polishing

thomashoebus

thomashoebus

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I bought a machine to polish my boat. Rotations 800 to 2400 rpm.
There was no manual as how to use the machine. The boat is white and is dull. I would like to restore the hull to a glossy state. Has anyone some advice about products and speed of the machine?
 
You need a closed cell foam compounding mop on your machine and a grp polishing compound. The compounds come in different grades, fine medium and coarse and there are different mops for the different grades. The surface and the mop are kept wet. The mop should specify the max speed, I forget what that is for mine but I use it at 900rpm, it could go faster. Use a trigger spray bottle that has held a domestic cleaning product for the water. Work on a small area at a time , say a metre square. Take your time and the results will be superb. I restored a dull pink hull to a nice shiny red that looked so good people thought it had been spray painted!

When the surface is restored wax polish it with a good wax polish and a lambs wool polisher.

The Farecla website has details of materials and mops. You might also like to check out what is available from 3M.

Things have obviously changed a bit since I did mine !
 
Only tjing I would add to Vics comments is that you can get the Farecla in sensible sized containers from the place that supplies car spray painters. I mix it with a bit of water and put it in a plastic HP sauce bottle so it can be put onto the mop surface with a consistency like mayonnaise. Lots of water from a spray bottle and off you go.

Tip - when you have managed to splatter nearby cars with the compound flung off by the mop, wash off quickly. Aletrnatively if you discover this too late, white spirit works well.
 
[ QUOTE ]
place that supplies car spray painters

[/ QUOTE ] Yes that's where i got mine from originally, the polishing mop as well, but Farecla now do compounds aimed at the grp boat polishers which they were only just beginning to do when I first polished mine. One of the ranges of fibre glass cleaners in chandlers is by Farecla as well if they still do it. It was not significantly more expensive. (Boat pride?)

I have not checked recently but Screwfix did do some of the compounds and mops.

Yes don't splatter your car, or anyone else's car, or the boat next to you in the yard. Worth having some old polythene sheet handy if the boats are packed in tight

I mentioned 3M because they used to do kit, maybe they still do, but IMHO it was expensive
 
run the buffer at low speed,dont hold it on the same place keep it moving,dont use to much water as you will cover the place in white dots which are a real pain to remove once they dry,use small amounts of the compound,if the sponge gets saturated by the compound(G3) then run it over an abrasive corner to clean it, use water as a lubricant,i preferr 3ms scotch cal myself

If you want to go for an enduring finish that lasts,try to buy a diamond bright kit ,its a two pack pollish that is better than any single wax type pollish,i dont know how good the stuff on ebay is as i only use the real macoy.

i repair car body work for a living and i use a buffer daily,except when im sailing /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
When you are polishing your hull hang the machine on an elastic on end of spinaker hallyard rather than having to hold it all the time. There is enough give to reach from deck to waterline but you don't have the weight on you all the time!

Find I can do both sides of my 27' hull in one go rather than having my arms fall off halfway!
 
There is a whole range of T-Cut products but assuming you mean the "Original Colour Restorer" I would have thougnt it was a bit on the fine side. Difficult to know with certainty.
 
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