A while ago I ran across a Oxidation Removal Post on a Bass boat site I went to. This information is very helpful and I thought would be good to have here. Plus this will save you alot of money form doing it the wrong way the first time as I did.
Most boats can be brought back to look new by doing the wet sanding/compounding/glazing/waxing at home for the costs of the products and a high speed sander if you do not own one.......a lot of labor involved, but can save you big $$$$ over a re-clearcoat.
All the peripheral hardware should be removed from the boat, cleats, handrails, lights, windshields, decals, anything that can be unbolted from the top cap and consoles, etc will make the job easier....less obstructions when using the buffer.
You will need a high speed buffer, not an orbital buffer, the high speed produces the heat that makes the compound cut thru the faded clearcoat, you can use a cheap buffer, no need for an expensive model.
Harbor Freight has an inexpensive 3,000 rpm model.
http://www.harborfreight.com/7-inch-variable-speed-polisher-sander-92623.html
8 inch 3M waffle polishing pads.....the white one for compounding/cutting and the black pad for glazing/polishing.
Wet Sandpaper in 1200/1500/and 2000 grit. The grit can be matched to the severity of the oxidation...if it is real bad you may have to start with 800 grit and work up to 1200 grit.
3M Perfect It Rubbing Compound
3M Marine Finesse-It Ii Finishing Glaze
Any hard Carnauba Marine Wax
1st step is to remove all the hardware you can.
Wash the boat, remove any tar, bugs , etc stuck on the glass.
(try a Test spot with Buffer to see maybe if sanding is not needed if oxidation is not that bad.)
Sanding is always done by hand
Wet sanding allows the sandpaper to be cleared of gunk and not clog and also allows the contaminants to flush out of the sanded open pores on the gel.
2nd step is to wet sand by hand with plenty of water, put a few drops of dishwashing liquid in the sanding water to make the paper slide easier, dunk the paper often to clean the sanded material off the paper.
Start with the 1200 grit, sand the whole area to be redone, rinse off with the hose, repeat with the 1500 grit, and rinse, then again with the 2000 grit....this is very labor intensive , may take you a few days to get thru , don't sand too hard in one spot, keep feeling the sanded area.
Really heavy rough oxidation If it is rough, try a test spot and see if it works. Start with 800 grit and then 1000. Wet the paper. keep feeling the sanded spot to see if the flakes are actually thru, or if it is starting to smooth out. If it starts to smooth out with no flakes, then sand it smooth, compound the test spot and see how it looks compared to the original finish you started with. If the rough feeling is gone and no flakes are showing thru then you know you can do the rest of the boat.
if you feel any of the metalflake ( rough , grainy ) ((Make sure it is not rough oxidation you are feeling, if the oxidation is bad enough sometimes it can feel like flakes.)) stop sanding on that area or you will sand too deep and expose the flakes.
If you can feel the rough oxidation sand until it is smooth, you should be able to see the contamination coming off in the water, turning it murky. If oxidation is light, sand until the water is not real dirty.
When the sanding is done , wash the boat again to get the glass clean of particles, it will look dull but not faded.
3rd step is using the high speed buffer with the white 3M pad and the rubbing compound, do small areas and move the buffer slowly, not keeping it in one spot or it might burn the gel.
When done compounding wash off the compound and dry the boat.
4th step is using the black 3M pad on the high speed buffer and the 3M final glaze to put on a high gloss glaze coat.
Make sure you cover the carpeting in the boat with a tarp or plastic to keep all the material off the rugs.
By this time if their was not any actual gelcoat damage the clearcoat should look almost new again.
The final step is putting on a good coat of high carnauba paste wax....then keep the boat clean by wiping it down as soon as it comes out of the water with one of the spray wipes like Bass Boat Saver..
Pro-Tec makes an excellent polymer sealer for the gelcoat, bonds to the glass and seals the pores to help prevent oxidation.
http://www.protecproducts.com/products.html
Note
Don't waste your money on NewGlass , Poliglow or any of the other " quick fixes " for restoring gelcoat.
It is an acrylic base, in the same family as Pledge Future Floor wax.
It will only make your gelcoat shine if it is in very good condition already.
If there is any slight oxidation/dull spots, it will still have to be wet sanded or compounded off before using the product. Otherwise you'll still have the same dull looking gelcoat, just with a coat of hard wax on it.
