My 1991(new to me) Catalina has medium chalking / oxidation. I have seen the previous threads with the suggested 3 part process of compound, polish then wax. A guy at my marina with decades of boat repair experience says to just use softscrub with a scotch-brite pad to clean and remove the oxidation and then wax with Nu-Finish (the stuff in the orange can)...any comments before I try each method on 2x2 sample area?
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compound then wax
I just got my '87 Cal 28, new to me too. The hull was oxidized and slightly dirty. First I washed it well with a hull cleaner, then sanded down the boot strip and cove strip with 220 sandpaper. Then I repainted the stripes with Interlux Topside enamel....looks brand new! Then I compounded down the hull (avoiding the painted stripes) with a power buffer (you need at least 3500 rpm). Then using the buffer, applied wax. A lot of elbow greese needed. She looks great. I was considering Polyglow then opted for wax instead since some people said the Polyglow looked a bit fake. I'm very happy with the wax. Good luck. Steph
I just got my '87 Cal 28, new to me too. The hull was oxidized and slightly dirty. First I washed it well with a hull cleaner, then sanded down the boot strip and cove strip with 220 sandpaper. Then I repainted the stripes with Interlux Topside enamel....looks brand new! Then I compounded down the hull (avoiding the painted stripes) with a power buffer (you need at least 3500 rpm). Then using the buffer, applied wax. A lot of elbow greese needed. She looks great. I was considering Polyglow then opted for wax instead since some people said the Polyglow looked a bit fake. I'm very happy with the wax. Good luck. Steph
the ying and yang of waxing
Stephen, I've tried both routes to a nicer looking boat. Here are my thoughts. If you have access to electric buffers and have some experience buffing out painted surfaces, the compound/polish/wax route will certainly provide the best result. It's expensive and very time consuming. You can also consider having the yard do it for you, making it even more expensive. But I think you'll be 100% happy with the outcome. On the other hand, if all you need is to be 90% happy with the outcome and have no experience with buffers, and want to do it cheaply, do what the wise man at the boatyard recommended. Softscrub with bleach seems to work best. Rinse well since the soft scrub can leave a chalky resadue of its own if you dont. The best wax I've tried is Maguires Classic paste wax, but I haven't tried a whole lot. PS: try a Mr Clean magic eraser for tough spots. They work great.
Stephen, I've tried both routes to a nicer looking boat. Here are my thoughts. If you have access to electric buffers and have some experience buffing out painted surfaces, the compound/polish/wax route will certainly provide the best result. It's expensive and very time consuming. You can also consider having the yard do it for you, making it even more expensive. But I think you'll be 100% happy with the outcome. On the other hand, if all you need is to be 90% happy with the outcome and have no experience with buffers, and want to do it cheaply, do what the wise man at the boatyard recommended. Softscrub with bleach seems to work best. Rinse well since the soft scrub can leave a chalky resadue of its own if you dont. The best wax I've tried is Maguires Classic paste wax, but I haven't tried a whole lot. PS: try a Mr Clean magic eraser for tough spots. They work great.
We just did this
1978 Crwon 34, medium to mild oxidation. We washed the hull with West Marine Crystal Boat wash and then buffed (using a Ryobi buffer) the hull with 3M Cleaner and Wax (machine application, hand removal, done in in small areas it was no big deal) The I buffed the whole hull again and then I followed that with a coat of Meguirs Classic wax. For comparison, the fellow next to us (Catalina 30 not as oxidized), had a full-blown, variable speed Makita polisher. He used the same 3M product, took twice as long (compound pad.... then switch to buffing pad... back and forth...)and got exactly the same results as we did. Go figure... At one point he came over and looked at our hull, shook his head and walked away...
1978 Crwon 34, medium to mild oxidation. We washed the hull with West Marine Crystal Boat wash and then buffed (using a Ryobi buffer) the hull with 3M Cleaner and Wax (machine application, hand removal, done in in small areas it was no big deal) The I buffed the whole hull again and then I followed that with a coat of Meguirs Classic wax. For comparison, the fellow next to us (Catalina 30 not as oxidized), had a full-blown, variable speed Makita polisher. He used the same 3M product, took twice as long (compound pad.... then switch to buffing pad... back and forth...)and got exactly the same results as we did. Go figure... At one point he came over and looked at our hull, shook his head and walked away...
wax????
I love love love Polyglow, easy to apply, put a shine like glass and very easy to maintain. no compounds, buffing ..the cleaner that comes with it is great. its the way to go.. If you havne't tried it your working to hard..I use in on the hull. think the deck is better waxed...
I love love love Polyglow, easy to apply, put a shine like glass and very easy to maintain. no compounds, buffing ..the cleaner that comes with it is great. its the way to go.. If you havne't tried it your working to hard..I use in on the hull. think the deck is better waxed...
Nu-Finish
I would go with the Nu-Finish, works great and its cheaper and better than so called "boat wax." Alot of "marine" products are nothing more than repackaged non-marine products!
I would go with the Nu-Finish, works great and its cheaper and better than so called "boat wax." Alot of "marine" products are nothing more than repackaged non-marine products!
Be very careful with Scotch Brite
That stuff is very, very abrasive and will scratch the hell out of your hull if you use a heavy duty one. I'd still wet sand or machine buff if it were me. I've tried Nu-Finish and the stuff works great on cars but not on fiberglass. It gives a nice shine but does not last in the salt water....
That stuff is very, very abrasive and will scratch the hell out of your hull if you use a heavy duty one. I'd still wet sand or machine buff if it were me. I've tried Nu-Finish and the stuff works great on cars but not on fiberglass. It gives a nice shine but does not last in the salt water....
Results are
I did the test and here's what I found. First I cleaned the test area with "greased lightning" cleaner, then I used the softscrub with a random orbit buffer (Accoustic, I agree with you, the scotch brite would be to agressive...lucky that I didn't do it that way). It was a nice clean, but dull surface after that. (Maybe my oxidation wasn't so bad). The Nu-finsh didn't "shine" it up at all. Didn't have time to try a polish and then a good wax...yet
I did the test and here's what I found. First I cleaned the test area with "greased lightning" cleaner, then I used the softscrub with a random orbit buffer (Accoustic, I agree with you, the scotch brite would be to agressive...lucky that I didn't do it that way). It was a nice clean, but dull surface after that. (Maybe my oxidation wasn't so bad). The Nu-finsh didn't "shine" it up at all. Didn't have time to try a polish and then a good wax...yet
Stephen
That medium chalking is your gel coat coming off because you don't have any wax on it to protect it from the UV rays. The oxidation has occurred because without a constant layer of wax on there, the air has gotten to it. So lession here is, once you get her right, keep her right by applying wax twice a year (late spring and early fall).
That medium chalking is your gel coat coming off because you don't have any wax on it to protect it from the UV rays. The oxidation has occurred because without a constant layer of wax on there, the air has gotten to it. So lession here is, once you get her right, keep her right by applying wax twice a year (late spring and early fall).
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