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Gel coat vs. scouring dish pad = I lose. Help :(


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Here's the story. In Florida we have these great creatures called love bugs that come out for a couple of weeks, twice a year. They basically look like lightning bugs without the glowing butt...except they are always flying around in pairs with their butts stuck together. Thus the name, love bugs. Anyway, when they come out, it basically looks like a light snow shower there are so many of them...and you can imagine what they do to our cars. Well last weekend I took the boat on a 150 mile round trip...which means that the boat was completely covered in love bugs. Now normally I just use a nylon scrub pad that is made to do dishes with...and it's no problem. But this time I left it at home...and my friend happened to have one similar at his house. It turns out that this nylon pad actually has some crazy grit in it, because it scratched my boat all to hell. In about 15 different places. Needless to say, I was a little upset for being such a moron, and having my one year old boat look like a hazy 30 year old boat. No big deal I thought...I've repaired gel coat before...no problem. This will sum it up. I went from 800 grit, to 1000 grit, to 1500 grit, to 2000 grit, to fine cut rubbing compound, to polishing compound, to wax and it still looks like crap. I've used orbital buffers, that ball buffer on the drill thing, hand buffing...you name it. From 3:00 til 1:00 last night...and from 7:30 to 9:45 today. I give up. I'm a moron. I have been defeated. Please give me the knowledge, and the strength to accomplish my quest of regaining my mirror like finish. Please.

-Keith

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Bugust. Sorry man.

Those scouring pads are brutal. I used one on my dad's new XJ Jag when I was 12. He wasn't very happy.

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I have a '95. When I bought it it was badly sun beaten and oxidized. After doing some of what you did, I used some 3M boat polish and wax, and a medium speed polisher I bought from Sears. It really brought out the shine in the faded hull and deck. I also used this to bring my tower speaker housings, that I made out of aluminum, to a nice bright shine (see in gallery).

The polisher was ~$50. Well worth the money. The 3M was ~$15 for a bottle. I got it from West Marine.

Good luck

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Was the polisher a electric or air powered? I've never even seen a polisher before...is it like a orbital buffer?

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If you wetsanded well with 800 you should definilty have gotten the scratches out, following up with 1000 and 1500 is good, 2000 is a waste of time honestly but anyway here's what I think your problem is. Your not using a buffer strong enough to remove the sanding scratches. What you really need is a rotary buffer and a wool pad with some 3M superduty. Work on a 2X2 area and go slow, generate some heat with the pad. Follow this step up with something less agressive (I like Meguires Diamond Cut) with a foam compouding or polishing pad. That should take care of your problem, otherwise you need to sand again with the 800 and make sure you take those scratches out. Good luck.

Chris

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  • 3 weeks later...

HALLEHLUA!!!!! The 6" sander/polisher with 3M scratch remover worked like a charm! I am so dang happy right now. It took 4 hours with the coat of wax I put on her...but she's shining better than the day I took her home! Thanks guys...I owe you all beers!

-Keith

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