All tend to fade/peel after a year or so of normal use in the sun.
Ack
Basscat7
bbcboards
Most boats can be brought back to look new by doing the wet sanding/compounding/glazing/waxing at home for the costs of the products and a high speed sander if you do not own one.......a lot of labor involved, but can save you big $$$$ over a re-clearcoat.
All the peripheral hardware should be removed from the boat, cleats, handrails, lights, windshields, decals, anything that can be unbolted from the top cap and consoles, etc will make the job easier....less obstructions when using the buffer.
You will need a high speed buffer, not an orbital buffer, the high speed produces the heat that makes the compound cut thru the faded clearcoat, you can use a cheap buffer, no need for an expensive model.
Harbor Freight has an inexpensive 3,000 rpm model.
http://www.harborfreight.com/7-inch-variable-speed-polisher-sander-92623.html
8 inch 3M waffle polishing pads.....the white one for compounding/cutting and the black pad for glazing/polishing.
Wet Sandpaper in 1200/1500/and 2000 grit. The grit can be matched to the severity of the oxidation...if it is real bad you may have to start with 800 grit and work up to 1200 grit.
3M Perfect It Rubbing Compound
3M Marine Finesse-It Ii Finishing Glaze
Any hard Carnauba Marine Wax
1st step is to remove all the hardware you can.
Wash the boat, remove any tar, bugs , etc stuck on the glass.
(try a Test spot with Buffer to see maybe if sanding is not needed if oxidation is not that bad.)
Sanding is always done by hand
Wet sanding allows the sandpaper to be cleared of gunk and not clog and also allows the contaminants to flush out of the sanded open pores on the gel.
2nd step is to wet sand by hand with plenty of water, put a few drops of dishwashing liquid in the sanding water to make the paper slide easier, dunk the paper often to clean the sanded material off the paper.
Start with the 1200 grit, sand the whole area to be redone, rinse off with the hose, repeat with the 1500 grit, and rinse, then again with the 2000 grit....this is very labor intensive , may take you a few days to get thru , don't sand too hard in one spot, keep feeling the sanded area.
Really heavy rough oxidation If it is rough, try a test spot and see if it works. Start with 800 grit and then 1000. Wet the paper. keep feeling the sanded spot to see if the flakes are actually thru, or if it is starting to smooth out. If it starts to smooth out with no flakes, then sand it smooth, compound the test spot and see how it looks compared to the original finish you started with. If the rough feeling is gone and no flakes are showing thru then you know you can do the rest of the boat.
if you feel any of the metalflake ( rough , grainy ) ((Make sure it is not rough oxidation you are feeling, if the oxidation is bad enough sometimes it can feel like flakes.)) stop sanding on that area or you will sand too deep and expose the flakes.
If you can feel the rough oxidation sand until it is smooth, you should be able to see the contamination coming off in the water, turning it murky. If oxidation is light, sand until the water is not real dirty.
When the sanding is done , wash the boat again to get the glass clean of particles, it will look dull but not faded.
3rd step is using the high speed buffer with the white 3M pad and the rubbing compound, do small areas and move the buffer slowly, not keeping it in one spot or it might burn the gel.
When done compounding wash off the compound and dry the boat.
4th step is using the black 3M pad on the high speed buffer and the 3M final glaze to put on a high gloss glaze coat.
Make sure you cover the carpeting in the boat with a tarp or plastic to keep all the material off the rugs.
By this time if their was not any actual gelcoat damage the clearcoat should look almost new again.
The final step is putting on a good coat of high carnauba paste wax....then keep the boat clean by wiping it down as soon as it comes out of the water with one of the spray wipes like Bass Boat Saver..
Pro-Tec makes an excellent polymer sealer for the gelcoat, bonds to the glass and seals the pores to help prevent oxidation.
http://www.protecproducts.com/products.html
Note
Don't waste your money on NewGlass , Poliglow or any of the other " quick fixes " for restoring gelcoat.
It is an acrylic base, in the same family as Pledge Future Floor wax.
It will only make your gelcoat shine if it is in very good condition already.
If there is any slight oxidation/dull spots, it will still have to be wet sanded or compounded off before using the product. Otherwise you'll still have the same dull looking gelcoat, just with a coat of hard wax on it.
All tend to fade/peel after a year or so of normal use in the sun.
Ack
Basscat7
bbcboards
).
