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Gelcoat Maintenance

Discussion in 'Technical Discussion' started by brianwill, Aug 19, 2004.

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  1. brianwill

    brianwill New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 11, 2004
    Messages:
    75
    Location:
    Texas
    Ok, how about a discussion on everyone's favorite subject--washing / waxing the yacht? I do a small portion of "Eagle One" during each visit, and have had good luck with:
    1. Wash / dry
    2. CLR to get rid of water spots
    3. Maguiar's cleaner wax
    4. Straight wax

    For step 4, I've been using Zymol, but it doesn't seem to last very long (2 months max). Anybody use anything different or a different method to keep the shine going?

    I bet you thought I was going to say I used "Eagle One" products ;)
  2. YachtForums

    YachtForums Administrator

    Joined:
    Dec 22, 2002
    Messages:
    20,353
    Location:
    South Florida
    Hi Brian,

    Good topic and timely one at that. I'm just about to embark on the same journey next week with the runabout. I'm looking forward to it with it the same enthusiasm I have for paying taxes!

    Regarding your question on wax... I've been doing the trible "Rain Dance" most of my life. It's a world class work-out to apply and remove, but I come the school that the harder you work, the better it looks. Wrong! Last year, I tried something new and had enough energy left-over to go the gym afterwards. I used a Polymer by Rain-X, called Ultra-Wax. It's in a blue bottle at auto stores. Applying it was easy as washing your car. Removing it was as easy as drying your car. This stuff lasted at least twice as long as Rain Dance, or Mother's Carneuba waxes. The latter of the two I've used on sports cars through the years and it delivers an amazing shine with great depth... but it's alot of work and it doesn't last.

    I'm a REAL believer in these new polymers, to say the least. But for many of us, there's lots of work to be done prior to waxing. The following article, which I wrote for Southern Boating, addresses F/G restoration...

    "REVERSING THE SIGNS OF AGING"

    It’s a fact of a life… sun, time and the environment cause premature aging for humans… and hulls. Fortunately, there are ways to reverse the signs of aging on a boat and they’re more effective than the cosmetic counter at Sak’s. Before starting your fiberglass facelift, here’s a brief look at why your mistress may be looking like a grandmother.

    The “skin” on most fiberglass boats is gelcoat, an extremely thin, porous mix of polyester resins and pigments that are prone to the damaging effects of ultra-violet (UV) rays and environmental contaminates. Left unprotected, gelcoat will begin to deteriorate, resulting in a faded and dull finish, un-affectionately known as oxidizing. A swipe of your hand across the surface reveals the powder of a grade school chalk board.

    Restoring that youthful look doesn’t have to be as costly as injecting Botox in your Bayliner. There are several methods of reconstructive surgery. Either way, roll up your sleeves, crank up the volume and get ready to break a sweat.

    The old-fashioned way of restoring gelcoat calls for sanding, compounding and polishing. This method will last the better part of a season, but like Botox, it’ll need regular injections of maintenance. As with any face-lift, a word of caution, gelcoat is usually less than 1/16” thick and varies throughout the lay-up, so when the sandpaper hits the surface, use caution around corners and raised areas, as you could easily bulldoze through the pigment like a Caterpillar. For the most part, compounding will remove the oxidation, but may require sandpaper “derm-abrasion” in extreme cases.

    Depending on the severity of the wrinkles on her skin, begin with 1000 wet & dry sandpaper (remember, the lower the number, the more abrasive) being careful not to apply too much pressure. The purpose of using wet & dry is to “wet-sand”, using liberal amounts of water. This prevents particle build-up from clogging the paper and allows a better visual inspection of the area being addressed. For surfaces that are nominally faded, use 1500-2000 micro-fine sandpaper. This will be the grade of choice for final sanding the entire hull or deck prior to compounding. Try not to work an area excessively, as you don’t want to remove any more of the “dermal” layer than absolutely necessary. On flat surfaces, use a sanding block. Around corners, use the palm of your hand. Once you’ve achieved a smooth, evenly sanded surface, wash and dry the area to remove the leftover residual.

