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Menzerna wax users


NCSurfing

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Hey guys...been researching but can't find details. I've got a 15 23LSV so relatively new, no real oxidation however, black hull which shows a lot of scratches. I want to use Menzerna and was thinking a light polish followed by a finishing wax. What are the right 2 products?  Thx in advance. 

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5 hours ago, NCSurfing said:

Hey guys...been researching but can't find details. I've got a 15 23LSV so relatively new, no real oxidation however, black hull which shows a lot of scratches. I want to use Menzerna and was thinking a light polish followed by a finishing wax. What are the right 2 products?  Thx in advance. 

Menzerna 400 cutting polish.... and jescar sealant 

game over

Edited by ConnollyCrew
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Good thing about my upcoming job change this week... I'll have plenty of time to write up a detailing tutorial. LOL

 

Menzerna 400 (or 300, I personally use 400 and because it finishes up nicely, and will leave a mirror shine, even on black gel - NOT ON AUTOMOTIVE CLEAR - it will haze and need a finishing polish on top... but on gel it works well)

Menzerna Powerlock Sealant. (now called Jescar in the US, but same thing... don't ask me why they changed names for US operations, I dunno)

Wool pad on a true rotary (or forced rotation DA, like the Flex) polisher. A true rotary will work more quickly. A random orbit / DA without forced rotation won't do much polishing on a boat. It might make it a little shinier, but won't get out scratches etc., but will work for applying a sealant. I use the purple Lake Country wool pads with great success. 

 

 

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On 4/10/2017 at 0:59 PM, ibelonginprison said:

Good thing about my upcoming job change this week... I'll have plenty of time to write up a detailing tutorial. LOL

 

Menzerna 400 (or 300, I personally use 400 and because it finishes up nicely, and will leave a mirror shine, even on black gel - NOT ON AUTOMOTIVE CLEAR - it will haze and need a finishing polish on top... but on gel it works well)

Menzerna Powerlock Sealant. (now called Jescar in the US, but same thing... don't ask me why they changed names for US operations, I dunno)

Wool pad on a true rotary (or forced rotation DA, like the Flex) polisher. A true rotary will work more quickly. A random orbit / DA without forced rotation won't do much polishing on a boat. It might make it a little shinier, but won't get out scratches etc., but will work for applying a sealant. I use the purple Lake Country wool pads with great success. 

 

 

This is what you are referencing, yes?  http://www.autogeek.net/menzerna-fast-gloss-fg400.html

Do you skip the 3500 and go straight to the Jescar?

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48 minutes ago, NCSurfing said:

This is what you are referencing, yes?  http://www.autogeek.net/menzerna-fast-gloss-fg400.html

Do you skip the 3500 and go straight to the Jescar?

One of the reasons I went with the 300 was because I could get it in the 8oz bottle. http://www.detailedimage.com/Menzerna-M10/Super-Heavy-Cut-Compound-SHCC-300-P976/8-oz-S2/

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 4/25/2017 at 9:44 AM, ibelonginprison said:

3500 is a finishing polish meant for clearcoat. It won't do much for gel coat. 

This past weekend I used a wool pad and fg400 on a dark blue mastercraft, it left a slight holographic haze (aggressive cutting polish and aggressive wool pad) so I did a quick pass of FG400 on an orange foam cutting pad... took all the holographic haze out in seconds. 

 

it's all about a combination of cut that the pad has, and cut that the polish has. 

