SoCal Jet Boats
Tech Talk => Gelcoat / Paint / Fireberglass Repair => Topic started by: Nick on January 19, 2009, 08:53:56 PM
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I am looking for some advice. I just picked up a 1976 Hallett this weekend and it has the orginal gel on it and it still looks pretty good but i need to bring the shine back out of it. When I got home I washed it down so I could get a good idea of what I was working with and found that the deck was kinda milky and really dry and gritty. The boat is mostly white with a yellow ring around the outer edge of the deck and around the rub rail on the sides.
Also the guy I bought it from did not clean it very well after he had it out last (2 years ago) and the water line is still on the damn thing. I tried to rub it pretty good today with soap and water but it would not budge. I used a bit of rubbing compound in an outa sight spot to see how it would work and it worked ok, but is rubbing compound ok to use on a boat?
I am just trying to see what woudl be best to do before waxing the thing. I am guessing it has not been waxed in over two years. FYI....I have no experiance color sanding so if that is suggusted, please provide some details if you could.
Sorry no pics yet. Not sure that you would be able to capture this anyways.
Thanks.
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Remember when color sanding use soap and water, and use the right girt of sand paper, RULE # one when you buy a boat you got to post pics ;D
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Hey Nick, Just my humble opinion, but white comes back really easy compared to other gel colors (red and orange being the worst), my recomendation would be to get some heavy cutting compound and a variable speed polisher and rub an inconspicuous area, be sure not to overheat the surfaces (not more than about 110*F) and tape off square corners and do those by hand (could burn through the color).
I have brought back some pretty bad gel this way, you need to keep the pad clean and don't let it matt, I have had great success with the hook back foam pads, but expensive way to go, color sanding is very labor intensive and with white very rarely needed...
If there are actual water marks on the hull, a little bleach and water (a cup per gallon) should remove it easy enough, if it's hard water stained, use some muriatic acid (pool acid) and water, use about 6oz. in a gallon of water and wear rubber gloves.
How about some before and afters when she's beautiful again???
GT
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RULE # one when you buy a boat you got to post pics ;D
X's 1000000 ;D
hey nick, congrats on finding a boat. get some pics up so its easier to see exactly what the condition of the coat is in.
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I used a kit I found by Meguiar's called Fiberglass Restoration System. It came with Oxidation Remover #49, High Gloss Polish #45, and Pure Wax #56.
I think I got it a t BassPro Shop.
I bought a cheep polisher from @$#%Mart that did a good job because I didn't want to use a buffer that might burn the gelcoat.
Good luck
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Thanks for the advice guys, sounds like a good quality multi-stage wax kit is the way to go. I will go by west marine and see what they have/recommend. I was thinking that a wet sand was probably overkill. And if this weather holds I'll do it this weekend. I will be sure to get some before and after pics. I knew I was gonna get chit for not putting up pictures. By the time I finally got home, I just wanted to wash it off and put it away, I was pretty tired.
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Funny you shouldpost this today. My boat fits your sescription on top. I just stopped by Bass Pro Shops and bought the Meguiars kit and just touched the top to see how it would work. In the s spot i did I can now see my own reflection. It was kinda scrary to see myself but I would HIGHLY recommend the kit based on my sreults so far.
Joe
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if that kit doesnt work you need to step it up to the next lever. Color sand it and that will save it if it still has some life left. 2000 grit sand paper, use lots of water and keep your hand flat or use a small flexible block( that will save you from making it all wavy. Make sure you wash it down and get all dirts and crap off it first though. Then buff it with a cutting compund and a compound pad,,, Then if u wanna make it really nice, switch pads to a glaze pad, and use a light color polishg glaze and it will look just as good as when it was painted. Then u can start using that kit u guys are talking about.
any more questions u can pm me.
peace..
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Try slimy grimy for the water ring. I had good luck with the Meguries also.
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ok guys, I think I finally figured out how to add picutres. here is how she looked after the 3 stage Maguires wax kit. Thanks for the great advice, it turned out perfect!
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Dude, that thing is a sweetheart! 8)
GT
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Nice now you know how to use the three step wax come do my boat ;D
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Thanks GT, yeah it is starting to come along. My dad and I pulled all the seats out today to go over everything and see how it looked under them- we were pleasantly surprised, the carpet and the stringers are freakin flawless ;D. Now I am sanding down the wood frames on all the seats and re-resining (sp) all of them just to seal them back up.
The interior was in pretty good shape except the wood was kinda dry and the dumb azz that did the interior job about 15 years ago did not use stainless staples so i am re-doing all the staples too. I'll get pics up of the intior once it's back in.
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Do you have any before shots to show the comparison between the two?
