Best method to remove hazing on blue gelcoat

[Kite Runner]

What is the best product / method to remove the hazing on the blue gelcoat on a 2009 Hunter 36. The starboard beam got a bit of a beating on a side tie over the winter of 2010. I'll have it up on the hard to paint the hull, change zincs, install PSS and buff the upper hull in March. My guess, an electric buffer, but, what will give me back that new hull look with staying power?

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

get a buffer using 1000 rpm speed. Most yards and professionals use 3M "Finese IT" compound. get the paste not the liguid.

I then used 3M cleaner wax followed with a coat of pur Melges wax.

Make sure you have enough suds to whet your whistle as it is alot of work. There were times when I use to drink the sparklin peach brandy made in the woods behind my dealership so the sore arms would not be felt.

Crazy Dave Condon

 

[Jackdaw]

For getting haze off, this stuff is pure gold.

http://www.nauticalease.com/products/fiberglass.htm


My two cents - yards like wax because its hard work and generates business for them. Not that it does not look good, because it does, its just a lot of work. I did our new Blue gelcoat First 260 with this stuff by hand. Two hour job. It was all chalky and now it looks amazing.

 

[Barnacle Bill]

3M's FinesitII (sp?) is for paint and not gelcoat. They have two compounds. One for freshly painted surfaces and one for older painted surfaces. It is not for gelcoat, but for paint. So, if you are trying to get the shine on oxidized gelcoat, then you want to use a fiberglass rubbing compound and I have found Mequair's products does a good job. If your hull is paint, then go with the Finesit that is good for paint cured more than 48 hours (or 24 hours - or whatever the jug reads). 3M does have fiberglass rubbing compound as well, but I like Mequair's for DIY peeps like you.

 

[Rich Stidger]

Gordon,

You most expert advice around here would be from Maine Sail; I think he has a picture tutorial for cleaning and waxing.

However I have a 1997 h40.5 and the blue boot-stripe has nearly always been hazy. Each year I struggle with it and usually run out of time and let that task drop off my list until the next year.

Finally in 2008, I cleared my schedule and was determined to get rid of the haze.

I used an 9" electric buffer with a 3M Superbuff II 2 Plus 2 Buffing Pad model 5701 or 5704 - I can't remember which one. I started with 3M Imperial Compound and found that it was totally ineffective. Same for Finesse-it II- these very popular and expensive 3M products just didn't remove the haze.

Then I tried Presta Supercut Compound (model 134532) that was recommended by a local auto refinishing supply company. This compound IMHO works far better than the 3M Imperial. And it is half of the cost- about $23 for a quart vs $50 for a quart of Imperial.

However, the compound by itself was still not enough to remove all of the haze. It got about 80% but it was not yet perfect.

Here is what worked-
The second recommendation by my auto supply company was to wet sand with 1000 grit and then go to 1500 grit. Then follow it up with the Presta Supercut and wax.

The pictures below show the bow with the original hazing and a small section that was the result using just the Presta compound. The next picture shows the stern with the original hazing. The last pictures show my final result after wet sanding, Presta Supercut, and waxing with Fleetwax paste formula. I only wet-sanded the blue boot-stripe.

It was a god-awful amount of work and my arms just about fell off after a couple days of work for the entire topsides, but I got a lot of praise at my boatyard.

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

Before using any of the suggested products, it's important to ensure you are referring to blue gelcoat vs. blue paint vs. blue pinstripe. Hunters typically don't have any colored gelcoat. The stripe is not in the gel and the hulls which are not white are usually painted. Hunter only did a very few colored gelcats over the years so I doubt you actually hasve colored gelcoat.

 

[Rich Stidger]

Very good point Don. I remember when I toured the Hunter factory and I asked about a blue hull, they told me that they had tried it and the colored hull was "problematic". Hence any customer who wanted a blue hull would get a white hull that was painted. They also told me that the limited area of the blue boot-stripe was not a problem.

On my 1997 model the blue boot-stripe is actually gelcoat.

They never told me (and I didn't ask) what the "problem" was for the blue hull. Maybe it was a haze problem?

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Finese it paste compound is a finishing compound that many dealers, yards, etc use on gel coats. I am not sure about one comment but I have used if for many years with success.

There are many good products and I only advise what has worked well for me over the years. Plus the results are excellent. The key to a long lasting shine and many do not. I always recommended waxing the deck a minimum of two times annually and the hull at least once. The hull is not hit as hard as the deck.