any wax help?

[ksc]

hey guys, new to the forum, looks like there is a ton of info on here..quick question, im planning on waxing my comp 20 this weekend while it is out of the water, ive got a power buffer not sure if that is necessary, but my main question is which wax and technique should i use?the only part that shows any weathering is the red coat along the waterline of the hull so i just want to make sure i dont mess up along there, the rest of the hull is white, thamnks for any help guys!
kyle

[jet]

Any kind of wax will work, I use anything with a Dupont Teflon in it. You can find all brands and sprays with it added to the wax. Just beacause it says "Boat" on it doesn't make it better, but it will double in price! The teflon is a synthetic version and is very tuff and slippery so things wash off instead of sticking. My 1.5 cents Jet

[Okie Boarder]

I agree with what jet said. I used a 3M boat wax that works really well. Do you have any deposits or oxidation that needs to come off? If so, you're going to want to start more aggressively with the buffer and a compound that will get rid of the undesired material first.

If that's the case, you can find my thread on that or I can link you to it. Mine had quite a bit of oxidation so I started with a wetsand and went from there.

[jet]

Okie..I'm wetsanding as soon as in the next month or so. Any tips? Or can you send me the link? Jet

[ksc]

okie,thanks!can i get that link from you please?

[Okie Boarder]

Here are two good links. I posted on here and on wb.com about it. There is a list of products used in both of them, but the wb.com one is more detailed.

https://forum.supraboats.com/showthread.php?t=3803&highlight=gelcoat

http://forums.wakeboarder.com/viewtopic.php?t=80278&highlight=gelcoat

Let me know if you have any questions.

[iwakeboard]

Above the rub rail on my 24SSV the gelcoat is oxidized. I had a guy quote me $300-$400 to do the whole boat, wetsanding, waxing, etc, including the hull. I would rather do it myself but I don't know what grit to start wetsanding at. Also, I'm not sure how much I trust myself doing it :( I did my old 17' boat but I just love my baby and worry bout her.

[Okie Boarder]

Try starting with 2000 grit like I did. Do a small section wetsanding then clean it and dry it. Look at it really good and see if the oxidation is gone. If it is, you're in good shape and do the whole thing with 2000 grint and then move to compound. If not, go to 1000 grit, then the compound.

What kind of buffer do you have?

[iwakeboard]

I have a black and decker oscillating one, it's pretty nice, I need new pads though.

[jzelt]

And then keep up on the waxing part to prevent oxidation going forward.

I use 3M cleaner/wax in one step when it needs it. Otherwise, I use a caranuba wax. I trailer mine everywhere, so I typically hit it in the spring, right before our trip to KY where it sits in the water for 1 week, then right after and in the fall.

The Chaparral, where the transom tie down eyes are, would start to show on the gel coat. When that started to look like it was turning shade from dark blue to lighter, I knew it was time to reapply.

I like to apply the wax by hand, and then use the buffer to remove the majority of it, then hand remove the crevices/etc. I only use the buffer to take the work and time out of most of the straight parts. That way, my efforts are spent on trim work.

[Okie Boarder]

I have a black and decker oscillating one, it's pretty nice, I need new pads though.

If you have oxidation like mine and you want to go through the type process I did, I'd recommend a rotary or a DA. The oscillating ones aren't usually aggressive enough.

[iwakeboard]

If you have oxidation like mine and you want to go through the type process I did, I'd recommend a rotary or a DA. The oscillating ones aren't usually aggressive enough.


Ah, that's the word I was looking for, haha. It is a rotary, my bad.

[Okie Boarder]

That's what you need. Ideally you want variable speed, but you can work without it. Is it variable speed? If fixed, what rpm?

[iwakeboard]

It's fixed but I don't remember what RPM it is, it's at my shop.

[Okie Boarder]

If it's a high rpm, just watch the pressure. If you follow the routine and products I did, it should come out really nice.

[Kip]

I just finished getting my 88 Mariah polished up and ready for Spring.

I bought the boat last year and it looked like it hadn't been buffed in quite a few years. It had a lot oxidation and lake film on it. I took it all off with "The Works" toilet bowl cleaner (blue in color do not use green). I was told to use it by a guy I know who details cars and boats. He instructed me to put it in a spray bottle to apply to a 2 ft by 2ft section of the boat, let it set about 30 seconds then use a sponge to rub off the film, then immediately wash it thoroughly with water. Be careful because it is nasty stuff; good ventilation, gloves, and eye protection are a must.

After I did this I washed and dried the boat then buffed it hard with a wool pad and an aggressive compound. I just finished polishing it and I must say it glows.

I f you are going to try this please test it on a small area first to make sure it doesn't cause any issues. It worked great for me but i cannot guarantee it for others.

[Kip]

I just finished getting my 88 Mariah polished up and ready for Spring.

I bought the boat last year and it looked like it hadn't been buffed in quite a few years. It had a lot oxidation and lake film on it. I took it all off with "The Works" toilet bowl cleaner (blue in color do not use green). I was told to use it by a guy I know who details cars and boats. He instructed me to put it in a spray bottle to apply to a 2 ft by 2ft section of the boat, let it set about 30 seconds then use a sponge to rub off the film, then immediately wash it thoroughly with water. Be careful because it is nasty stuff; good ventilation, gloves, and eye protection are a must.

After I did this I washed and dried the boat then buffed it hard with a wool pad and an aggressive compound. I just finished polishing it and I must say it glows.

If you are going to try this please test it on a small area first to make sure it doesn't cause any issues. It worked great for me but I cannot guarantee it for others.

[SupraTamu]

On the last two Baja's I had before I bought my supra this last year I used a product called Leverage. It is for oxidation and used a buffer for it. It works great the oxidation areas turned out looking new. At the slip where I had my 33' Baja a couple of people saw the outcome and they purchased the product and used it and there boats turned out great. www.leveragepolish.com is the website.

[jonyb]

I used Liquid Ice on mine last year when it had real bad spots in the black that wouldn't clean off. That stuff worked pretty good.

If you've never wetsanded or buffed, I believe I'd let someone experienced do that. You can mess it up pretty quick if you don't know what your doing.