Boats and Gelcoat., Cut??

[beamerstrumpet]

I have been asked to do a coupple of boats recently. I said sure I can do it. but gotta do a few test first. being gell coat Im definatly going with wool on a rotary, My question is,,, Is Cut aggressive einough for gel coat?one of the boats is a 18` Bassmaster and has a scratch down one side. then the other side needs cleaning up. or am i goping to need the new more aggressive bodyshop compound of cut? (my other test product would be leaning to Megs M85 followed by speed or poxy)
Dave do you have any insight?

[beamerstrumpet]

bump,, Really? no boaters out there? no one tried any gelcoat at all??

[House of Wax]

I haven`t tried Cut on a boat, but I got some good results using the Marine31 line on our 23 year old boat this summer

[davidc]

Rotary, Wool and 3M Super duty

Dave

[RaysWay]

Do a test spot just like a car starting with the least aggressive polish first, but in most cases even with light oxidation I go with a rotary and a cutting wool + compound > polishing wool + polish > wax.

[Junebug]

Call a boat dealer, ask what they use - that`s what I did when I was tasked with a 11 year old Ski Nautique. I ended up using Shurbuff compound and wool pads via a DeWalt @1000rpm. Try it. That stuff is excellant for badly faded gelcoat. But, load up on wool pads and plan on cleaning a couple times before tossing in the wash bucket. You can spin dry them and go back to work with them damp.
Oh, and take a few Aleve before you start, your back will thank you later.

[Stokdgs]

Agree you need to talk to the best Boat Detailer around, and after he stops laughing, he will be able to help you..

Where I used to live, Deckhand Detailing, Lee Jorgenson, or Natalie, is absolutely the best Boat Detailing shop in the Northwest...

I can barely stand to Detail an Airplane anymore and boats are easily much harder - but not impossible with the right Rotary machines, tons of pads and great compounds..

Oh, and depending on the severity of damage to the gelcoat, you will be getting a lot stronger when this is all done, from the hours spent holding a 10+ lb tool that is spinning at all kinds of angles..

And then there is the Interior to do...

Good luck !
Dan F

[beamerstrumpet]

No interrior req,, just wants the top flats and the sides that are above the water line done. just saw the pics of using speed on a boat. yep gotta do some test spots.

[tropicsteve]

definitely stop by Marine 31 Forum - Powered by vBulletin. send some pics and I`m sure mike phillps and the troops can help . mike is a boat fanatic too.

[David Fermani]

You`ll be hard pressed to find another compound that offers the results that HD Cut with a wool pad does on gel coat. We sell a ton of Cut to not just boat detailers, but also boat manufacturers. It offers an excellent level of cut and work time that make these jobs much less tedious. You`ll also get a lot less surface marring and dusting than other polishing compounds.

[beamerstrumpet]

Thanks Dave! thats good to know!! I will document my jobs and post them here when done. might be a while though. I am looking for a guy who has a boat I can pratice on.Im sure he wont mind a free clean up so I can get my technique down.

[Junebug]

Stick with Shurhold Buff Magic, get some decent wool pads, and a rotary, it`s not rocket science. But, like another poster mentioned, you won`t need to hit the gym that week.

[David Fermani]

Thanks Dave! thats good to know!! I will document my jobs and post them here when done. might be a while though. I am looking for a guy who has a boat I can pratice on.Im sure he wont mind a free clean up so I can get my technique down.

Good idea! Practice makes perfect. If using a rotary/wool, just keep your pad flat, clean of gelcoat/dried polish and don`t be afraid to bump up the speed for easier cutting. You`ll be amazed how well gelcoat is to work with. It`s also pretty thick material so don`t be too concerned about buffing through. Let us know if you run into issues.