Here we go again!
1. Penetrol. I don't know much about this. I do know that it is found in our local hardware store as an additive to pains and varnishes. It has been around a long time and the use on gelcoat is sort of like wetting it but apparently it does dry as well. I promise that I will research the chemical nature products (sounds like a "drying oil" and do some tests myself. I have a friend who uses it on polished brass but has to renew it every so often. 1. Waxes. Anybody who has used "sex wax" (hope this post does not get banned!) or other surf wax or who has seen a candle, know that wax, itself is NOT slippery - quite the opposite. Instead it has a dull, slightly chalky surface, especially as it weathers. It DOES soak up oily contaminant, however, that is why ""black streak removers" are really wax removers. The reason why waxes are shiny and slippery is becuase of ..."SILICONES"... (actually dimethyl silicones that are generally very shiny and slippery like the original armorall. These eventually vaporise out and are broken down by UV that is why waxed surfaces go dull first, then (more slowly) lose their water repellancy. Because wax is really just a very hard fat, it could be be removed by stronger cleaners and detergents (that always contain a little solvent too). To resist removal of the wax when you wash your car (or boat) additives are put in that are detergent resistant. The main one used is also silicone related (silicone just means silicon rather than carbon as the molecular backbone in molecules containing oxygen - silicon dioxide is GLASS!). Thi main additive is called an organofunctional silane . Usually an amino group is the functional group and strong versions can actually smell of ammonia. They can form a "varnish-like" material (highly reactive as in some glues" or rubber like. Only a limited amount can be used as it can otherwise become yellowed - not a good idea on white surfaces especially since carnuaba is already a bit yellow looking. Another additive to add detergent and weather resistance are silicone resins. These are tough and do not yellow and are even used in heat-proof paints. There are some car waxes claiming one year protection that contain these additives. Of couse, anti-oxiatns UV blockers and other additives are also there to help protect the wax finish. A good marine wax (the best is Collinite paste wax) will last quite well and protect against oxidation (but maybe not against color fade) on a NEW(ISH) boat. On an old oxidized boat you would have to completely remove and kill all the oxidation that is deep down in the gelcoat pores (and old gelcoat is porous). Plus wax is a very thin coating and a poor barrier to oxygen, ozone and UV. The analogy is simple. Just try puttin a coat of wax on a brand new piece of steel, then try the same on a piece of steel that has deep seated rust but has been sand to remove surface rust. I think you know the result without trying. Wax will pretty well protect the brand new surface but the metal with rust in the pores. Same for gelcoat chalky oxidation. It is really "plastic rust"! 3. Water-based acrylics (Nuglass, Poliglow, Vertglass, TSRW , Starbright etc). This is also where "Future". MopnGlow, Bright etc also belong. All these products evolved from the "non-wax kitchen floor coatings of the 1960's or thereabouts. I believe that Johnson and Johnson were the first to introduce this. Of course kitchen floors are not exposed to UV, so the marine versions do have anti-oxidants etc added. There are pluses and minuses to these products. First they MUST NOT BE USED ON NEW BOATS! These coatings will not stick unless (like a painted surface) the surface has a physical key and I don't think that you will want to sand your brand new boat!. Secondly even that best of these products will eventually yellow (not a good idea on a white boat), although can strip and redo. If there is not sufficient adhesion (gelcoat not porous, or rough enough, or not all wax & silicones removed), flaking and peelling will occur. Cracking is an eventual problem solved by removal. On the plus side, very good results can be obtained on older porous gelcoat, particularly on darker colors. Many coats have to be applied, becuase the first few are soaking down into the pores. pores and form the "anchor" to keep the final outside coating from peeling off. However, these coatings will greatly outshine and outlast regular wax, as they should being essentially a clearcoat paint! They are also a much better barrier against oxygen than wax to protect against oxidation of the gelcoat. A shine usually lasts a season, sometimes as long as a year. Evbentually, of course these coatings have to be stripped off before redoing or going back to another way. This is becuase the material in the pores will eventually go the way of (even auto solvent-based) clearcoats. If becomes grey/yellow and opaque, You can strip with ammonia-based strippers. 4, The Island Girl Approach. being the inventor (and sole investor) am sort of biased, but I want to point out the logic. On smooth gelcoat, our cleanser condiioners DISSOLVE out and kill the oxidation and inhibit midew growth. On white or most other colors the SEA GLOW cleanser/conditioner is "lights up the colors" due to strong fluorescing agents. You can use this regardless of final coating used to produce the shine. To seal over the porosity, just wipe over with some Silkenseal. This forms a rubbery "plastic skin" that does not dissolve when an outer coat of paste wax or our "Superwax" is applied. Our superwax has gone through several improvements since first introduced, so that is now sets up fast (especially with new catalyst) but not so fast as an acrylic. Therefore it "flows out" to produce a mirror shine without need for buffing. However it can be buffed later, if necessary, using silkenseal as a cleaner/lubricant. This Simply Brilliant Superwax is mostly resins (you guess which ones!) together with a small amount of a synthetic non organic wax (is not and does not yellow). There is no water content. We recently reduced the amount of wax content to reduce "black streak" staining. It can be applied , and will stick to any hard surface. It is a barrier to oxygen and contains anet-oxidants, including fluesceing anti-color fade additives. Mirror Hard superglaze is now identical to the superwax, but has NO wax content so is completely stain resistant. It can be wiped onto NEW boats or painted or metal surfaces, even over existing clean waxed surfaces. As for non-skid that's another but similar story - but you cannot use abrasive compounding if you want to keep the non-skid "teeth"! You want to see some internet movies on this (you can ignore the promotional parts) you can send me your - e-mail address or call. Dr. Anthony L. (yes its "Jim") Willis
We've done the hull topsides with PoliGlow and recognize that its inappropriate for the deck and cockpit.
