Cleanup Time

[boatnluvr]

Not to sound "girly", but I would really like to get the fiberglass shine back on my 88. Oxidation is fairly bad, especially topside. I don't want to cover it up with a polish, but rather compound, sand and wax. So I am looking for suggestions on the steps and materials to use. I have a new 12000RPM Porter Cable Random Orbit sander (5" 8 hole hook and loop) and also a Craftsman sander/polisher. I have researched all variations on doing this job. Some say to just sand all the way up to 2000 grit. Others say cleaning, then polishing compound or rubbing compound and then wax.

[boatnluvr]

Oh yeah, I forgot to ask about the non-skid on the bow. Can't really sand that. Also, any suggestions on finding a good detailer to do it all for me and how much I should expect to pay?

[Stillrunning]

I have tried about everything on the market and I get the boat nice and shiny then in about a month it starts loosing its shine. I have used this stuff the past couple of years and it does what it says it will do. The pic's are the same result as I had and its easy to do. The hardest part is scrubbing the boat to get it as clean as you can prior to applying the product. It last a good year and the next year you only have to touch up. It does take abou 6 coats to get a very good shine but on my 20' V20 I can do the hull in about 10min if that. Check out their site.
http://www.marinestore.com/vertglas-...32651773889586

[tsubaki]

I'm still in the process of removeing old paint both properly and improperly installed on the upper deck. I'm having to use stripper and then sometimes watersand with sanding blocks and then buff with compound till it shines and then cover with wax to maintain some long term gloss.
Don't use any sanding stuff (grinders etc), just buy a cheap buffer (Harbor Freight etc) and get some good grade buffing compound and polish most likely from a professional auto body supply shop. Store chains usually don't carry real compound but what they got will work on very slightly oxidised coats.
Experiment on flat easy surfaces till you get the feel of it and shine desired.

[tsubaki]

Starting problem

After stripping and watersanding slightly

After buffing and polish

[tsubaki]

[tsubaki]

The whole key to this is the fact that the paint is dry, much like blued steel that has not been oiled in a while.
If you get a good enough gloss from buffing don't stop there. Polish and keep polishing. At some point you can taper off and only do it a couple times a year.
The product and application that Still posted is the most correct way to go about it.

[Skools Out]

there's a reason boats have been painted usually they have repairs so you may strip part of it but you will find the repairs and then have to repaint to hull anyway. Also the more you buff the less Gelcoat you have and that's thin to start with so you only get a couple buffings before you will have major problems with osmedic blisters all over the boat cause the thin gelcoat will take in water and the glass under that will create an acid and eat holes in your boat. go with this

http://www.poliglowproducts.com/index2.phtml

[boatnluvr]

Tsubaki, Is that 3M compound OK for gelcoat? Looks heavy duty.

Still, Did you use the Oxidation remover from Vertglas?

I am thinking....get a shine on it for now and then perhaps a more detailed job in the fall.

Thanks Guys!

[tsubaki]

That was the whole purpose of me removeing the paint so as to be able to repaint. However upon doing so and asking a couple of former owners about it, come to find out it was easier to paint instead of cleaning the gelcoat from being stained so severly. ??? ??? was my responce.