Porter Cable to Polish Mast?

[Mr.Ritz]

I got a job trading my manual labor for sailboat lessons and my first job is to polish the aluminum mast. Apparently they were going to have me do it by hand but I have a high powered Porter Cable I use on cars to polish paint or metal. The only thing is I dont think I have a woolpad. Do you think orange pad will have enough cutting power?

[kd3pc]

somebody is about to be PO...

you don't polish with an orange pad and a porter cable..what are you polishing "paint and metal" with if you do not have a woolpad or buffing pad? What are you expecting to "cut" on a finished mast?

most aluminum masts can be "polished" using some old fashioned elbow grease and some polish. See your post "going to have me do it by hand"

Some aluminum masts are anodized or painted and if you take the "finish" off....see the first sentence above.

If you and the skipper are to have a lasting relationship....you must be honest with each other..you about your skillset, and he needs to be crystal clear about what he wants done, and you need to either do what he asks, in the way he asks...else walk away or ask for specific instruction on how to fulfill his request...

best of luck

[Mr.Ritz]

Originally Posted by kd3pc

somebody is about to be PO...

you don't polish with an orange pad and a porter cable..what are you polishing "paint and metal" with if you do not have a woolpad or buffing pad? What are you expecting to "cut" on a finished mast?

most aluminum masts can be "polished" using some old fashioned elbow grease and some polish. See your post "going to have me do it by hand"

Some aluminum masts are anodized or painted and if you take the "finish" off....see the first sentence above.

If you and the skipper are to have a lasting relationship....you must be honest with each other..you about your skillset, and he needs to be crystal clear about what he wants done, and you need to either do what he asks, in the way he asks...else walk away or ask for specific instruction on how to fulfill his request...

best of luck

They were going to have me use a woolpad by hand vs machine. The cutting power is the same one just takes much longer than the other. A porter cable with a cutting pad is not going to remove the coating.

Woolpad has more cutting power than an orange pad. Any compound has cutting power no matter what you use. You increase cutting power by using different pads. So I am not sure why you are using cut like it is a bad thing. It is not going to remove the anodized coating because the cut is too weak. It doesn't remove the clear coat from my car

[kd3pc]

Then Go for it!

You asked, I offered my experience as a boat owner and long time painter...what works on one does not always work on the other. But you know that.