Recommend a polishing machine

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Ex-SolentBoy

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I am looking for a polishing machine for my boat as the annual rubbing on of Mer is on the horizon and the UV seems to have faded things a bit this year. Must have been all that sun last summer.:rolleyes:

This isnt to do the hull, its to do the coachroof and surrounding bits so it needs to have a not too big head in order to get into all the nooks and crannies.
Can be 220v as we have lots of that.
Something good quality that will last.

Thanks
 
I think you can get pads for most angle grinders but their a bit fast i doctered a mouse type sander it seems to work all right mind i havnt a lot to do
 
yours you hands

Ex-SolentBoy said:
I am looking for a polishing machine for my boat as the annual rubbing on of Mer is on the horizon and the UV seems to have faded things a bit this year. Must have been all that sun last summer.:rolleyes:

This isnt to do the hull, its to do the coachroof and surrounding bits so it needs to have a not too big head in order to get into all the nooks and crannies.
Can be 220v as we have lots of that.
Something good quality that will last.

Thanks
Click to expand...

They are free......

Im not joking when i say i wash and wax my upperdecks every month. A clean ship is a happy ship as they say, although not really a ship but same rules.

Boats 38 foot so not exactley small, consistantley getting comments of how good she looks for her age. I cant stand a dirty boat, there is no need for it. The initial cleaning may be hard but if you keep maintaining it then it gets quicker. Takes me 2 hours to wash,dry and wax now.

Same for the hull, past 3 years i have hand done it 1st year took a stagering 5 days, 2nd year took 2 days, this year i was done within a day.

I suppose its personel preferance, for me, a proper machine that will last is around £150, which is not bad if you intend doing it every year for ten years, but then im a live aboard so a polishing machine was not very high priority on the spares list....
 
Angle grinder can do a lot of damage to a gelcoat. You really need something with a "soft start" facility. Check the weight, some of these devices can really test your muscles. Lots of good vids and advice on YouTube.

I bought a Kestral KESG17 for £51 from an outfit called Clean your Car they have a website and can advise and sell you pads and stuff.
 
Mine is a Silverline sander polisher from Toolsation. I use a sponge mop for compounding and the lambswool bonnet for buffing the subsequently applied wax polish.







Click images for details.

.
 
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I used the same as VicS for the last few years - excellent for topsides and coachroof. (though I did cover a nice black porsche in the carpark next to the boat in white slurry..... ooops)
 
VicS said:
Mine is a Silverline sander polisher from Toolsation. I use a sponge mop for compounding and the lambswool bonnet for buffing the subsequently applied wax polish.







Click images for details.

.
Click to expand...

When Silverline first came on the market they were pants, but quality has come on in leaps and bounds
 
Bobobolinsky said:
When Silverline first came on the market they were pants, but quality has come on in leaps and bounds
Click to expand...

I'm happy with the polisher. I'm sure it will see me out.

Not so happy with the angle grinder. It grinds OK but switch is difficult to operate

36919.jpg
 
The Silverline is a bit of a bargain, though a little heavy. Cleanyourcar has a good random orbital for about £120, butnit really does make a difference which polishing head you buy. The Silverline sponges might be ok for compounding, but the 3M head and velcro -on sponges are far superior. Unfortunately, that little lots costs about the same as the polisher itself!!
 
If you just want to put on a layer of protector, let's say Mer or Autoglym, then that Halfords 12v one will be ok and it will save your arms a bit. It won't have any power though for you to use it as any sort of "polisher" that can cut into faded surfaces and restore gloss.

If you do want to use any of the miriad of cutting polishes/restorers/cleaners with proper pads to enhance a finish then you really do need to get one of the correct 240v polishers. The Silverlines are perfectly good starter kit, from there on up you can spend anything up to £200 and each machine will offer more features such as less weight, better balanced etc etc. I think even the Silverlines have soft start now which is useful and will be variable speed. Thereafter you buy whatever compounds and pads combination you want to work with.

Basically, the proper machines can now be bought to suit almost any budget so I would highly recommend you do get a proper polishing machine rather than try utilising a grinder or other.

Any of the car "detailing" suppliers will sell you much of what you need, along with a search for whichever marine/grp polishes you may want to use.

Andy
 
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The OP was talking about the cabin top and sides. If it's anything like mine, that consists of small strips of shiny gelcoat interspersed with lots of non-slip. Like a previous poster, I find that a modified mouse sander is by far the easiest tool for compounding/polishing. 'Modified' means tying a sponge/rag over the sanding face. A two handed polisher is way over the top for these small areas, leaving spots of compound polish sprayed all over the non-slip.
 
Ahh good point, I missed that ! So a 6"+ pad on a full rotary polisher won't be of any use.

On the rotary thing though, just for info, you can of course get 3" pads and backing plates plus extension bars to space the machine away from the work area.

Polish spatter shouldn't be an issue if you use decent foam pads and the correct amount of polish, admittedly a damp wool pad with loads of compound will turn everything spotty white !

Andy
 
Ditto Silverline. It is very good value and perhaps surprisingly was strongly recommenef by couple of pros, incl he wot taught me how to shine em up
Proper.
Use with posh heads and liquids, eg farecla.

The large size is actually an advantage IMO as it is a steady, long lever. Others will disagree .
 
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