I'm glad to see that someone who doesn't do this for a living finally showed us regular guys how it's done. I personally have never had the guts to do this to my own boat. I normally use rubbing compound and then come back and polish it. Great video thanks for sharing.
You have obviously done your homework on this project ! I was a detail manager for 17 yrs and and everything you advised, is "spot on". There will always be different opinions on the grit of sand paper and what compound to use, but you nailed it as a good general advise ! I would recommend to anyone doing this to buy a buffer. Even if it is a cheap one. That is a LOT of rubbing by hand and you will be wore out by the time you finish. If you do go with a buffer, just take your time and listen to good advise. You can even use a buffer, with the right pad, to re-wax or polish it next year.
Thanks, and yes my shoulders were very sore after polishing by hand. I plan on doing this again at least twice this year...will definitely be investing in a buffer. Thanks for watching!
Larry V: Just a follow up on your comments. Harbor Freight sells a buffer at a good price compared to a professional grade. I don't own one but most people who comment on YT seem to think it is a good value for the DIY er.
Your idea on when to stop sanding is kind of up in the air just in my personal opinion. When sanding any clear coat/gel coat you can see the dirty part first but not always. But you should never, ever see the color of the boat. If I understood you correctly that was what you said. Forgive me if I misunderstood. If you see the actual color of the boat in your soapy, sanding water then you have burned through your gel coat into the paint. I know for a fact it is that way with a car with a car when the paint is “”Base coat, clear coat.”” That simply means the paint goes on first and then the clear coat. Every new car since the 80s are painted with Base coat, clear coat. An example is if you get a scratch on a red car and the scratch is white then the scratch did not go threw the clear coat. If the scratch is red then it went threw the clear coat into the paint. If I’m not mistaken and I don’t think I am then a fiberglass boat is the same. And something to keep in mind. Gel coat boats are much, much more forgiving than an automobile. I did one just today and started with 600 grit paper. Then went to 1000 grit then buffed with 3M compound and then waxed. This boat was oxidized terribly bad. It actually had a better shine after I sanded it then before. Thats how bad it was. I was probably able to bring a zero shine back to a 60 to 70% shine. Another good thing to do in block sand. That cuts the clear down level. Just remember to never stay on a ridge or protruding are for long at all. These are the ares where you will cut threw first if not carful. Soapy water is a big plus. It allows your sand paper to slide much easier and it won’t catch as bad bending the paper. The higher grit you go the easer the paper will fold up on you. You can actually start as low as 500 grit paper but you need to know what you are doing. 500 grit cuts fast and deep. If you start with 600 or up you can sand a lot before cutting through. Sand until smooth and move up in grit. Most compounds are at least 1000 grit. For that reason you are wasting your time going with a higher grit than 1000 paper. Sorry so long. I have been sanding for many years and when I start talking about it I can go on for hours. This gentleman did a great job. Thanks for the video, appreciate you sharing!!..
Thanks for the info, I used 1000 grit wet sand paper on my gel coat to remove some dock scratches then I tried rubbing compound and then wax but you could still see the scratches from the thousand grit, so this time I'm going to try to step it up slowly and see if that will help (example 1000, 2000, 3000, etc.) thanks
My boat sat in the scorching hot Arizona sun for 16 years. It had an incredible amount of oxidation. I did exactly what this video said to do. Starting with P-500 grit then 1000 grit and finally 2000 grit. The sanding alone took 15 days, 3 to 6 hours a day. Then the rubbing compound, polishing and waxing. When I was finished it was shiny and beautiful. A year later I noticed the oxidation coming back. I applied the waxing and polishing twice within that year. So now I am back to the sanding. It is going much easier this time. I am wondering if after this time can I retire my sander?
haha, that sounds like a lot of work you put into that boat, labor of love i guess. Hopefully you will only have to wax/polish once a year to keep up the shine.
Did you use a power polisher or just by hand, if you did use power polisher try to up the rpm and do slow passes to get a good steady layer of protection, the slower the passes the better I’m not a pro but I do this for work and found high speed slow passes give me the best results, and try using higher grade products if your not already and add a sealant or ceramic after everything is done will definitely help !
@@FloppingCrappie: There are compounds/polishes specifically for Gelcoat. I don't know if they have extra value over what you used. It may be marketing hype- just another product to buy. Ask a professional.
