages
128
Re: Gelcoat that is not very oxidized but has fine scratches...

sry dblepost
 

JustMrWill

Master Chief Petty Officer
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Aug 12, 2003
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Re: Gelcoat that is not very oxidized but has fine scratches...

I will contact bounder for ya...using his method right now and it is coming out great..taking longer than I wanted but I am also a looking for perfection. <br /><br />-JustMrWill
 

Pun

Petty Officer 2nd Class
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Messages
128
Re: Gelcoat that is not very oxidized but has fine scratches...

lol, whats so secret about it?
 

JustMrWill

Master Chief Petty Officer
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Re: Gelcoat that is not very oxidized but has fine scratches...

If I told ya.it wouldn't be a secret anymore. Sorry, sworn to secracy....<br /><br />-JustMrWill
 

Mark42

Fleet Admiral
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Oct 8, 2003
Messages
9,334
Re: Gelcoat that is not very oxidized but has fine scratches...

Search on posts by bounder. somewhere here he lists the website where he buys his compounds. If I recall correctly, he just starts with a coarser compound and uses a particular brand. <br /><br />If you have fine scratches, starting with a rubbing compound followed by polishing then something like Liquid Ebony will give you the most professional results. It's no secret. It's all about how much time you put into it.
 

Pun

Petty Officer 2nd Class
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Jul 12, 2004
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128
Re: Gelcoat that is not very oxidized but has fine scratches...

looks like he edited those all out, mark.
 

Mark42

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Re: Gelcoat that is not very oxidized but has fine scratches...

This is the site he posted: Fiberglass supplies. <br /><br />Look at the buffing bars. I think that is the product he likes to use to skip the sanding step and go right to polishing. <br /><br />Bounder did nice work judging from the pictures of boats he posted. I think they were 10 years old or so and had oxydized finishes. <br /><br />Most people here are working on boats 20, 30, and 40+ years old. Just something to keep in mind when talking about old gel coat and how to attack polishing it up. <br /><br />The bottom line is if you clean off the loose oxydized gel coat by any pratical means (wet sand, dry sand, Comet cleaner, etc) and then apply a polishing machine with two or three different grades of polish, you will end up with a shiny surface. Apply a few coats of wax and your good to go.
 

JustMrWill

Master Chief Petty Officer
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Re: Gelcoat that is not very oxidized but has fine scratches...

Hey PUN, shoot me an email at *edited*yahoo.com<br /><br />-JustMrWill
 

Pun

Petty Officer 2nd Class
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Jul 12, 2004
Messages
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Re: Gelcoat that is not very oxidized but has fine scratches...

bounder emailed me back. thanks bounder! and thanks justmrwill for offering to help! oh and thanks to you too mark!
 

ondarvr

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Apr 6, 2005
Messages
11,527
Re: Gelcoat that is not very oxidized but has fine scratches...

Something that needs to be said about gel coat repairs is that there have been many different manufacturers of gel coat over the years (fewer now). Not all of these products respond to sanding and buffing in the same way. Some were designed for good buffback and some were not, some were formulated for marine use and some were just general purpose products. Pigments that can be used in gel coats have changed due to federal regulations, so have the levels and types of solvents. Plus boat builders change gel coat suppliers fairly often, so it can change from year to year with each brand of boat. The gel coat can be applied with different equipment by the builder and with luck correctly. All of these things can effect the results when restoring a gel coat surface, so it is not always possible to get a good gloss and color back no matter what method is used.
 

AMD Rules

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Sep 23, 2004
Messages
1,707
Re: Gelcoat that is not very oxidized but has fine scratches...

I did quite a few test areas on my hull.. still work in progress but I have found what works best. My first approach was to use polishing compound.. on a high speed buffer. Worked ok but still not perfect. Second attempt in another area was wetsanding with 400, 800, and 1500 followed by the same polishing compound. Looked good, but still not perfect. Finally, I bought some 3M heavy oxidation remover "3M Marine Super Duty Rubbing Compond p/n 09004"... applied by hand, then followed by the normal polish & wax approach by hand. Wow... that 3M stuff is like liquid gold. The finish came out looking just like new. This hull did not have deep scratches, but had lost its shine. If I can get enough energy I will now use the 3M product for the rest of the boat. Seems wierd, but it worked much better than just wet sanding & polishing. Post some pics of your technique Pun... I'm interested to see how you make out!
 

Mark42

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Re: Gelcoat that is not very oxidized but has fine scratches...

From AMD
I bought some 3M heavy oxidation remover "3M Marine Super Duty Rubbing Compond p/n 09004"... applied by hand,
Should have tried the Commet first! :D
 

AMD Rules

Lieutenant Commander
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Re: Gelcoat that is not very oxidized but has fine scratches...

Should have tried the Commet first!
It was next on my list Mark. I was aware of your technique.
 

Ralph 123

Captain
Joined
Jun 24, 2003
Messages
3,983
Re: Gelcoat that is not very oxidized but has fine scratches...

FYI Guys - I am going to pick some up and give them a try. I found them last night when I was looking for pads for my Porter Cable 7424<br /><br /> http://www.properautocare.com/gelcocopa.html <br /><br />
These are the pads<br />used at the factory!<br /><br /> These wool compounding pads are designed specifically to restore gloss to dull, gel coat surfaces and polish large metal areas. They are the result of over 20 years of in-the-field research and development. These are the actual, oem pads used by major aircraft, marine and RV manufacturers in the U.S. and Europe. They are not available to the general public. We learned of their existence from a gel coat manufacturer and worked very hard to be able to offer them to our customers<br />
 
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