boat detailing

[laserman2]

I have no more than 10 hours spare excluding a 5 hour round car trip to polish the gelcoat soon.

I have used 3m products to good effect. My arm was tired the last time i did this job on 34ft boat to clean and polish.

I was considering a polisher like a porter cable electric dual action polisher or a rotary polisher.

I have tried the 240v halfords polisher and that is rubbish

Anyone got experience of hull preparation using an electric polisher that has given good results but doesn't knacker oneself?

 

[nyx2k]

porter cable fantastic machine if you want to spend that much but you can get something similar that will do a very good job for around £50.00
i use a porter cable as i'm a car and boat valeter but i have several much cheaper machines that are just as good. farecla compounds are good and meguiars polishes.

 

[savageseadog]

Rupes or Sealey

 

[Clyde_Wanderer]

I bought one of these, found it great to use, ie, very controlable speeds and slow start up.
Cant buy direct from Silverline direct tthough, will need to go through an agent.
[url=http://www.silverlinetools.com/index.html?
sorry dident get the full url there, but if you look through the site you will see there 180mm variable speed sander. and they do three different grade foam discs for it, and it comes with a hoop & loop disc and lambs wool bonnet.

 

[widgeon]

I too bought a Silverline 180mm Polisher last week and, combined with 3M GRP restorer wax, achieved surprisingly good results on my hull in a relatively short time.

At about £35 I thought that it was reasonable value. It probably won't last as long as a 'professional' model, but did come with a spare set of brushes. The friend who was helping was so impressed that he is planning to buy one too.

It is worth buying a spare lambswool pad as they tend to develop bald patches if you touch metal fittings/toe rail.

No connection - just a satisfied customer.

 

[tobble]

I battled for ages this summer trying to get my very tired topsides back up to scratch, until a friendly contractor lent me a Fein pollisher. it really did the biz! I thik failing that an angle grinder with variable speed (set low ish) and a good sponge polishing head would do the trick. in the end I took the worst of the oxidisation off with 240 wet and dry (use verticle stokes only) then Farclea "rapid" to get the scratches out and G3 to make it all nice and shiney!