Detailing on a budget

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ru_nut1

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Jun 17, 2010
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32215
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i have an '88 white 22" foot cuddy cabin. major oxidation and i want to get it shiny again.

i've read thru hundreds of posts about what works and what doesn't, and i decided on the shurhold buff magic and pro-polish combo. however, even w/ the small bottles and with shipping, it is something like $60 or so. doesn't sound like a lot, but i'm trying to be more practical with my finances (i'm usually pretty wasteful), and given the $$ i'm going to spend on gas this summer, that's not a silly endeavour, in my view.

so i don't need it to be showroom PERFECT... that's why i got the boat, frankly, but i do want it to shine a bit. i just want two ez steps, polish and wax and done. for cheap.

any immediate suggestions come to mind? anything good to buy off the shelf (as in, at wal-mart, rather than west marine (aka: RIP OFF))?

when i have my 36" doral allegria, i'll spend the proper $$, but NOT on a 20+ yo putt putt boat. :-)

thanks!!
 
Depends on the condition of the gelcoat. Some boats don't age as well as others. If it's gotten porous, you may get a nice shine but in 6 months it'll look like you didn't do it at all. And it's doubtful you can do it in 2 steps.
Try Meguiar's HD Oxidation Remover with a rotary buffer, quality wool pad, and follow the instructions exactly. If you haven't already, go to this forum (detailing) and read the sticky on "Proper Procedures for Buffing".
I found WM's rubbing compound harsh, nasty to work with and not that good.
Don't use car stuff....Meguiar's is good quality, although I never used the Pro Polish or other brands mainly 'cause they were not available on the West coast. (and you'll pay haz mat shipping charges if you order out of your area)
The diminishing abrasive in Meguiar's does the job.
On a well oxidized boat, try the 3 step package they sell, which has Ox. Remover, Polish & Wax.
Buzz
 
Glenn:
Back in '04 I got an old cruiser that had a badly chalked hull. It was so bad that when you bumped into it your clothes would have white marks on them. Anyway, by accident I discovered that a pressure washer would take off the excess chalking on the surface of the fiberglass, so I pressure washed the entire hull. After that I bought a few bonnets for my 7" disk sander. At Walmart I found some cheap rubbing compound, and using the disk sander with a bonnet, I compounded the entire hull. Unfortunately, I could still see the swirl marks from the disk sander, so I got some Maguires cleaner wax, and went over the entire hull using the cleander wax by hand. It came out really nice, for cheap.
YMMV
eric
 
If it's white you may get by with just 3M Super Duty and wax - but if it's that old and that oxidized, I'd use a polymer sealant instead of a wax, and a few coats at that, or you'll be back to square one in no time.
 
Try to store your boat out of the sun when not using it. That will prevent future oxidation.
 
No, it won't. Oxidation comes from exposure to oxygen.
Sunlight accelerates loss of color in the gel coat.
Buzz
 
There are no REAL easy steps. I wouldnt take a power washer to smooth fiberglas, that can cause the glass to blister..

There is a product out there called NEW GLASS or something like that. It requires you to wash the hull, and wipe this stuff on. It will last about two years but it will give you a great shine...
 
"so i don't need it to be showroom PERFECT... that's why i got the boat, frankly, but i do want it to shine a bit. i just want two ez steps, polish and wax and done. for cheap.

any immediate suggestions come to mind? anything good to buy off the shelf (as in, at wal-mart, rather than west marine (aka: RIP OFF))?"

Go to Walmart find a restorer wax and a cleaner wax. Basically one will have compound in it and the other will have a milder polish in it. Acid wash the boat first to get rid of much of the oxidation residue and then buff using the restorer wax first followed by the cleaner/polishing wax. This way your are not only compounding and polishing with each step you are also applying wax with each step as well.
 
quote:
Originally posted by starfishkiller

Glenn:
Back in '04 I got an old cruiser that had a badly chalked hull. It was so bad that when you bumped into it your clothes would have white marks on them. Anyway, by accident I discovered that a pressure washer would take off the excess chalking on the surface of the fiberglass, so I pressure washed the entire hull. After that I bought a few bonnets for my 7" disk sander. At Walmart I found some cheap rubbing compound, and using the disk sander with a bonnet, I compounded the entire hull. Unfortunately, I could still see the swirl marks from the disk sander, so I got some Maguires cleaner wax, and went over the entire hull using the cleander wax by hand. It came out really nice, for cheap.
YMMV
eric

Click to expand...


+1

I would NOT use any of the liquid shine-m-ups. They are an easy application and look great for a couple of years. Over time they yellow and places continue to oxidize. In a couple of years, you are looking at one hell of a job to remover the original.

Years ago I had an 18' Chrysler Conqueror. It was chalked when I bought it. No amount of washing cured it. (I was young and dumb). A friend turned me on to a two step Blue Coral treatment. The boat looked brand new when we were done. The 2 step system is probably not available any more, but the newer 2-3 step systems work very well.

As stated, cleaner is cleaner. Polish or wax may or may not be polish or wax. I forget which one goes on last. It needs to have UV protection.

I would venture that you could be out of the whole process for less than $100 including the HF buffer.
 
You should be able to get a can of Buff Magic for under $30 at a marine store. A little goes a loooong way, and it's worth it. When WM has a sale, get the teflon polish.
 
He made 4 posts total and poof! Gone.
Maybe he's still buffing...
Buzz
 
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