Buffing by hand or with polisher?

[Jamesuk]

On painted surfaces the electric buffer is great, but on gel coat it is not consistant and has the habit of quickly drying the compound so that it is attempting to bake it onto the gel coat and of course clogs up the buffer.

I have been using the 3 stage process which i feel gives a better than combined end product.

I have 3 levels of compound and a wax applied which gives a quality finish.

I have not been able to get on with the electric polisher and I have tried the foam pads too. Great on paint but on gel coat they get glogged in seconds.

Any video guides you have made or watched would be great.

Thanks

Wax on wax off

 

[[2574]]

My technique, FWIW, is:

1) 3M polish products
2) Apply polish over the area with a rag, no effort, just distribute over area to be done
3) Polish area methodically with electric polisher
4) Buff by hand with stockinette
5) Apply wax with rag
6) Buff by hand

Works for me.

 

[Concerto]

In the spring I compounded my hull to remove oxidised gel coat and give it a good shine. The difference was amazing. I followed the instructions on this web page http://www.cfsnet.co.uk/acatalog/Gelcoat_Polishing.html. The only thing to really stop the compounds drying out was spraying a little bit more water on the hull. I used a Silverline polishing machine for large areas, but also a Fein multitool for more difficult areas around fittings.

You can see the results in my photobucket collection of photos http://s1294.photobucket.com/user/ConcertoFulmar32/library/?sort=3&postlogin=true&page=3. Move to page 2 and then page 1 to see the final transformation. Also note the transom was painted red (5 different colours of red I found as I sanded) and the orginal gel coat has now been polished.

I was working ashore and the best bit of kit for working on the topsides was https://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/4-in-1-scaffold-ladder. Worth every penny.

 

[Trundlebug]

To stop the compound drying out as you use the polisher, you need a lovely assistant, and failing that the Mrs will do, to spray a fine water mist with a plant sprayer over the area you are working on.

This also stops the foam from getting clogged.

If you do it alone, you have to keep stopping to mist the area before continuing and it takes much longer.

As you compound with the Silverline polisher, the foam head tends to throw the compound and water out, which contributes to the drying out (when combined with the heat from the friction of compounding), so it needs to be regularly, but lightly replaced as you go.

It's a bit of a messy job really as everything gets covered in white dots (shoes, clothes, boat, ground, everything) but it'll all wash off afterwards.

 

[nigelmercier]

Before you start with a new foam pad, "spritz" the pad with a water spray.
If it clogs, use a pad cleaning brush: http://amzn.to/1CnftNI

Keep the speed low: normally around 1 or 2, certainly under half the max.

 

[Alpha22]

To stop the compound drying out as you use the polisher, you need a lovely assistant, and failing that the Mrs will do, to spray a fine water mist with a plant sprayer over the area you are working on.

or do it on a day with slow drizzle... I was lucky once... nature did it all for me.

 

[LittleSister]

or do it on a day with slow drizzle... I was lucky once... nature did it all for me.

In the rain with a 230 volt electric polisher nature might have done for you as well!

 

[Jamesuk]

Thanks, being on a diet and not getting a satisfactory result using the foams and wooly disc i went back to doing it by hand. Oh and the traces of compound (white dots) you speak of yes, i found them everywhere.

By hand i have got an outstanding as good as a new boat show finish, but i have only done 1/8 of the boat so far, long way to go. I stop when i used up my lat microfibre or have done 15ft or so to prevent repetitive strain injuries from lying on the dock. Killer on the neck when i did an sll day session.

Ill try the spray mist tomorrow and give the buffer one last go

 

[Trundlebug]

I forgot to mention, I'm afraid even using the Silverline your arms and back may ache after a while, the only difference being you'll have covered a much bigger area than by hand!

To get the best out of it you'll need to keep a certain amount of pressure on, and keep it moving (i.e. don't dwell on the same spot) as well as keeping it misted. With the Silverline being quite heavy (other makes I understand are a bit lighter) it does get the arms and back after a while, but just see it as a healthy work out.

The results though, as you've already witnessed are really worth it. And the bonus is that if you keep it regularly waxed afterwards it'll keep its shine for a long time so you won't need to redo it very often.

My boat is due out of the water this autumn, I take it out every 2 years. The only areas that will need any buffing are usually where the fenders have been.