Just tried the powder. I have found that acytone removes almost anything however, I will stop using it once my sides are polished and once my deck verticals are waxed.
Enlighten me--dark/light spots on hull
- Thread starter Windtherapy
- Start date
A couple people have suggested you read MaineSail's information on putting a shine on topsides. I'll be at least the third to point it out to you. It's pretty much the gold standard for gelcoat. You can take snippets of advice from a variety of posts, and wonder why the end result isn't what you want, or use MaineSail's techniques.
The torn rotator cuff throws a bit of a wrench into the whole thing, though. Under no circumstance would I have used a powered sander, even with something as fine as 800 grit. Would have cleaned it first with an acid wash of Mary Kate On Off.
Yeah, I played around a lot with fiberglass in the past, and was able to get it from dull to sort of shiny. I've used MaineSail's methods to the letter on a couple boats now. BIG difference. The first was started with 600 and finer grits, compound and polish, until it looked like new. My current boat, a 1996, went from compounding to polish with no wet sanding (didn't need it), and now looks like new...gleams. Done correctly, as MaineSail points out, you'll have all your shine when you're done polishing. The wax doesn't really make much of a change. Just protects it. That's shine.
Given the state of your shoulder, you probably could have just done the acid wash, the Poli Glow wash, and applied the Poli Glow and called it good, and gotten a decent shine until you can do the entire process.
The torn rotator cuff throws a bit of a wrench into the whole thing, though. Under no circumstance would I have used a powered sander, even with something as fine as 800 grit. Would have cleaned it first with an acid wash of Mary Kate On Off.
Yeah, I played around a lot with fiberglass in the past, and was able to get it from dull to sort of shiny. I've used MaineSail's methods to the letter on a couple boats now. BIG difference. The first was started with 600 and finer grits, compound and polish, until it looked like new. My current boat, a 1996, went from compounding to polish with no wet sanding (didn't need it), and now looks like new...gleams. Done correctly, as MaineSail points out, you'll have all your shine when you're done polishing. The wax doesn't really make much of a change. Just protects it. That's shine.
Given the state of your shoulder, you probably could have just done the acid wash, the Poli Glow wash, and applied the Poli Glow and called it good, and gotten a decent shine until you can do the entire process.
Sadly, to me it looks as if the top color is almost worn away. When they lay up a glass hull,, the first coat they add is the last color. THEN they add a dark color resin (such as your blue) so when the glassing is done, voids are easily spotted. Cannot see them over white ( as easily)
I think the blue (from the stripes) is showing through.
I'd say live with it til it gets really on your nerves, then paint the hull.
I think the blue (from the stripes) is showing through.
I'd say live with it til it gets really on your nerves, then paint the hull.
If you have an older Oday the dark parts are probably the original gel coat and the lighter parts are the parts that are still oxidized. I dug up a discussion about repairing a ding on my Precision and another sailor commented that the Older Odays were also an off white color, best description is light sand. Pull up a covered part of your hull like the rub rail to confirm. See link below;
http://forum.trailersailor.com/post.php?id=1381144
I have done the compounding and polishing steps and have brought back the shine. I couldn't bring myself to use sandpaper. The color is still a little mottled when you get close to it. I've done it twice, once each season, and each time it gets a little better. As person who has suffered a frozen shoulder and bursitis, I understand not over doing it. I would rather have a dull boat that you can sail than a shiny boat you can't sail because of a bad shoulder. One last suggestion is to pick one area about 2 ft square and finish it off with the compound and the polish and see how it looks. Before doing the whole boat.
http://forum.trailersailor.com/post.php?id=1381144
I have done the compounding and polishing steps and have brought back the shine. I couldn't bring myself to use sandpaper. The color is still a little mottled when you get close to it. I've done it twice, once each season, and each time it gets a little better. As person who has suffered a frozen shoulder and bursitis, I understand not over doing it. I would rather have a dull boat that you can sail than a shiny boat you can't sail because of a bad shoulder. One last suggestion is to pick one area about 2 ft square and finish it off with the compound and the polish and see how it looks. Before doing the whole boat.
That's exactly what I did last year. Picked a foot by foot area and did all 3 steps on it. Looked better but not that shine. Others stated it never will unless it's sanded so that's what I did this year...or have started to do.
This works for me. Tie a length of shock cord/bungee to a halyard. Tie the cord to your polisher and raise the halyard so you need to pull the polisher down to work the hull. You need to occasionally adjust the halyard as you move along the length of the boat but it is much easier to pull down the weight then hold it up.
Based on all of the above my strong recommendation is to go with the Sam Adam's Summer Ale (Wheat not barley) and a slice of lemon like the Germans add. After 2-3 you will be shocked at how good that hull looks.
Yup, Sam Adams Summer Ale I love so it is that and I think I will try the compounding and wax in a section again and see what happens. I am not one to like short cuts such as PoliGlow. Wish me luck and oh, it's only near 90 with 85% humidity--that equals lots of beer.