Re: sherhold polisher
Re: sherhold polisher
Yup, get a variable speed polisher. Start to do some reading on finish treatments. I have an really old black & decker 2 speed polisher that I got in the 70's when I needed to do over a car. I don't need it very often, but it still works fine. I even retrofitted it to grind some paint on my daughters teenager sh..box.
oops, I digress.
My boat wasn't all chalked, but I wanted to get it all the way shined up. So I had to wet sand. When I got done with that I used some Meguiars Ultra cut 105 compound, then some 3M polishing compound ( the tan stuff) then some good Meguiars carnauba wax. Looks really good.
Learn the right way to use the buffer.
If you get a buffer that uses pads that are tied on to the buffer disc, tuck the strings in before spinning the machine. Start the wheel before putting it on the boat and remove it from the boat before shutting it off.
Always keep the contact area moving when it's in touching the finish. Use the buffing wheel on a low angle to the surface you're working. There is flexibility in the backing disc. So you can use the springiness of the disc to determine how much contact your pad makes. Don't put the center of the buffer down on the work while it's spinning, that causes swirls. And don't buff onto corners, that burns the finish, so buff off of corners. When you get to spots that the buffer won't reach, do em by hand with a cloth. For really tight little spots you can even put some compound on your finger, just rub it in and wipe it off.
Don't lean too hard on the buffer, just make good contact to work the abrasive against the surface. You eventually will "feel" when it's right. Low speeds are good for most things. I mainly use high speed when there's a lot of product on the surface and I spread it to work a larger area. I do that with lots of buffer movement along with the high speed. I also sometimes use high speed when removing product with a light pressure and a clean pad.
When you are done, it always takes a couple more touch ups on missed or uneven spots. And when that 's done it never seems that I get all the missed and oversprayed polish off the til I've gone over the boat a few times.
Hint, mask off the outdrive with a big trash bag, anything else that the buffer could spray might be smart to cover too. Cover things like speakers, gauges, radios windows and vents.
It's work, but I find it rewarding cause I take pride in my stuff looking and acting right. I hope your boat comes out great!
I also use 3M products. For a chalky gel coat, i would use something that has a grit you can feel in your fingers... these heavy grits usually don't finish 100% glossy. So usually you step down to a finer finish then finish it with a quality wax.
