Polish

[SunDoo]

I just finished three coats of Tony's toliet tonic and unreal elbow grease, and the Delta water spots are gone....almost. Anyway, I rubbed in 3M restorer/wax and started to buff to a shine. There was more shine before the 3M was applied The finish looks like a greasy haze...but you can't wipe it off. Is the 3M too abrasive?....did I just F the gelcoat? Please tell me I can get it back to where it was...almost perfect. Not going to live this down if I can't mend it!! At least the boat is 90% white. Signed,

Not sleeping tonite

Dave

[martinarcher]

Bummer man. I'd try a coat of Collinites Insulator Wax. It should seal her up nice and man does it bring a shine to my boat. It lasts longer than anything else I've tried on boats or cars and the water just sheets right off. I also have noticed this year that any water spots up ont he closed bow that dry during the day wipe right off with a chamois at the end of the day.

[ed obermeier]

If you're just trying to get off the water spots (and I'd assume the old wax and lake funk as well) CLR or LimeAway do a great job of it without all of the elbow grease. To strip the old wax, water spots, and funk do the following -

1) Clean the hull with StarBrite Instant Hull Cleaner or similar (several similar products out there, all work well). It's dilute oxalic acid so wear reubber gloves and eye protection. Using a sponge scrub an area with the sponge wetted with hull cleaner, rinse with water, do the next area, rinse etc.

2) Wet the hull, using a different fresh sponge wet it with CLR etc straight from the bottle, scrub an area, rinse, do the next area, rinse, etc. If the water spots are bad it may take 2 or 3 go overs put the CLR etc WILL take off the lime buildup.

Some arguement here previously about this next point but I assure you it works like a charm, try it. After you strip the hull but BEFORE you wax go over the hull with 303 Protectant. Seals the gel coat pores and brings the color back to life. Rub it in, let it dry, hand buff it with a cotton towel (drys to a very light haze you can hardly see but needs to be buffed before you wax).

3) Seal the hull with your favorite wax. You'll get plenty of suggestions and possibly start an argument here over which wax is best but whatever works for you. Boat will look showroom new!

Also, when you pull the boat out of the water DO NOT use vinegar/water to mist the boat before wiping down. Vinegar immediately starts removing the wax. Just towel dry it, when the spots get bad enough to bother you again it's time to strip and rewax. Here in the Great Plains we have as hard water as anywhere; I strip/rewax my boat 2X a year and it always looks great. FWIW.

Cheers, Ed

[WaveMake'nLSV]

My bet is that the 3M wasn't completely cured when you removed it. Some of the polishes will leave that haze of sorts, when removed too soon.

I bet if you went back and buffed it NOW, that it will be fine. 3M makes great stuff, and can't imagine you hosed the gelcoat.

Hope this helps,

I just finished three coats of Tony's toliet tonic and unreal elbow grease, and the Delta water spots are gone....almost. Anyway, I rubbed in 3M restorer/wax and started to buff to a shine. There was more shine before the 3M was applied The finish looks like a greasy haze...but you can't wipe it off. Is the 3M too abrasive?....did I just F the gelcoat? Please tell me I can get it back to where it was...almost perfect. Not going to live this down if I can't mend it!! At least the boat is 90% white. Signed,

Not sleeping tonite

Dave

[SunDoo]

My bet is that the 3M wasn't completely cured when you removed it. Some of the polishes will leave that haze of sorts, when removed too soon.

I bet if you went back and buffed it NOW, that it will be fine. 3M makes great stuff, and can't imagine you hosed the gelcoat.

Hope this helps,

I just finished three coats of Tony's toliet tonic and unreal elbow grease, and the Delta water spots are gone....almost. Anyway, I rubbed in 3M restorer/wax and started to buff to a shine. There was more shine before the 3M was applied The finish looks like a greasy haze...but you can't wipe it off. Is the 3M too abrasive?....did I just F the gelcoat? Please tell me I can get it back to where it was...almost perfect. Not going to live this down if I can't mend it!! At least the boat is 90% white. Signed,

Not sleeping tonite

Dave

Actually hosed the gelcoat .....took to local fiberglass shop for a 3000grit wetsand/ heavy cut polish.....back to new, he did both sides and waxed it too....$150 lesson learned. He figured it was a bad bottle.