Joe
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I'll get some before pics up tonight.
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that paint looks great! do you know when it was painted last?
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From what I've been told that is the original paint and gel. After taking it all apart this weekend and checking the floor and stingers from front to back I am guessing this thing did not get used much....it was a real find. ;D
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The maguires is some good stuff. Did you use a machine or by hand?
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I did it by hand. I dont have all that much experiance with a buffer and did not want to get it too hot.
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hey nick!! i know this is an older post but im sure someone may need this for future questions...
the boat looks great in the pictures. i really like the style...(you know what i have lol)
as far as wet sanding and polishing, gel coat is REALLY hard to burn. paint is a different sport all together. if you really want to get any oxidation out and make that baby glimmer, you need to run over the whole thing with 2000-2300 grit wet sand paper.
instructions in the the best words i can manage...
first thing i always do when detailing a car, truck or boat is wash it. i don't just was it with car soap, i wash it with dish soap and hot water. make sure you get it as clean as possible. the reason for the dish soap is it cut the existing wax off the surface. this makes the sanding easier. you can leave the boat wet...
then,
take a bucket and put about a gallon or so of water along with just a few drops of window cleaner in it. the window cleaner is to lubricate...you want the stuff you by in a bottle like Windex...not the wiper wash stuff. at the same time put the sand paper in the bucket...best to cut to the right size before it gets all wet. another trick i like if you have it is to keep the boat dry and use the foaming window cleaner. this method works best on small areas...doing a whole boat would be a little difficult.
with a wet sanding sponge and a water hose near by...get you sand paper and wrap it around the sponge. work from one area and continue starting from one side all the way around making sure you don't miss areas by jumping from one are to the next. lightly sand, making sure to keep the pad wet. after doing a small area grab the hose and clean it off. try to keep it even but if its not perfect its not a big deal...when you polish it will come right out.
the whole reason to sand is to remove the dirt and oxidation that gets trapped on the surface. using a clay bar would give the same effect but i like this method allot more. plus this "cuts" the top level reducing any surface blemishes if any. after you have done all of the area that you are worried about wash the boat again with the dish soap and warm water. then dry the whole thing.
there are 1000's of different brands and types of polish out there...there are only a few that i would recommend. before i get into the brand names, i am going to take a sec to explain why. silicon. this is a chemical found in most waxes and polishes. i hate this stuff. it will make your boat or auto shine nice but its because its greasy. it doesn't allow the user to really see what is going on on the surface. i have seen too many cars driving down the road with crazy swirls all over the damn thing and this is the cause of it. after you polish with, for an example, "auto magic" brand polish, it looks great. but, wash it a few times and the silicon washes away with it exposing all of the swirls it was hiding. im sure this is something you don't want. in some cases its necessary but i detailed exotic cars for 4 years. if you owed a Ferrari or a Porsche, i would imagine you would throw a fit if your car looked like crap a few weeks later.
now on to the good stuff...
3M and miquires professional. hands down winners.
i personaly like the 3M but it is a little messy...(lots of powder)
i would start out with the 3M rubbing compound or the miguires heavy cut cleaner and a white wool pad.
if the buffer speed dial goes from 1-5...i would do like a 3-3.5 for this. maybe slower if it a tight area around the gas fill or something
put some polish on the surface...while starting in a small area...work the polish into the paint. go up down left right and around...work it until the polish clears itself. then continue on. when it clears you should not be able to see any of the sanding marks but instead a ton of little tiny swirl scratches. if you see sanding marks you need to work it more. do that for the entire area you want to work on.
every once in a while run a screw driver or something like it through the pad to clear out the old polish.
inspect your work and do any areas not completed.
then i would move to the white foam pad and 3M swirl remover or miguires swirl mark remover.
for this your going to have to just get a feel for it. everyone thinks that the wool pad gets hotter but that is 100% incorrect!! the foam does. i would start at like a 2 and go from there. there are times i buff at 1 and times a buff at 4. its all up to your feel for the area your working on. it wont be hard to figure out. feel the area to see how hot its getting..."if its too hot to touch, then it too hot to buff." try to do it on a cool day for all you so-cal'ers
since gel coat is so hard, swirl marks from the foam pad are not likely...if there are i would bet you didnt buff enough to clear all the little swirls from the wool pad. buff the same way and make sure you clear your area and examine your work carefully. i usually find about 10 spots that i need to tune into after i get all done. DO NOT WAX THE BOAT TO EXAMINE YOUR WORK!!!! waxing the boat will hide all of the stuff you need to see! use a micro fiber and glass cleaner.
