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What Product To Use To Buff Out Boat


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I realize I am going to get a lot of different opinions on this, but here is my project. I need to buff out the transom on my boat, primarily just the dark green color. I would say on a scale of 10 (10 being brand new and 1 being totally faded/chalky) it would be a 5. I tried the 3M finesse it product and it didn't seem abrasive enough. I'd like to avoid wetsanding. Any suggestions on what to use given what I have described? Thanks.

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3m finesse it a really really mild compound and some would even classify it as a polish. It sounds like you need to step up to a true compound such as the 3m Perfect it 3000 and a wool pad on the polisher machine. If that works you will want to go over it with an application of the 3m finesse it with a softer pad such as an orange foam.

If it were me, i just go and grab some 1500 grit paper and give an area a light wetsand and hit it compound and polish and be done with it. Wetsanding is a ton easier than you think and chances are that you will screw up you gelcoat much quicker when having to use a polisher to do the removing of the oxidation. with higher grit paper 1200, 1500 and 2000 being - you will have really have to work hard to screw it up.

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I realize I am going to get a lot of different opinions on this, but here is my project. I need to buff out the transom on my boat, primarily just the dark green color. I would say on a scale of 10 (10 being brand new and 1 being totally faded/chalky) it would be a 5. I tried the 3M finesse it product and it didn't seem abrasive enough. I'd like to avoid wetsanding. Any suggestions on what to use given what I have described? Thanks.

Start with a true rubbing compund. If that won't do it try colonel brassy. Then work backwards with each product.

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Thanks. Do you think if I used the Perfect it 3000 and polished by hand since I would be doing only a small part I would be okay in terms of not wrecking the gelcoat. I have the decals on the back to work around so I think I either need to remove them (which sounds like more work and more chance for me to screw it up) or try to work around them by hand. Any suggestions?

3m finesse it a really really mild compound and some would even classify it as a polish. It sounds like you need to step up to a true compound such as the 3m Perfect it 3000 and a wool pad on the polisher machine. If that works you will want to go over it with an application of the 3m finesse it with a softer pad such as an orange foam.

If it were me, i just go and grab some 1500 grit paper and give an area a light wetsand and hit it compound and polish and be done with it. Wetsanding is a ton easier than you think and chances are that you will screw up you gelcoat much quicker when having to use a polisher to do the removing of the oxidation. with higher grit paper 1200, 1500 and 2000 being - you will have really have to work hard to screw it up.

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