Getting a shine back on Awlgrip

[kito]

I'm wanting to start working on the hull on my project boat and found out last night that what I thought was gelcoat is actually paint. When rubbing my hand across it, the white chalky powder came off on my hand. It made me think it was indeed old oxidized gelcoat. I did a small test area using 3m color restorer/wax (by hand) and got a slight shine but looked like crap....went from white to a greenish cream color. I am assume it is Awlgrip. Other than the dull, chalky surface and a few spider cracks it is in good shape with no dings or scratches. I just want to shine it up a bit. Will Awlcare do the trick? I read Poli Glow worked well but not sure if it can be used over paint. If I had to do any fiberglass work then I would go ahead and roll and tip the hull. I hate to go through the work and expense of that just to get a shine back on an otherwise good painted surface.

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

When you say you "found out last night...it was paint", that phrase becomes Important you want credible answers to your question.

Although a generalization, most people who paint don't use white. Additionally, as the procedure of restoring paint luster is dependent on what paint type it really is, how do you know it's Awlgrip?

Absent these answers, you won't get any dependable suggestions.

 

[jimg]

I'm not sure why you think it is Awlgrip. Interlux, Pettit, and even Rustoleum make a variety of marine paints that could have been used. If it is faded and chalky, as you say, it is probably not a 2 part paint. If you want to restore a glossy finish to an old 1 part paint, your choices are: Repaint.
Take your time, prep the surface well, and do it. You cannot use a 2 part paint over a 1 part, so you are limited to the many 1 part paints. I would recommend Interlux Brightside, but that's up to you. Nothing else you can do to that surface will make it look as good. You will be glad you did.

 

[kito]

When you say you "found out last night...it was paint", that phrase becomes Important you want credible answers to your question.

Although a generalization, most people who paint don't use white. Additionally, as the procedure of restoring paint luster is dependent on what paint type it really is, how do you know it's Awlgrip?

Absent these answers, you won't get any dependable suggestions.

I am not an expert in the boat paint field. I assumed it is Awlgrip from what I read about abrasives/wax destroying the outer hard surface. Any tests I can do to find out what is exactly on my boat? Like I said, I only hand polished a small area. I would jump for joy if it's Imron instead of Awlgrip. Maybe I need to take my polisher to a small area and see what happens. Let's put my question this way then....if it is Awlgrip, will Awlcare actually create a shine to a dull surface or does it have to have a shine first and the Awlcare just maintains it?.

 

[kito]

I'm not sure why you think it is Awlgrip. Interlux, Pettit, and even Rustoleum make a variety of marine paints that could have been used. If it is faded and chalky, as you say, it is probably not a 2 part paint. If you want to restore a glossy finish to an old 1 part paint, your choices are: Repaint.
Take your time, prep the surface well, and do it. You cannot use a 2 part paint over a 1 part, so you are limited to the many 1 part paints. I would recommend Interlux Brightside, but that's up to you. Nothing else you can do to that surface will make it look as good. You will be glad you did.

Thanks for the info. This is the bad part about buying a project boat from a PO that didn't know beans about it. I have no idea what was used to paint the hull. Btw, I thought Awlgrip will chalk up too when older and not maintained.

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

Now I understand you were assuming it is Awlgrip. Given that, there is no practical way to verify it making the issue moot as it may not be painted at all but rather just chalky gelcoat. So all we really know is that the surface has become chalky.

If you really do have some paint on the topsides, it is dead and there is nothing you can do to restore it. If gelcoat, it's possible to bring it back to a limited extent.

Without knowing definitively what you have, I give up and suggest you contact someone knowledgeable who can actually look and touch it who can hazard a guess how to proceed. Doing it here on the Internet seems like a futile effort.

Lastly, Awlcare in a wax, not a polish. The distinction is important.

 

[kito]

I guess I will take my buffer to it tonight and see what happens. I have nothing to lose. Don't know of any paint experts I can have look at it. So I guess you can paint over a 2 part paint with a one part but not visa versa?

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

Again, why are you assuming it is paint and not weathered gelcoat?

 

[kito]

I know it is not the original gelcoat that I first thought it was. After my finds last night I inspected more closely and with the sun shining just right on my transom, I was able to see from a side view, the old boat name raised up under the paint. The first I noticed it. It must have been painted on....lightly sanded and then covered. I forgot to mention that. That's why I figured it was Awlgrip or another paint. Not unless it was sprayed with gelcoat again. Doubt that since my restorer has brought worse looking surfaces back with just hand buffing.

