Porthandbuoy
Well-Known Member
Can anyone recommend a decent, lightweight polisher? Something easy to use on vertical surfaces, such as my boat's hull.
Lightweight polisher
- Thread starter Porthandbuoy
- Start date
pagoda
Well-Known Member
If you suspend the polisher from the guardwires using bungy cord , the weight is less of a problem
lw395
Well-Known Member
If you suspend the polisher from the guardwires using bungy cord , the weight is less of a problem
Or a counterweight.
fearmhuir
Well-Known Member
After using a heavy polisher for a couple of seasons, I bought a Rupes variable speed polisher, which has polished a 36 foot boat for the last 15 years with MUCH less exertion.
I think you will find that the lighter the polisher, the more you will have to pay, but believe me it is worth every penny.
You will also need a couple of polishing heads: one for heavier cutting, and one for fine work to bring up that like new finish. I use foam 3M pads which are expensive, but excellent and long-lasting. There is also a small 3 inch head which is great for the coachroof, and around windows. It will also clean up the perspex in your sprayhood windows, and of course make the family car glean like new!
All in all, including the sponge pads and compounding material, you will not have much change out of 500 quid, but if you look after it it will last and last.
Talk to any good car finishing suppliers, and they will talk you through what you need - I use www.theultimatefinish.co.uk for most of my requirements, and find them very helpful. Calling into somewhere local would let you see exactly what is available and how light weight they are.
I think you will find that the lighter the polisher, the more you will have to pay, but believe me it is worth every penny.
You will also need a couple of polishing heads: one for heavier cutting, and one for fine work to bring up that like new finish. I use foam 3M pads which are expensive, but excellent and long-lasting. There is also a small 3 inch head which is great for the coachroof, and around windows. It will also clean up the perspex in your sprayhood windows, and of course make the family car glean like new!
All in all, including the sponge pads and compounding material, you will not have much change out of 500 quid, but if you look after it it will last and last.
Talk to any good car finishing suppliers, and they will talk you through what you need - I use www.theultimatefinish.co.uk for most of my requirements, and find them very helpful. Calling into somewhere local would let you see exactly what is available and how light weight they are.
BlueChip
Well-Known Member
If you suspend the polisher from the guardwires using bungy cord , the weight is less of a problem
Or bungy from the main halyard
BlueChip
Well-Known Member
The other thing that transforms boat topsides polishing is to hire some a scaffolding wheeled platform with guard rails. It will cost about £50 for a few days but it makes life so much easier and is safer than working from a ladder.
Porthandbuoy
Well-Known Member
OUCH! I think I'll try bungee from the guardrails first.
Can't see that working; the mast's down alongside.
AntarcticPilot
Well-Known Member
I've got a Halfords 12v polisher that works reasonably well, and which isn't too heavy for use when hanging off a ladder! Only snag is that the power cord isn't very long, so I have had to relocate my car to each quarter of the boat successively. I've never tried to use it afloat, but I'd need some sort of 12v extension cable to run it off the boat's batteries.
johnalison
Well-Known Member
That is probably the safest option but I get by with a simple platform ladder, which feels safe enough and is vastly better than a ladder only. It also fits inside my car.
gjgm
Well-Known Member
Pop over to mobo chat.. as the topic is in full force !,
Quandary
Well-Known Member
I am suspicious of the advice to hang the machine from various appendages to lighten the weight, it can be difficult enough to position these things and to keep them moving to avoid overheating, I have considered it but never really persevered with the idea. If you do you might be advised to put a weak link such as a thin cable tie loop or similar into your line, a line around a fast turning spindle could do damage to your self, your boat and your machine very quickly.
Good access with broad planks at the right height is a more effective solution, I have never tried to polish from a ladder but can not imagine it being comfortable or effective. Used scaffold planks are cheap from timber recyclers ( mainly sold to gardeners for raised beds), scaffolding companies have to replace their planks long before they are too far gone to be useful.
Good access with broad planks at the right height is a more effective solution, I have never tried to polish from a ladder but can not imagine it being comfortable or effective. Used scaffold planks are cheap from timber recyclers ( mainly sold to gardeners for raised beds), scaffolding companies have to replace their planks long before they are too far gone to be useful.
gavinr
New Member
the parkside variable speed grinder from lidl, at about 20quid, is worth a look and light. then just buy m14 polishing mops off ebay et al.
richardbrennan
Well-Known Member
Another vote for the Rupes polisher or something similar, mine weighs less than 2kg. I also use a platform ladder and can fully endorse the comments about it making the job much easier. Do get the side rails though as trying to get up onto the platform without them is not easy. It is an investment, but I have now had both the polisher and platform for many years.
Caer Urfa
Well-Known Member
One of the best things I bought was my Meguires MT 320 polisher, much easier with 5" mops and very light to use with one hand and more important variable speed,
Not cheap but some do come up on Ebay
Not cheap but some do come up on Ebay
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Concerto
Well-Known Member
This is the platform ladder I use for my Fulmar.
https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/clarke-sl-2c-4-way-combination-ladder/
Porthandbuoy
Well-Known Member
Meguires ; nice website. Bit pricey, but eBay might be my friend.
Several of you have sensibly pointed out the difficulties / hazards of working from a ladder. I have a trestle which makes things safer and simpler.
Marine Reflections
Well-Known Member
First.... you attach the bungy to the rotating machine...
VicS
Well-Known Member
There is a very light 3M polisher (Simple rotary machine not DA like the Meguires one) which IIRC weighs in at only 1.9kg
From time to time Lidl have the platform ladders like the one in Concerto's link at about half the price, Unfortunately recently on offer so not likely to be repeated for some time .
Marine Reflections
Well-Known Member
I've found it's not so much the weight that's a problem but the abilitiy to position yourself correctly.
You will no doubt be fighting the machine's tendancy to want to run away due to the rotation, it is this 'fight' that add too much weight.
One tip is to work the very centre of the pad against the surface, you'll not only reduce swirls but the machine won't fight you.
This isn't as easy as it sounds unless you are able to get yourself into a suitable position (this will change often) so a good platform is a must.
You will no doubt be fighting the machine's tendancy to want to run away due to the rotation, it is this 'fight' that add too much weight.
One tip is to work the very centre of the pad against the surface, you'll not only reduce swirls but the machine won't fight you.
This isn't as easy as it sounds unless you are able to get yourself into a suitable position (this will change often) so a good platform is a must.
Hoolie
Well-Known Member
I have a rather heavy Clarkes polisher from Toolmart that, in spite of negative comments above, I suspend with TWO bungees from the toe rail separated to form a 60 degree Vee. I can cover the whole area to the waterline between the supports, then move on to the next section. It's easy to control and the polisher stays in place even if I let go of it.