Polishing in tight places

pateco · Mar 7, 2017

I ran into the same issue, and found a small Makita high speed disk sander that I added a 3" wool pad to. This worked out well for most tight spaces. but there will still be some areas you need to do by hand.

Brian S · Mar 7, 2017

Paetco, can you get a model number off that little Makita? And any recommended attachment pads?

Ned Ludd · Mar 7, 2017

I have a Milwaukee 5" variable speed random orbit palm sander, they make hook and loop polishing pads for them.

pateco · Mar 7, 2017

Brian S said:
Paetco, can you get a model number off that little Makita? And any recommended attachment pads?

Mine is older, but I think the new version is the GV5000

Plenty for sale used on E-bay

I bought the pad from a local Auto Paint Store I don't remember who made it.

rgranger · Mar 7, 2017

pateco said:
I ran into the same issue, and found a small Makita high speed disk sander that I added a 3" wool pad to. This worked out well for most tight spaces. but there will still be some areas you need to do by hand.
View attachment 133886

@pateco
I see you like Nu Finish.... I used it on the starboard side of my hull last year and was not impressed.... so I just used a high end wax on the port side... it looked so much better I put the wax over the Nu Finish side and when I was done.... that side was perfect!!!!!!!!

This season, I'm going to rub down the entire boat with Nu Finish first, then wax.

pateco · Mar 7, 2017

rgranger said:
@pateco
I see you like Nu Finish.... I used it on the starboard side of my hull last year and was not impressed.... so I just used a high end wax on the port side... it looked so much better I put the wax over the Nu Finish side and when I was done.... that side was perfect!!!!!!!!

This season, I'm going to rub down the entire boat with Nu Finish first, then wax.

Due to work schedules Hurricanes etc, I never completed the final Nu-Finish step on the whole boat. I need to do it again now. Which high end wax did you use? I am not sure a Wax would last very long in our Heat/Weather

JRacer · Mar 7, 2017

I use the Porter Cable 7424 and polishing foam pads and the wool pads. I get all my stuff at Autogeek.net. I also use their foam pad cleaner and conditioner. It keeps the wax or polish you are using from getting gummy. Swear by the foam pads that have the little indents in them, they don't clog up. The pads come in differing degrees of "cut" depending on whether you are cutting (compounding) or polishing. The nonskid is tough on the foam pads so get several as you will use them up. Here is a link to autogeek and the PC 7424 "kit" http://www.autogeek.net/hk7424.html

I use the same kind of pads and wool covers on my Makita buffer. All with Velcro attachment so its easy to swap pads and covers. They wash out well using the pad cleaner from autogeek and you will get a long use out of them - except the ones you use on the nonskid.

rgranger · Mar 7, 2017

pateco said:
Due to work schedules Hurricanes etc, I never completed the final Nu-Finish step on the whole boat. I need to do it again now. Which high end wax did you use? I am not sure a Wax would last very long in our Heat/Weather

If I remember correctly, I used McGuire's for the wax. It looked good by itself but definitely looked better over a pre-coat of Nu Finish.

We get a lot of tree sap at our marina that then turns black by mid summer.... the hull sides stayed free of it but the anti-skid (that did not get the wax treatment) needed a good scrubbing by mid summer.

Brian S · Mar 7, 2017

rgranger said:
This season, I'm going to rub down the entire boat with Nu Finish first, then wax.

This is probably similar to Fiberglassics.com's fiberglass restoration article, where they recommend all the polishing steps, then a coat of StarBrite Premium Marine Polish with PTEF (http://www.starbrite.com/item/premium-marine-polish-with-ptef?category_id=561) followed by a coat of Collinite Fleet Wax.

Jumpstart · Mar 7, 2017

Please be careful with the big buffer! Friend was buffing his 33 footer about 6 years ago. There was a small piece of small diameter line hanging off deck. Buffer grabbed it and spun it around his finger and tore his finger off at the knuckle in an instant. He went into shock and they rushed him to the hospital. Other friends found his finger but it was to damaged to reattach. His friends spent the rest of the day cleaning the blood off the boat and the one next to it. Tough thing to think about. Also put power cord over your shoulder. and be careful around anything that is loose especially when on a ladder.

capta · Mar 8, 2017

JRacer said:
The nonskid is tough on the foam pads so get several as you will use them up.

I find it interesting that you polish your nonskid. Doesn't that make it awfully slippery when wet?
At some point I would think practicality would take precedence over esthetics.

capta · Mar 8, 2017

Justin_NSA said:
Agreed. I use Woody's Wax. Made for nonskid areas and simple to apply

Still sounds slippery.
"You will find washing becomes more like rinsing. Nothing sticks to your deck"
Perhaps their lawyers should have added, "including your crew"? lol

rgranger · Mar 8, 2017

Wednightracer said:
Please be careful with the big buffer! Friend was buffing his 33 footer about 6 years ago. There was a small piece of small diameter line hanging off deck. Buffer grabbed it and spun it around his finger and tore his finger off at the knuckle in an instant. ....

Nice point..... and don't forget to tie back hair (if you still have some)

Here is a story of a young lady who got her hair caught in a lathe... gruesome.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/14/nyregion/yale-student-dies-in-machine-shop-accident.html

JRacer · Mar 8, 2017

capta said:
I find it interesting that you polish your nonskid. Doesn't that make it awfully slippery when wet?
At some point I would think practicality would take precedence over esthetics.

Haven't seemed to notice any slickness beyond the norm.

Brian S · Mar 8, 2017

I have used both Woody Wax and Aurora Sure Step. https://www.auroramarine.com/store/deck-protect-kit.html My opinions are that Woody Wax seems to protect reasonably well with beading water, and it does make the deck a bit slipperier. If you don't rinse off the Woody Wax adequately, it is REALLY slick. But I found that Woody Wax does not last very long, and so repeat applications every month or so would be good. Since I don't have clean water to rinse off the Woody Wax at my dock, I gave up on it.

I have used the whole Sure Step system, including the boat cleaner, and then the Boat Scrub, which is supposed to remove oxidation. Seems about the same as soap and a scrub brush to me. Then, the Sure Step goes on, but my non-skid is a deep pattern of pyramids, so it was extremely hard to try and get the dried Sure Step out from between the raised portions. Wound up using a natural bristle scrub brush to get the best results, and they weren't all that great. The non-skid area seemed shinier, and water beaded well enough. Decks were slipperier when dry, but seemed ok when wet. I felt I used way too much Sure Step the first year trying to apply with a sponge like I do wax, so second year I tried to roll on with a foam roller. Still a major PITA to remove excess. That stuff is expensive, and using more than 1/2 a container on only an 18.5' boat seems a waste of time and money.

I know some guys who "polish" the non-skid with watered down compound and a brush. This probably does about as good a job keeping non-skid non-chalky on a 30 year old boat as one could expect, while at the same time trying to maintain the "tooth" of the non-skid.