    The compounding process is best performed with a high speed rotory power wheel and a lamb’s wool bonnet. Start by spreading a small amount of liquid compound over an area approximately 2’ by 3’. Then, spread the liquid around a bit with the wheel, so as to evenly saturate the wool. Begin with slower rpm’s and steadily increase the speed as the compound is beginning to thin and dry to a haze. If you start with high rpm’s, you’ll be wearing the compound! Apply an even amount of pressure on the face wheel, generally no more than the weight of the machine, while moving it back and forth over an arm’s reach section. Avoid using the edge of the wheel, unless you’re trying to reach a recessed area or stubborn spot. As the compound dries and the surface is beginning recover its initial shine, you may raise the edge of the wheel slightly and increase rpm’s to affect a more dramatic surface sheen. Don’t overdo it, as the polishing compound will ultimately take us to the final finish.

    Because compound is abrasive, and the sanded surface is rough, you will experience a build-up of residue on the lamb’s wool. Clean it periodically or before proceeding to the next area. You can use the head of a screwdriver, or similar to clean the wool by spinning the wheel at low speeds and running the tool back & forth through the wool and increasing rpm’s. This is a quick and effective way to clean the pad in between applications. Be careful to hold the tool firmly or it MAY become a projectile.

    The polishing compound step is virtually identical to the rubbing compound sequence, although less wheel pressure and generally higher rpm’s are used to achieve the best results. With each step, the object is to build upon the previous step in order to bring about the best finish.

    Textured (non-slip) finishes that are incorporated into the gelcoat require a different approach. We don’t want to use sandpaper on these areas as it will remove the texturing. Instead, a chemical stripper is best utilized to remove the oxidization. When using a chemical stripper, mask off the area of application to protect other surfaces or hardware that don’t need stripping. After giving the chemical sufficient time to perform its task, it should be sponged or blotted up with old towels, then washed with plenty of water to remove any leftover chemical residue.

    Once these steps are complete and the surface shine has been restored, the gelcoat should be protected with a good wax and re-applied periodically, maybe twice a year depending on the severity of the environment the boat is exposed.

    The new-fangled route to gelcoat restoration is using today’s space age copolymer’s that fill in the microscopial porous defects of your gelcoats’ aging finish. A number of products are available that effectively restore gelcoat’s shine. These formulations renew the gloss in essentially the same way as wax by providing a new smooth surface, but without compounding. Results can be impressive, but because restorers are an acrylic coating, similar to varnish, they can wear off and occasionally discolor. Copolymer restoration kits typically include a prep wash and sometimes a polish in addition to the restorer.

    There are different application methods, but in general it is a clean, polish, and coat system. The acrylic sealer is water-thin, so applying it to the hull is much easier than wax. Because it dries to a hard film, no buffing is needed. However, you’ll need to apply several coats to get a good shine. If the product you have selected doesn't include an applicator, use a sponge or a soft cloth to wipe the sealer onto the gelcoat. Drying times are short, so subsequent coats can be applied almost immediately.

    A multicoat application can restore weathered gelcoat to a like new shine that will last up to a year. However, when it is time to renew it, you will need to remove the old sealer using a special stripper, usually supplied in the kit. Apply a few fresh coats of sealer and your boat will look like new for another year. There are several effective brands on the market. Do your homework, search the internet, ask around or hit a boat show. It’s a heck of a lot easier and lasts longer than sanding & compounding, without the potential of removing too much gelcoat.

    Typically not a “do-it-yourself” job, clear-coating with Polyurethane is clearly (pun intended) the best way to preserve your gelcoat’s finish, but it’s the most expensive. Polyurethane will fill the imperfections that cause the look of a dull finish and leave a brilliant, shiny finish that will last for years. Although the surface will still need to be sanded to remove oxidization and establish a good bonding surface for the paint, you can immediately proceed to removing/masking off hardware and preparing to paint. There are two forms of application; spray or roll & tip. Unless you have experience, this is best performed by a professional.

    Plastic surgery complete. You can take her out in public again!
  3. brianwill

    brianwill New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 11, 2004
    Messages:
    75
    Location:
    Texas
    Carl,

    Great article, thanks for sending it. My neighbor started using CLR and Meguiar's Cleaner Wax after seeing the results I was getting, but he decided to go with Turtle Wax Ultra for a top coat. It held up very well, but it isn't manufactured anymore. I'll take a look at the Rain-X, I use it on my windshields and that product is superb, so they've probably got a home run with the wax.

    On the CLR, I tried a lot of water spot removers, but they turned my bottom paint (black) white if they got on it. The CLR gets rid of the water spots and doesn't leave any marks on the bottom paint even if sprayed directly on it.