Tweet
Doin it right
About four years ago I started a journey to restore the gel coat on my 1998 530 Carver. At that time, despite being waxed each year she had taken on some light to moderate oxydation and an inept detailer had ground in some moderate swirls swirls. I made the situation worse by not cleaning the surface before I started to buff the prior damage. As evidenced by this picture, I have learned and now the finish on this yacht is unmatched.
Here's the process:
Because we are not allowed water inside during the winter, I start with a spray bottle of Poor Boys Waterless Wash and some clean towels to take off whatever dust has accumulated in the shed. The surface is sprayed and quickly wiped clean.
The next step was #67 One Step Compound and a 7" wool pad on a rotary buffer. Keep the spur handy as the build up is quick and I change pads about every hour of buffing. This is hard work and takes the surface down quickly. This stuff is aggressive but I haven't found anything that works as well. When you are done the oxydation and swirls are gone but a slight haze remains.
I have tried multiple products on the next step but Finesse IT is by far the best. I know this is a disloyal statement but I have tried all the Meguiar products from color restorer to machine glaze and as Mike would say "find something that works and use it often". The Finesse It is applied with 7" inch wool pad and a rotary buffer. This stuff is not easy to use and the pad requires constant application of a spur. I change the pad every hour or so but still suffer from the jumping and grabbing of the wheel that people who use this product complain about. Still the results are the best.
Next its onto the Meguiars boat polish and finished with the Meguiars Flagship premium marine wax both applied by hand using a foam pad. The results are beautiful and durable. The above picture was taken mid-summer and the finish still looked great when I put her away for the winter.
Going through this process on a 53" boat took me about 80 hours the first time. Now each winter I skip the #67 and go to the Finesse It for touch ups. Mostly its clean, apply polish and then wax. The whole process is down to about 24 hours of work each winter.
Let me know if I can answer questions
Here's the process:
Because we are not allowed water inside during the winter, I start with a spray bottle of Poor Boys Waterless Wash and some clean towels to take off whatever dust has accumulated in the shed. The surface is sprayed and quickly wiped clean.
The next step was #67 One Step Compound and a 7" wool pad on a rotary buffer. Keep the spur handy as the build up is quick and I change pads about every hour of buffing. This is hard work and takes the surface down quickly. This stuff is aggressive but I haven't found anything that works as well. When you are done the oxydation and swirls are gone but a slight haze remains.
I have tried multiple products on the next step but Finesse IT is by far the best. I know this is a disloyal statement but I have tried all the Meguiar products from color restorer to machine glaze and as Mike would say "find something that works and use it often". The Finesse It is applied with 7" inch wool pad and a rotary buffer. This stuff is not easy to use and the pad requires constant application of a spur. I change the pad every hour or so but still suffer from the jumping and grabbing of the wheel that people who use this product complain about. Still the results are the best.
Next its onto the Meguiars boat polish and finished with the Meguiars Flagship premium marine wax both applied by hand using a foam pad. The results are beautiful and durable. The above picture was taken mid-summer and the finish still looked great when I put her away for the winter.
Going through this process on a 53" boat took me about 80 hours the first time. Now each winter I skip the #67 and go to the Finesse It for touch ups. Mostly its clean, apply polish and then wax. The whole process is down to about 24 hours of work each winter.
Let me know if I can answer questions
Comment