Cleaning gel coat.

[Allan]

I have an Etap which has sat in Cardiff bay for a couple of years and needs cleaning. After being quoted £600 for cleaning I plan to do it myself! It has brown staining above the waterline and oxidising on all of the gelcoat. All the work will have to be done by hand. Can anyone suggest the best products, please note staining is quite bad!

 

[Steve Clayton]

I would recommend Meguiars; they do a range of products for GRP and boats.

Also this product is excellent

http://www.ybw.com/forums/showflat.php?C...rue#Post1010207

 

[Steve Clayton]

I would recommend Meguiars; they do a range of products for GRP and boats.

Also this: "HARD SURFACE CLEANER H/P". Claims to clean cars and vehicle bodies, fibreglass, carpets and upholstery, floors, glass, paintwork etc.

The label says:

Supplier is Jewelultra Ltd
3, Downs Court,
Yalding Mill,
Maidstome,
Kent
tel: 01622 815679


I've used this and it is excellent

Forum playing up again with multi-posts!!!

 

[DeeGee]

[ QUOTE ]
I have an Etap which has sat in Cardiff bay for a couple of years and needs cleaning. After being quoted £600 for cleaning I plan to do it myself! It has brown staining above the waterline and oxidising on all of the gelcoat. All the work will have to be done by hand. Can anyone suggest the best products, please note staining is quite bad!

[/ QUOTE ]From your description, the best way is to buy some Farecla compounding products:

<ul type="square"> [*]Advanced GMop Compounding foam (that is a 6inch circular foam pad) [*]Advanced GMop Back Plate (to go on the back of previous) [*]G3 and G10 compounding formulas [*]Sander Polisher suitable for compounding
[/list] You just apply the G3 for a light cut, with loads of water, and then a G10 for a polishing finish. It will bring the gelcoat back to original finish. Dont listen to any wally who says that you will go through the colour finish of the gelcoat, you would be there all day in one spot to do that, and noone in their right mind would.

PS G10 is about same consistency as T-cut

 

[twisterkai]

For the brown staining at wl, use any product that contains oxalic acid eg Y10 - or make up your own. For the oxidised gel coat, you could either hire or buy a polishing machine (the ones that look like a 9" grinder) used in conjunction with a polishing paste, grade depending on severity.

 

[Allan]

Thank you DeeGee, Can you suggest a hand powered polisher to use at my mooring?

 

[pcatterall]

Is it ok to use these products whilst afloat or will they kill the fishies??

 

[Steve_Jones]

I wouldn't, it'll probably polish 'em off!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[ajt]

If you read the label on most of these products it says to wear a mask as they contain carcinogens.
I don't think fish wear masks yet /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Steve_Jones]

Ooooh yes they do!!
http://www.thaifoodandtravel.com/travel/tripso/pages/Masked%20Fish.html

 

[DeeGee]

I would not advise using an electric polisher (usually referred to as sander/polisher, with 14mm or 5/8 or 16mm chuck) with boat in the water, in fact I wouldnt advise using any electrical machine. I have done so myself, but I wouldnt recommend it, and you cant get right down to the waterline with any expectation of safety. Get the boat hauled out, or dried out alongside, and do it properly. Oxalic acid is really for light staining and is only superficially effective. Since you said that the surface was oxidised, I think you mean it has gone that whitey matt finish, so working on that will take off the superficially stained surface.

In theory, you can do the same job by hand, using a rotary motion, but even with a machine it is a biggish job (or it is for me with 36ft and a pension to support),

I have a black boat, and do this almost every year, and peeps who pass by go "oooooh, what a lovely new boat". If I didnt, the black finish would be really dull by now.

 

[KevB]

Cheap as chips Rechargeable polisher

 

[thalassa]

Definitely try Twisterkai's oxalic acid remedy first ! It makes an enormous difference in the amount of polishing afterwards.
The stuff can be bought readymade as "anti-weathering fluid" at most building material firms, to remove rust stains on stone.

 

[Allan]

Thanks for all the help so far. From my experience with cars it is important to "seal" the surface after cutting. Are there any pros or cons of wax or silcon polishes?

 

[Dave99]

Those polishers are not very good. One of my clients thought they were a bargain! Most professional grade compounds eg 3M range requires a speed of approx 2500 rpm to get a decent shine

 

[JamesS]

Hi there,

Having a problem finding G3 and G10 compounding formulas on the Farecla website. Are they known as anything else?

Cheers

 

[DeeGee]

www.farecla.com ... automotive...rectification.. scroll through products.

Most big towns will have a wholesaler who does them, as they are heavily used by the motor (repair) trade. There are equivalent products from 3M, but I have never used those. If you click on distributor locator, enter automotive, then your county, it will come up with all the distributors in your area.

If you are going to do compounding, the most important component is WATER. It stops the compounding head from getting too hot - as does gently moving the head in a circular moving pattern, and it thins the compounding solution... one should always finish the compounding with just water, as if you were using polish, and you will get the most startling high polish finish. NEVER keep the compounding head in one place, always on the move, but not too quick, or you will get swirl marks. Keep the head in contact, not under any particular pressure. On a horizontal surface (if only) the weight of the machine would be enough. The MopHead should be tilted at a slight angle so that only one half of the rotating head is in contact with the surface, not the middle or the 'other' side. Don't be put off by these comments, it is dead easy.

 

[Strathglass]

I got some from Screwfix.

Iain

 

[Tisme]

I think that Screwfix have discontinued it. I tried to get some from them a couple of months ago and they said it wasn't in their current catalogue.

 

[sailorman]

try Oxalic acid ( teak cleaner ) it will remove brown staining & wont damage gel-coat /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif