Perfectly good boat, ruined

[tcm]

I'm afraid a boat got ruined in the yard recently, and i somehow feel that a teeny bit of the responsibility may be mine, sort of, a bit.

I had a nice chat with one or two people, and was shatteringly correct about one small issue (perhaps i dunno, chose exactly the right spanner first off or suchlike) but anyway after a couple of days one guy decdide to ask my advice about dealing with scratches in his blue hul.. I wwas in the middle of things when he sed he planned to have a go at the hull with 1200 grade, and then polish it with a machine , and did that sound okj to me? Partly not wanting to dampen his enthusiasm and partly having mind elsewhere i sed um yes why not - but i failed to say "try a small area first". Anyway, an hour of so later one entire side of his boat is disfigured with sporadic hackity sandpapering efforts.

I wonder if this is indeed rescue-able. Otherwise, i had better stay fairly clear for a while...

 

[starboard]

Providing he used 1200 grade wet with loads of soapy water then polishe's with an industrial polisher ( not a mikey mouse Halfords job)and foam mop using Faracla paste again with loads of water things should be restored................then again if he had used fenders both side's!!!!!!!!!

Paul.

 

[tcm]

axshully, i think on a blue boat the fenders (with socks) have been part of his problem with them grinding the hull with scratches....

 

[ashanta]

Iv'e used 1200 grade on my (old ) hull and it did a good job. I finished it off with car rubbing compound. Has he just used the paper dry?

Regards.

peter.

 

[tcm]

it sounds more positive. Think he just rubbed bit and pieces, and needs to give it some beans with the rubbing compound /polisher

 

[snowleopard]

after i hand-painted my kit car with international 709 their technical department advised burnishing with 1200 WOD and coal tar soap, then using an abrasive polish. it worked, though it has always been more of a sheen than the high gloss you get with spraying.

 

[Sailfree]

Having paid my way through University by mending cars can I caution forum readers that quality polishing/grinding is an aquired art.

Firstly you are taking off the surface and the gell coat paint may be very thin. Therefore do it as gently as posible. Even polish is an abrasive hence the transferred colour on the mutton cloth.

If you need to go stronger than Polish go for a mild rubbing compound that is compatible with GRP. When I did Lotus cars there werte some that were not recommended. If you use a compound Farcela? (spelling) F7 come to mind but it should be used with plenty of water. Farcela do a video - recommended.

Now if you want to use an industrial polisher definately use water and watch the video first. I learn't the hard way and had to respray many panels where i had ground my way through the new paint especially near a feature or edge of a panel.

Before trying to polish out scratches see how deep they are and decide whether you are happy grinding that much off your hull. Polishing is mild grinding and lots of it is deeper grinding!! Beware

 

[Sailfree]

Having paid my way through University by mending cars can I caution forum readers that quality polishing/grinding is an aquired art.

Firstly you are taking off the surface and the gell coat paint may be very thin. Therefore do it as gently as posible. Even polish is an abrasive hence the transferred colour on the mutton cloth.

If you need to go stronger than Polish go for a mild rubbing compound that is compatible with GRP. When I did Lotus cars there were some that were not recommended. If you use a compound Farcela? (spelling) F7 come to mind but it should be used with plenty of water. Farcela do a video - recommended.

Now if you want to use an industrial polisher definately use water and watch the video first. I learn't the hard way and had to respray many panels where i had ground my way through the new paint especially near a feature or edge of a panel.

Before trying to polish out scratches see how deep they are and decide whether you are happy grinding that much off your hull. Polishing is mild grinding and lots of it is deeper grinding!! Beware

 

[starboard]

Ah yes there lies the problem......fender socks are worse than sand paper, get thrown in the locker pick up dirt and sand then grind the hull away, all they protect is the fenders and for sure not the hull

Paul.

 

[jimi]

never mind lying exposed to UV and thus hardening in a greenhouse

 

[gjgm]

nasty risk is he has used the 1200 right down thru deeper scratches As long as the gel isnt showing any colour underneath, he might get away with an aweful lot of polishing starting with farecla 10 (which wont be strong enough I guess) and moving onto F3 if necessary. But there s alot of difference between buffing up a shine, and having to recreate the sheen to then buff up.
As i ve found out with blue gel.
But he should be very very careful he doesnt start to polish through the blue - it will start to go a bit speckled first.
There again, he may not want to hear any more advice from you anyway! Just bluff, as opposed to buff, it off. Must be inferior gelcoating, dont you think. Has he asked you about antifoul yet?