Does it feel smooth when your done? I’m about to do my top cap and it feels like you can feel the flake, but am wondering if it’s just the oxidation that is rough. If the oxidation is even less than you had here, would it work with just the compounds and not sanding? Great video, very informative
after you're all done with waxing, it should feel fairly smooth. if you have less oxidation than i had, i would recommend just starting with the compounds and not wetsanding.
I had a go at gel coating myself on the bottom of hull on my ski boat lots and lots of work lots and lots of sanding.Id be asking many questions if your going to consider gel coating yourself. Gelcoat and flowcoat are different.Like Flopping said take it to a marine shop and ask.I never want to go through the pain of spraying gelcoat and sanding back ever again maybe consider a professional paint job instead .Great Video by the way Flopping.
I know this is a old video but I can’t get anyone to answer. But what does it mean if the sparkles in boat are white after it drys ? What if you do burn thru the gel coat ?my boat has a lot of oxidation
It's possible that you've burned through the gel coat. In which case you need to reapply gel coat to the area. I've never done this before, but there are a few videos on UA-cam about it.
I’m just wondering why he’s not buffing with oxidation grease and wax instead of wet sanding , unless he just wanted to show how to wet sand ? My boat was extremely bad and I buffed 4 times then waxed works great.
I'm not sure if Rubbing compound is the same as oxidation grease, but from the research I did before filming this video most people wet sanded their boat and then applied the compounds/wax. I guess next time I do this I can try oxidation grease.
Good video, I have a 20ft Aquasport and need to set aside a weekend to do this. Have you looked into PoliGlow? Stuff seems amazing and lasts a boat (excused the pun) load of time.
Thanks, I think I've seen another video use poliglow along with a buffer. Might try it out this year. I dont recommend doing this by hand like I did in the video...could lift my arms for a couple days. Haah
You should sand until no more white chalk/oxide comes off. Never sand in circles. Check videos by detail professionals. Lots of instruction is available. Sanding is done using a “cross hatch” pattern. That way you are guaranteed to sand evenly across the boat.
From the videos I watched, most said as soon as you stop seeing a brown/stained color during the wet sanding process, you should stop. The white color (mostly from soap) will start showing during the wet sand process when the oxidation has been removed from the gel coat. This is what I understand from watching videos and reading boating forums.
try smoove procut 1000, no sanding needed, i tried it today on my 07 maxum 2600 se that sat in the sun for 12 years, oxidized more than your boat, turned out great without sanding,
your doing it all wrong haven't you watched karate kid. wax on wax off. just kidding thanks this should help with my boat its not bad but its all over the top rails of my boat
You may have to repeat the wet sanding process until all of the (brownish) oxidation is removed. The wet sanding should start to turn a soapy white color. If you didn't want to keep wet sanding (so you didn't burn through the gel coat), you could use the rubbing compound multiple times to help remove additional oxidation. If you're using a buffer make sure to set it on lower RPMs when applying multiple coats of the rubbing compound.
I'm glad to see that someone who doesn't do this for a living finally showed us regular guys how it's done. I personally have never had the guts to do this to my own boat. I normally use rubbing compound and then come back and polish it. Great video thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching!
You have obviously done your homework on this project ! I was a detail manager for 17 yrs and and everything you advised, is "spot on". There will always be different opinions on the grit of sand paper and what compound to use, but you nailed it as a good general advise ! I would recommend to anyone doing this to buy a buffer. Even if it is a cheap one. That is a LOT of rubbing by hand and you will be wore out by the time you finish. If you do go with a buffer, just take your time and listen to good advise. You can even use a buffer, with the right pad, to re-wax or polish it next year.
Thanks, and yes my shoulders were very sore after polishing by hand. I plan on doing this again at least twice this year...will definitely be investing in a buffer. Thanks for watching!
Larry V: Just a follow up on your comments. Harbor Freight sells a buffer at a good price compared to a professional grade. I don't own one but most people who comment on YT seem to think it is a good value for the DIY er.
Do you need to sand until the boat gel shines?
