Compounding & Waxing - Sailors Helping Sailors

[Maine Sail]

This past weekend Tim R. organized a work party for a friend of ours who's lifelong sailing companion & father passed away within the last two weeks. Unfortunately with events like this you don't have time to think of much else, especially boat work.

While racing last week Tim asked Chris how much he had left to do before launch and we quickly realized he needed some help. Tim & his wife got myself and two other local sailors to lend a hand.

It's amazing what you can accomplish in just one Saturday when you want to.

BTW everyone should have a wife like Tim's!! She's no slouch and can do the work of three lesser men..

9:00 am:

9:30 am:

Working down the cove stripe Before/After:

The toughest reflection is always straight on:

The detail in the reflection tells when it's shiny enough to start waxing:

My shoulders still hurt..

She came out amazingly well for a 1987 that was fairly chalky! Actually she looks like she was recently painted..

I think we need to do more tag team events. It makes quick work of big projects..

Big thanks to Tim R. and his wife for organizing this salior to sailor event & thanks to Chris for the Maine style Margaritas in a bucket. (I still think the stbd side will prove to have come out better than the, after margarita's, port side.

 

[sailingdog]

Re: Sailors Helping Sailors

Beautiful job on restoring the shine to that boat Maine Sail.

 

[Maine Sail]

I can't take credit..

Beautiful job on restoring the shine to that boat Maine Sail.

I can't take credit for it. I showed up late, drank my lunch and left early. Tim & his wife did the lions share..

 

[Cpt. Jon]

That's very nice of you guys.

 

[sailingdog]

Rofl... working hard as usual...but you were stupervising, weren't you???

I can't take credit for it. I showed up late, drank my lunch and left early. Tim & his wife did the lions share..

 

[Bob S]

Isn't that what this site is all about. I can't tell you how much help I've gotten here. Maybe not the physical type but the knowledge base and support I've gotten has been invaluable. This will be my second season and I think I know way more than the average sailor on maintenance and upgrades. Now all I need to do is learn how to sail !

 

[Tim R.]

Re: Sailors Helping Sailors

I'd like to agree with Maine Sail that we did all the work but it is not true. Every time I think I have polishing perfected, I learn something new from him. One thing we did learn together that day was how great the Presta line of products are. I had recently purchased the Gelcoat compound and a white buffing pad. I polished my cockpit on Friday and then showed it to MS on Saturday. It did amazing things to a cove and boot stripe that we thought needed wet sanding. MS added some Cutting creme and a finishing pad to bring out that amazing shine. See 3rd photo above for before, then a small section to the right that was done with the Gelcoat compound and then the finished area after MS had done the final pass.

We are convinced that this boat never looked this good. Maybe not even when new!

And my wife IS pretty awesome!

 

[tommays]

Re: Sailors Helping Sailors

We do it with things like having J24 masts steping days were we help each other save the pain of 10 bucks a foot

 

[sand sailor]

Re: Sailors Helping Sailors

what did you use to buff it out with ???
when i get down past the 3 coats of paint i want to try to revive the gelcoat

 

[Maine Sail]

Seeing as Tim

Seeing as Tim has already made the shameless plug for the Presta Products I can honestly say that I have no future use for any products other than Presta for buffing & polishing. My buffing and polishing directions just got a LOT easier.

To say this stuff is amazing at what it does, & does not do for that matter, no "essential oils" or silicones & no swirl marks, would be an understatement.

If a boat is heavily oxidize/chalky the Presta Gel Coat Compound starts at a P800 level & then does amazing things. It finishes with a shine that is not all that far off of Finesse It II and a finish that would not be discernable from Finesse It II to most boaters. These products use a technology called "diminishing grit" which allows the grit to start at a P800 and finish at a level that can be double that oir more as it breaks down to smaller particle sizes during use. Based on the shine left with the Gelcoat Compound I'd say that it was finishing at between P1600 & P1800.

Presta Gelcoat Compound (LINK)


The Ultra Cutting Creme starts a little higher, about P1200 level yet clearly finishes off at a VERY, VERY high level of shine.

Presta Ultra Cutting Creme (LINK)

I would also like to shamelessly plug the Makita 9227C buffers we used. We had three of them on site that day and not a one of them gave us so much as a hiccup. Mine in particular, and Tim's, have seen some serious use. Our friend Chris made the comment "WOW.... ouch... these things get HOT !!" and this is why you need a machine that can withstand the abuse..

Presta products usually need to be ordered but it is 150% worth every ounce of effort and money you spend.

Actually the prices are better than what you'd pay for lesser quality products at most marine stores.

A 32oz Ultra Cutting Creme is $19.56

A 32oz Gelcoat Compound is $20.92

These are direct from the manufacturer prices so it may cost less if you can find a local Presta distributor.


What we used on this boat:

First Pass = Presta Gelcoat Compound with the Presta 9" black colored wool pad (it is recommended to use the white Presta wool pad with the Gelcoat Compound but Tim found the black to give higher finish shine. I think tim was using speeds below the #2 dial setting on the Makita buffer and he was buffing nearly dry but not all the way. One 32oz bottle did the entire Ericson 34.

Second Pass = Presta Ultra Cutting Creme with a 3M Hook It Polishing grade wool pad #05713. This is a neat trick, using a polishing grade pad with a compound. It allows you to have a higher final shine when using a diminishing grit compound than you would using a compound grade pad with the Ultra Cutting Creme diminishing grit product. I was starting at speeds around 2 and finishing off at speeds of about 3.5 on the Makita buffer. I too was nearly buffing dry but leaving enough wet to not load the pad. (I still would not suggest "dry buffing" until you have some experience)

Final Pass = Collinite Fleet Paste Wax #885. Tim's wife applied this with a microfiber foam applicator and a spritz of water from a spray bottle sprayed directly to the hull. It was then wiped and polished up with microfiber rags.

 

[TimCup]

MS-Every time I hear about how nice your boat is...

I think, yeah, but what did it look like before? Those guys know their stuff, but let'em try and put lipstick on a real pig...

The picture of the before and after stripe has me convinced. I have a hard time believing it could look so good after looking so bad. What an improvement.

Tim, you (and , of course, Mrs. Tim) are what I call good neighbors. Wish the world had more like ya.


cup

ps- here in florida, we cant make our boats look that good- the sun does way too much damage... and it hurts the boat, too..

 

[sailormanbigd]

Re: Sailors Helping Sailors

great people on this site. I had a complete stranger-bobtigar copied and mailed me three pages on how to bleed my hydraulic steering, "i love ya man".

 

[Cpt. Jon]

My wife and I were talking about this the other day. She mentioned trying to shine up our hull, I knew right away she saw this post on here and we talked about it. We had no idea we could make it look so nice, so we will probably try when we haul next... spring I guess

 

[Tim R.]

I checked out another friend's boat that I offered to help polish. Her husband decided to go with a "pro" and paid $1500. It is not as nice as this job.