 

[kloudie1]

not saying it is painted or whatever, but when a name is painted onto gel coat, it protects the gel under it from oxidation.A vinyl decal will too. Over the years, the un-oxidized gel coat will stand proud of the surrounding surface. Removing the old name leaves the "shadow" in the thicker gel coat. Awlgrip should not be buffed and it would be rare to have it go to "chalk".. other "outdoor" paints would be a mystery .. Buffing a chalky gel coat will bring it back if there is some un-oxidized layer under.. Sounds like what you are dealing with..

 

[dave lundy]

if vinyl letters were used on gelcoat they protect it from the elements and over time their imprint becomes indelible. the gelcoat on the hull is reacting with the atmosphere and slowly going away but under the lettering the gelcoat remains unchanged. you can't make a case for paint based on imprinting from former names.

Dave

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

Not to Steal this Thread ....................

..................... but maybe just wander off course a little bit, I have a boot stripe which I have watched slowly deteriorate over the lat 15 years. I've been able to keep the gelcoat around it in pristeen condition by using Meguiars Colour Restorer every year to get rid of the surface oxidation. But the Awlgrip .............. just slowly gets duller every year. Particularly at the bow where the wave action seems to aggravate the process. Or maybe it's where the wax is worn off first.

I can only guess the Awlgrip is just not as hard as gelcoat and that's why it won't take a polish.

Has anyone used anything that actually works on this stuff ? Never found any literature which offers any hope.

 

[kito]

..................... but maybe just wander off course a little bit, I have a boot stripe which I have watched slowly deteriorate over the lat 15 years. I've been able to keep the gelcoat around it in pristeen condition by using Meguiars Colour Restorer every year to get rid of the surface oxidation. But the Awlgrip .............. just slowly gets duller every year. Particularly at the bow where the wave action seems to aggravate the process. Or maybe it's where the wax is worn off first.

I can only guess the Awlgrip is just not as hard as gelcoat and that's why it won't take a polish.

Has anyone used anything that actually works on this stuff ? Never found any literature which offers any hope.

I found a product while searching Youtube. Apparently there is a product called Sea-Shield Nano polish that works on Awlgrip. Their Youtube video shows them using it but doesn't really show a good before/after picture.

 

[kito]

Thanks for all the input. It has me thinking now it is the original gelcoat (1979) that is just worn out. The upper pin stripes and Hunter decal did look original and when I removed them the under surface does stand proud of the surrounding gelcoat. Either way it looks like a new paint job is in order.

 

[centerline]

I assumed it is Awlgrip.
I would jump for joy if it's Imron instead of Awlgrip.

due to the "chalkiness" of it, I would strongly assume that it was NOT awlgrip or imron... these paints do NOT have a tendency to become chalkie in their old age, even when damaged by scratching or abrasion...
they are fairly resistant to the effects of UV aging (but not resistant to abrasion) and that is what makes them so expensive and such a good choice for applications that spend all their life in the elements... both awlgrip and imron are formulated as lifetime paints with very little care to them....

 

[Brian S]

Based on the descriptions so far, I don't think it's paint. I think it's old, oxidized gelcoat. And any gelcoat turns white when it oxidizes. So, if you get the chalky off, you may find there's lightly tinted gelcoat beneath. A friend's old Com-Pac 19 has a brown sheer stripe. By the end of the season, it looks like a grey boot stripe. But if you polish off the oxidized, you'll find brown again.

If you had badly damaged paint over gelcoat, you'd be able to go out with a knife, and scrape the chalky paint, and it would flake off of the old gelcoat. You'd see a bit of a sharp delineation between the paint and the underlying substrate. Nothing you've said so far leads me to believe this is the case.

Here is the bible on gelcoat restoration: http://forums.sbo.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=117266

 

[kito]

I may find out tonight if it is indeed paint or old gelcoat. I plan on sanding a part of the old raised lettering on the transom. If I hit a darker color then I know the letters were painted on and the boat has been painted.

 

[bffatcat]

Topsides!

I had my boat restored in 2012. Including a 2 part allgrip job in off white, the original color was a cream long ago faded to a chalky white. With three seasons completed, their is no chalking or fading no anything. The few minor abrasions from use wash off with a mild cleaner.

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

I don't know where Clemmons is but now we have come full circle on this guessing game, you really need to have someone in your local area who knows boats who you can have actually look at it.

 

[Sailm8]

I would play the odds. You say this is a project boat and appears to have been long neglected. How was the rest of the boat maintained? If well maintained it could be awlgrip but if not I would assume the PO would not spring for the cost and labor to apply Awlgrip. Just playing the odds.