Your idea on when to stop sanding is kind of up in the air just in my personal opinion. When sanding any clear coat/gel coat you can see the dirty part first but not always. But you should never, ever see the color of the boat. If I understood you correctly that was what you said. Forgive me if I misunderstood. If you see the actual color of the boat in your soapy, sanding water then you have burned through your gel coat into the paint. I know for a fact it is that way with a car with a car when the paint is “”Base coat, clear coat.”” That simply means the paint goes on first and then the clear coat. Every new car since the 80s are painted with Base coat, clear coat. An example is if you get a scratch on a red car and the scratch is white then the scratch did not go threw the clear coat. If the scratch is red then it went threw the clear coat into the paint. If I’m not mistaken and I don’t think I am then a fiberglass boat is the same. And something to keep in mind. Gel coat boats are much, much more forgiving than an automobile. I did one just today and started with 600 grit paper. Then went to 1000 grit then buffed with 3M compound and then waxed. This boat was oxidized terribly bad. It actually had a better shine after I sanded it then before. Thats how bad it was. I was probably able to bring a zero shine back to a 60 to 70% shine. Another good thing to do in block sand. That cuts the clear down level. Just remember to never stay on a ridge or protruding are for long at all. These are the ares where you will cut threw first if not carful. Soapy water is a big plus. It allows your sand paper to slide much easier and it won’t catch as bad bending the paper. The higher grit you go the easer the paper will fold up on you. You can actually start as low as 500 grit paper but you need to know what you are doing. 500 grit cuts fast and deep. If you start with 600 or up you can sand a lot before cutting through. Sand until smooth and move up in grit. Most compounds are at least 1000 grit. For that reason you are wasting your time going with a higher grit than 1000 paper. Sorry so long. I have been sanding for many years and when I start talking about it I can go on for hours. This gentleman did a great job. Thanks for the video, appreciate you sharing!!..
Doing this by hand is an absolute boss move!! Love the video!
had to get that shoulder workout in..LOL
Thanks for the info, I used 1000 grit wet sand paper on my gel coat to remove some dock scratches then I tried rubbing compound and then wax but you could still see the scratches from the thousand grit, so this time I'm going to try to step it up slowly and see if that will help (example 1000, 2000, 3000, etc.) thanks
Low RPMs for cutting compound and high RPMs for polishing compounds.
Thanks for this video. I just tested it on a small corner and it worked perfectly. Now to do the rest of the boat...
Glad it helped
Nice simple video, good job. Right to the point...
My boat sat in the scorching hot Arizona sun for 16 years. It had an incredible amount of oxidation. I did exactly what this video said to do. Starting with P-500 grit then 1000 grit and finally 2000 grit. The sanding alone took 15 days, 3 to 6 hours a day. Then the rubbing compound, polishing and waxing. When I was finished it was shiny and beautiful. A year later I noticed the oxidation coming back. I applied the waxing and polishing twice within that year. So now I am back to the sanding. It is going much easier this time. I am wondering if after this time can I retire my sander?
haha, that sounds like a lot of work you put into that boat, labor of love i guess. Hopefully you will only have to wax/polish once a year to keep up the shine.
Did you use a power polisher or just by hand, if you did use power polisher try to up the rpm and do slow passes to get a good steady layer of protection, the slower the passes the better I’m not a pro but I do this for work and found high speed slow passes give me the best results, and try using higher grade products if your not already and add a sealant or ceramic after everything is done will definitely help !
Great video; could watch you do just about anything! Might just try this on my 1996 21 ft Rinker. Heavy Oxidation.
Good stuff. No issues if the gel coat is white with that first compound being orange.
Thanks, I plan on doing this again this spring. Do you use the same compounds I used in the video? A few people have said they used different stuff.
@@FloppingCrappie: There are compounds/polishes specifically for Gelcoat. I don't know if they have extra value over what you used. It may be marketing hype- just another product to buy. Ask a professional.
Does it feel smooth when your done? I’m about to do my top cap and it feels like you can feel the flake, but am wondering if it’s just the oxidation that is rough. If the oxidation is even less than you had here, would it work with just the compounds and not sanding?
Great video, very informative
after you're all done with waxing, it should feel fairly smooth. if you have less oxidation than i had, i would recommend just starting with the compounds and not wetsanding.
North Carolina Bassin yeah it should feel smooth
How long did it last before you started to see oxidation again? Great video bro!
About 6 months. I usually run a cutting compound and wax formula over the boat atleast twice a year
Nice! Thanks
Good video, sanding, polishing, and sealing by hand is unheard of these days.
Thanks and ya, I would recommend doing it by hand. Haha
Gel coat compound and a rotary buffer. No need to sand the finish for the light oxidization you got going on.
What would you do if u can feel the sparkles already from an older boat? Recoat with new gel and sparkles?
