Which polishing machine?

[FlyingDutchman]

Thanks Vic,

I will go the same route. Farecla is not available over here, but in the past I have had good results with Starbrite.

Good results on the hull in the piccies, must have been quite a job!

 

[capetown]

I'm a bit late in joining this thread, but for what it's worth.

Do consider the weight of the machine.

You may be working from an oil drum or scaffold planks,you will worry more about your balance with a heavy polisher
I sold my first polisher, think it was around 4Kg.

These tools are really for the automotive refinishing trade and mainly used horizontally, topsides as we all now ar'nt.

Also the trailing lead needs to be 1.5/2Mt long, so you can hang it from above and keeping out of puddles, should it drop. My Makita's lead is fine but the small Sealey's lead was 1Mt long

As Vic says, Farecla are good, especially if you have a white hull, my preference is the liquid not the past as it seems to clog the sponge.
G3 will remove oxidation and polish out 1500 grit wet & dry, you can leave it at that or if your fit and want a high gloss finish with G10.

I bought my Farecla from Ebay, if that helps.

 

[Wunja]

I discovered that Black and Decker to a foam pad for a random orbital sander, also a polishing mop.

Spent the weekend attacking the topsides with them. The foam pad with rubbing compound was excellent and I'm really glad I wasn't working with the weight of the full polisher.

The sander isn't really fast enough to use with the mop attachment and didn't fit very well, so I ended up using it in a power drill.

 

[robertj]

Many thanks!
The one in the bottom right picture that VicS has embedded in his post is the one I have been using the last 5 years. Not bad but the bearings are gone so I need a new machine.
The warning for the burning of the gelcoat worries me. How big is this risk? Does it depend on the rpm and / or pressure applied? I don´t want to damage my boat...
Is there a guideline which speed is safe to use?
@ Wunja: Heeft de Gamma ook de Ferm machine? Ik ben niet zo´n voorstander van Internetaankopen...

don't worry about the polishers burning just keep the speed down and spray with water to help polish/tcut. A garden hand sprayer is best. Oh spray water onto hull not polisher head.

Bob

had a cheap angle type one now for 10years and still going fine.

 

[KREW2]

I'm in the process of doing my 33 footer, just finished one side using 3M marine polishes, and pads on a Dodo Juice spindoctor polisher, it only weighs 1.8k The results are amazing, and I've had a flow of people coming over to see the results, and to ask me what I'm using. It's a long tedious job, I am about to leave to commence on the port side.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ke5kfYz9Ybw

I didn't start at the sanding stage, after a good wash, with no silicone, or wax based shampoo I applied the 3M Imperial compound and finishing material, followed by Finesse II finishing polish, and finally 2 coats of wax applied by hand.