[Malibuzer]

$150 to polish the whole boat? If it cost that much I might have to drive all the way Kamloops to get mine shined up nice!!!!

[zzbutler]

Thats what I am saying... $150 is cheap

really long drive for me though

[Bobby Light]

Thats what I am saying... $150 is cheap

really long drive for me though

I had my boat done last spring for $150 and the guy came to my house and did it in my garage.

[Malibuzer]

Thats what I am saying... $150 is cheap

really long drive for me though

I had my boat done last spring for $150 and the guy came to my house and did it in my garage.

Tell him I'll pay $200 Cdn and I will give him some real beer!!!

[Bobby Light]

Thats what I am saying... $150 is cheap

really long drive for me though

I had my boat done last spring for $150 and the guy came to my house and did it in my garage.

Tell him I'll pay $200 Cdn and I will give him some real beer!!!

Kokanee isn't real beer, neither is Labatt's....

[Malibuzer]

Not that crap.......real beer like Big Rock Traditional , or any of the other nice microbrews.

[Bobby Light]

Not that crap.......real beer like Big Rock Traditional , or any of the other nice microbrews.

Just making sure you weren't talking about that moose piss

[68Slalom]

My bet is that the 3M wasn't completely cured when you removed it. Some of the polishes will leave that haze of sorts, when removed too soon.

I bet if you went back and buffed it NOW, that it will be fine. 3M makes great stuff, and can't imagine you hosed the gelcoat.

Hope this helps,

I just finished three coats of Tony's toliet tonic and unreal elbow grease, and the Delta water spots are gone....almost. Anyway, I rubbed in 3M restorer/wax and started to buff to a shine. There was more shine before the 3M was applied The finish looks like a greasy haze...but you can't wipe it off. Is the 3M too abrasive?....did I just F the gelcoat? Please tell me I can get it back to where it was...almost perfect. Not going to live this down if I can't mend it!! At least the boat is 90% white. Signed,

Not sleeping tonite

Dave

Actually hosed the gelcoat .....took to local fiberglass shop for a 3000grit wetsand/ heavy cut polish.....back to new, he did both sides and waxed it too....$150 lesson learned. He figured it was a bad bottle.

That's strange

[WakeGirl]

That cleaner wax shouldn't be sold as a final product IMO. Basically it's rubbing compound combined with wax. You have to follow it with a mild polish (Finesse It is a really good one), then apply a good wax over that.

[99response]

Does a nice job on older boats though, covers that oxidation right up....

[SunDoo]

$150 to polish the whole boat? If it cost that much I might have to drive all the way Kamloops to get mine shined up nice!!!!

Just one side and above the rub rail on the other side

[SunDoo]

Does a nice job on older boats though, covers that oxidation right up....

that's what I did to my I/O before I sold it. Looked great.

[Olivertuft]

Thats what I am saying... $150 is cheap

really long drive for me though

I had my boat done last spring for $150 and the guy came to my house and did it in my garage.

You still have his name and number?

Did he do good job for you?

PM me if possible, please.

Thanks,

JM

[wakeup]

That cleaner wax shouldn't be sold as a final product IMO. Basically it's rubbing compound combined with wax. You have to follow it with a mild polish (Finesse It is a really good one), then apply a good wax over that.

I agree on that. I used it a long time ago on an I/O boat I had. It did pretty well as a spot cleaner to remove some gunk in certain areas, but I would not suggest doing a whole boat. Not sure about now, but on those old bottles I think it said not to let it dry but remove all of it while you are going.

[Bobby Light]

Thats what I am saying... $150 is cheap

really long drive for me though

I had my boat done last spring for $150 and the guy came to my house and did it in my garage.

You still have his name and number?

Did he do good job for you?

PM me if possible, please.

Thanks,

JM

I still have it and will PM you the info. Not sure what his price is now you'll have to ask him.