after you are completely done and are satisfied with the job, then you can wax. for this i recommend miquires #27 wax. its really expensive but its awesome stuff. the best i have ever used. it comes in liquid and a paste. i recommend the paste...it helps regulate the amount you apply so you dont do too much. after waxing the entire boat, use BRAND NEW micro fiber towels to remove the wax. cosco sells a bag of 24 for like 20 bucks. best deal on the planet! they are normally about 3 bucks a pop.
i hope this helps anyone and especially you nick...if you or anyone needs any advice feel free to pm me and we can exchange numbers and ill do my best to walk you though any hurtle in your path. its really quite simple but be prepared to spend an entire day to do it right. it is time consuming but if you were to pay for a detailer who can do it right, with the products mentioned above, expect to pay 500-700$$ and it would be worth it.
GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
mike
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Great information, thanks for the input.
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Great information, thanks for the input.
x2 good info mike
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I've always wondered .....after buffing say with finessitII any other finishing compound, should the compound be wiped off dry...or washed off with soap and water? I've tried both and they both seem to work. Maybe that's my answer???
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yeah that was a really good read and very informational....does anyone know how well zymol works? i mainly still use meguires marine products i think i have a bottle of #27 as well
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Mike, thanks for the info... this could be a good "sticky" on how-to cut/polish!
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I did the Hallett yesterday, the gel has been beaten by the sun over the years so it's kind of a moot point, but it gave me something to do and it turned out freakin' nice! I started with Meguiar's heavy cut cleaner, applied with a rotary buffer and foam pad, followed that with Meguiar's swirl remover, again rotary buffer and foam pad. I finished off with Meguiar's #26 Yellow Paste wax, applied by hand, buffed with foam pad on rotary buffer when it was time. I really like the way all the products went on and came off. My buffer is a Harbor Frieght Chicano Electric cheapie, I set it on min setting to start, then gradually worked up to #3 for the polishing, the wax was removed with it on #3 from the get go.
Thanks Mike for the words of wisdom, made my job a lot less daunting.
Skip
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Wow, I just came accross my old thread here. Mike, my man! That is some damn good info there, did you used to be a detailer or something?
My boat came out perfect (IMO) but if I ever had to do it again, I'd follow those instructions. But i'd add an 18 pack of long necks for morale support...ha ha ha.
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lol...ya. i used to be the detail manager for a Benz dealer in wilsonville. i detailed for like 4 years. its not that hard...if you can sand, you can polish. just a little more finesse is all
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would the meguiars stuff go on with wool pad on the buffer? or would foam be better
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i did meguires with terry cloth
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ill be doing the 3 step deal out at the river though so i wanna get it done fast so i can get the boat in and because it will be like 100*
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you need shade and you gotta work fast...otherwise that wax will be stuck on the boat...i used terry on a buffer if that helps any...
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yeah ill have the shade up, i plan on just doing small sections
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sade is your friend...general rule: too hot too touch, too hot to buff. the same goes for anything tho. i would wait till around 7pm before you try anything. give the sun sum time to go away. and with the meguires you can use with wool or foam. i personally use the meguires professional. i dont like the consumer stuff.
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sade is your friend...general rule: too hot too touch, too hot to buff. the same goes for anything tho. i would wait till around 7pm before you try anything. give the sun sum time to go away. and with the meguires you can use with wool or foam. i personally use the meguires professional. i dont like the consumer stuff.
Great Info on this thread! BUT did he just say...Sade is your friend?? ??? ::) Her music is kinda slow for me ;D :sly: ;)
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Great Info on this thread! BUT did he just say...Sade is your friend?? ??? ::) Her music is kinda slow for me ;D :sly: ;)
LOL!!! SHADE!!! HAHA!! ;D
if you really want to get it done quick try listening to killswitch engaged or all that remains...lol...
any questions will gladly be answered. when i decide to do my boat i will make a full article on it with video. that way there will be permanent instructions on it. im sure brad would love that one ;)
off topic...aluminum heads on the way. hoping to have my boat in the water july. my back injury created a small dent on the wallet but im back to work and im on the greener side on the hill now. i cant wait to get the damn this done. im gonna lack a few things this year but the pump and motor are going to be done and then some. with the new heads and the cam im running i should be inn the area of 700 ponies, with a stainless aa behind it. post some pick up of your boat nick...any new additions?? i hav been kinda dormant on hear. i have been busy with all that life has too offer, the good and the bad. whats your take on those eagle aluminum river racer hulls? im looking into a 21ft tunnel from them. given the price it quite reasonable for a brand new hull with matching trailer.
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got the 3 stage done, made the rootbeer color on the boat just pop. im happy with the results. the only downside is now i am for sure doing a color sand this winter.