Ya, I would bring it into a Marine shop and ask what is needed to re-apply a gel coat
I had a go at gel coating myself on the bottom of hull on my ski boat lots and lots of work lots and lots of sanding.Id be asking many questions if your going to consider gel coating yourself. Gelcoat and flowcoat are different.Like Flopping said take it to a marine shop and ask.I never want to go through the pain of spraying gelcoat and sanding back ever again maybe consider a professional paint job instead .Great Video by the way Flopping.
I know this is a old video but I can’t get anyone to answer. But what does it mean if the sparkles in boat are white after it drys ? What if you do burn thru the gel coat ?my boat has a lot of oxidation
It's possible that you've burned through the gel coat. In which case you need to reapply gel coat to the area. I've never done this before, but there are a few videos on UA-cam about it.
Thanks mate
Thanks tons friend John
Off topic....what pitch prop do you run and how fast is the boat?
I think it is a 19degree and if I don't have the boat loaded down with fishing, camera gear, etc. it tops out around 48mph
Good job guy!
thanks
I’m just wondering why he’s not buffing with oxidation grease and wax instead of wet sanding , unless he just wanted to show how to wet sand ? My boat was extremely bad and I buffed 4 times then waxed works great.
I'm not sure if Rubbing compound is the same as oxidation grease, but from the research I did before filming this video most people wet sanded their boat and then applied the compounds/wax. I guess next time I do this I can try oxidation grease.
Nice work. Good video
Good video, I have a 20ft Aquasport and need to set aside a weekend to do this. Have you looked into PoliGlow? Stuff seems amazing and lasts a boat (excused the pun) load of time.
Thanks, I think I've seen another video use poliglow along with a buffer. Might try it out this year. I dont recommend doing this by hand like I did in the video...could lift my arms for a couple days. Haah
Hahahaha, I believe you. That's way to much work!
@@avidskier73 ya, I'm definitely investing in a buffer next time.
Now you should apply a “Polymer Sealant”
You should sand until no more white chalk/oxide comes off. Never sand in circles. Check videos by detail professionals. Lots of instruction is available. Sanding is done using a “cross hatch” pattern. That way you are guaranteed to sand evenly across the boat.
How do you know when you're getting close to burning thru your gelcoat?
From the videos I watched, most said as soon as you stop seeing a brown/stained color during the wet sanding process, you should stop. The white color (mostly from soap) will start showing during the wet sand process when the oxidation has been removed from the gel coat. This is what I understand from watching videos and reading boating forums.
I will find a better wax to use Maguires or colony fleet paste wax is better for your boat it last longer turtle wax in my opinion isn’t the greatest
Thanks for the great vid
You're welcome
try smoove procut 1000, no sanding needed, i tried it today on my 07 maxum 2600 se that sat in the sun for 12 years, oxidized more than your boat, turned out great without sanding,
what is it?
@@ericdiekmann11 polishing compound for gel coat in one.
in one step.
@@alex3012red I looked into it, they still recommend using all three of their compounds
yo yo yo cool vídeo
Great video
Thanks!
I would never use a sanding sponge block. Use a wet sanding block.
wouldn't a sanding sponge follow the contours of the boat better than a flat square block?
@@Bassmada I was cringing at the idea the paper would slip and the 120 grit would grind away- - - use a chunk of foam rubber from an old couch !!
No clear coat apply in the end
Hi I subbed saw you on bobs crappies.
Thanks and I enjoy his channel. He has some pretty good crappie fishing videos.
your doing it all wrong haven't you watched karate kid. wax on wax off. just kidding thanks this should help with my boat its not bad but its all over the top rails of my boat
I wetsand and waxed and the i
Oxidation came back next day
You may have to repeat the wet sanding process until all of the (brownish) oxidation is removed. The wet sanding should start to turn a soapy white color. If you didn't want to keep wet sanding (so you didn't burn through the gel coat), you could use the rubbing compound multiple times to help remove additional oxidation. If you're using a buffer make sure to set it on lower RPMs when applying multiple coats of the rubbing compound.
Try a heavy compound??? If that does not work you may have what is. Called dead gel coat
Gregg Webb I used an electric buffer wth the blue microfiber 3m pad with oxidation lotion about 3 times then washed then waxed ( maquar brand)
Could have just used compound and a buffer. Would have been way quicker and better results.
B
Wax on wax off
JESUS CHRIST LOVES YOU SO MUCH!!!
It looks the same...
NEVER wet sand with a power sander. Nope.
JESUS CHRIST IS THE WAY THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE!!!!