Ryobi vs. Makita vs. Poliglow??

[JiffyLube]

halekai,

Thank you for that in depth information...I'm printing that out! Now when I talk to someone about working on my boat, I'll know what the really skinny is.

[sailortjk1]

Late to the thread, but I would think that a boat of that era is probably ready for some wet sanding. Especially if you were not happy with the last results you got.
I see it is part of the process that halekia talks about.

[CLucas]

Halekai,
This is terrific. This post should be a sticky...

[Maine Sail]

Hi Guys,

I always forget to take before and after photos but today I did. I'll apologize in advance for the poor image quality my wife has my Nikon D-200 and I had her "point & ****" today.

Anyway, I'm removing my ports to replace them and thought now is as good a time as any to buff the cabin sides without the ports getting in the way. I taped the inside of the cabin with UV duct tape so my cabin would not fill with crap and had at it for about a half hour..

I used a wool 3M Superbuff Compound Grade pad (decks are no place for foam pads) at speeds between 600 and about 1200 and Presta Ultra Cutting Creme compound. I spent about 30 minutes working the port side of the cabin trunk. This is compound only, no polish and no wax. I probably should have wet sanded but the Presta Super Cut is pretty amazing stuff! She looks quite good for 30 year old gel coat!!

Hopefully I'll get some shots with my good camera after I have done phase two the polish...

Before - starboard side:


After - port side:

[Maine Sail]

Ok here's some more..

Wrong Way - (this is called edging and should only be done by someone with experience):



Right Way - Keep the pad flat:


For even distribution of compound, on the pad, use X's not circles:



The misting bottle of H2O is for for keeping the pad well lubed and wet and the Microfiber rag is for clean up of compound...

[SVAuspicious]

Thank you Halekai.

What would you do differently in your approach when tackling a boat in the water?

[Stu01]

Many thanks for passing on your expertise Halekai.
Stu

[Maine Sail]

Originally Posted by SVAuspicious

Thank you Halekai.

What would you do differently in your approach when tackling a boat in the water?

Take some Aleve or pay someone!!!!

Seriously, I have done a lot of work in water and it's NOT fun. The key is to manipulate the boat so it's the right distance away from you for each section you work. Unfortunately this requires re-tying the boat for each section.. You lay on the finger pier on your side and buff that way with your arms over head and towards the hull.

You need to be very careful NOT to hit the water with the pad as salt water makes a big mess of a compounding or waxing job. If you are in the water buff to the top of the boot stripe as this will give you a visual reference point for the pad.

Also, plug into a GFI outlet and keep the buffer cord taught and tensioned with a bungee cord. This will prevent it from slipping into the water as you move it up and down the hull. I also always wrap the plug receptacles between the buffer and extension cord with 3M waterproof electricians tape just in case.

If you do get salt on the hull rinse it with fresh water and continue on. If you salt the pad you need to rinse it thoroughly with fresh water and spin it off to dry it, on the highest setting, inside a bucket..

Remember it's never a bad thing to have your pad damp when you start. Lubrication is good!!

[belanich]

CLucas,

Wise decision - stick to traditional waxing.

Several years ago I tried a product similar to polyglo on my previous boat which was white and it worked well. Last season I tried the same stuff on my current boat - a dark green Pearson 30. It was a disaster. I am currently stripping off the finish so that I can paint the topsides.

MB
Leapfrog
Pearson 30, Hull #590

[artbyjody]

Here is my take (and since I am laid up in NYC - too tired to wonder the streets - but to awake to sleep)...

There is always the right tool for the job, but the job you are dealing with dictates the tool.

Say you have a 4 yr old Awlgrip finish. A Rhyobi (sp) will probably work and result in less fatigue of the person using it. I used such on my C-27 and my dockmate used it on his 37 foot Carver. But the finishes were more or less intact. The trick to any polishing / waxing tool is to have plenty of covers for them as the dirtier they get the less effective they are. I think I have 20 some pads and covers depending on the usage (ie compounding or waxing).

Higher RPM tools take more muscle to use as they are usually heavier and they exhort more torque which can really wear one out really quickly. However, in heavily oxidized or dirt impregnated surfaces - more the right tool for the job in the end.

I have a full suite of the chepaer Ryhobi tools (compact and expendable in the marine environment), as well as Makita, Porter and Bousch. Each has its purpose based on the difficulty of job, ease of use, and most of all application to the job at hand. The latter being the most important decision on the reasons to use one over the other.

For example, working with pine - cheap tools work just as effectively. For Teak and other hardwoods - I'll go the commercial series of tools as usually I want those tools to be powered by compressed air, to enable immediate reload and insure correct bonding.

However, when it is all boiled down - its about the amount of elbow grease you want to put into the job. Certain tools can reduce it or make such more effective but it is surely dictated by the conditions the tools must work in.