 

Here's kinda the basics. Wash. Polish. Seal (or wax) 

Polish - think of this like sand paper. It removes the imperfections on the surface to make it shiny. Different polishes have different cut to them (think of 'cut' like 'grit.') The lower the grit number, the rougher it is. The lower the cut number, the more aggressive it is. 300, 400 (my go to for boats), 1000, 1500, 2500 (my go to, for auto applications), 3500 (what I use when I finish off a black car/truck), 4500 (what OCD people use on black Ferrari's when they have nothing better to do)

 

Pads - different pads have different cut to them. White and blue are light, yellow and orange are rougher, and wool pads are THE most aggressive. So you can use a combination of pad and polish to mix and match the exact level of cut you want. (black pads typically have zero cut and are used for application of waxes or sealants)

 

Sealant / Wax - waxes and sealants have the same purpose. They are a top coat for protection. A true carnauba wax adds warmth and depth as a final coat on an auto application (a total waste on a boat, in my opinion) but will never last near as long as a true polymer sealant. So, I use a sealant. Jescar happens to be my choice because I've had good luck with it for years in nearly all applications. And I mean, I use it on the windows instead of rainx sometimes... just cause. lol  

 

 

pro tip: use painters tape to tape off things you don't want to get polish/sealant/wax on, such as the base of a tower, window frame, vinyl that's close to gel coat etc. 
I always tape off everything first. Makes it waaaaaaaaay easier to clean up afterwards. 

So to be clear you are saying is to use the 2500 as the highest polish for Gel Coat  (The 3500 won't do much for a polishing Gel Coat )? My boat is a 2016 and has a couple of hazy spots and small scratches where people board from the back deck. What would you recommend to get rid of those small scratches as seen below in the pictures ? I just ordered the 2500 and 3500 and the Jescar sealant from Auto Geek Yesterday do you think using the 2500 will get those out ? 

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2500 is what I use for cars. It's not usually aggressive enough for gel. however - if you work with it long enough (and Menzerna has a long working time, as long as you're not in direct sunlight - you can even mist just a spritz of water on it to reactivate it and keep working) it might come out.

 

I use 400 almost exclusively on gel coat. But give the 2500 a shot with a wool pad and see what it does.
You need to have something with forced rotation. Like a Flex, or a Dewalt/Mikata/Milwaukee true rotary polisher.

I did both these boats with 400 on a wool pad. (let's see if this instagram links up correctly)

 

 

 

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  • 1 month later...
On 4/25/2017 at 10:44 AM, ibelonginprison said:

3500 is a finishing polish meant for clearcoat. It won't do much for gel coat. 

This past weekend I used a wool pad and fg400 on a dark blue mastercraft, it left a slight holographic haze (aggressive cutting polish and aggressive wool pad) so I did a quick pass of FG400 on an orange foam cutting pad... took all the holographic haze out in seconds. 

 

it's all about a combination of cut that the pad has, and cut that the polish has. 

 

Here's kinda the basics. Wash. Polish. Seal (or wax) 

Polish - think of this like sand paper. It removes the imperfections on the surface to make it shiny. Different polishes have different cut to them (think of 'cut' like 'grit.') The lower the grit number, the rougher it is. The lower the cut number, the more aggressive it is. 300, 400 (my go to for boats), 1000, 1500, 2500 (my go to, for auto applications), 3500 (what I use when I finish off a black car/truck), 4500 (what OCD people use on black Ferrari's when they have nothing better to do)

 

Pads - different pads have different cut to them. White and blue are light, yellow and orange are rougher, and wool pads are THE most aggressive. So you can use a combination of pad and polish to mix and match the exact level of cut you want. (black pads typically have zero cut and are used for application of waxes or sealants)

 

Sealant / Wax - waxes and sealants have the same purpose. They are a top coat for protection. A true carnauba wax adds warmth and depth as a final coat on an auto application (a total waste on a boat, in my opinion) but will never last near as long as a true polymer sealant. So, I use a sealant. Jescar happens to be my choice because I've had good luck with it for years in nearly all applications. And I mean, I use it on the windows instead of rainx sometimes... just cause. lol  

 

 

pro tip: use painters tape to tape off things you don't want to get polish/sealant/wax on, such as the base of a tower, window frame, vinyl that's close to gel coat etc. 
I always tape off everything first. Makes it waaaaaaaaay easier to clean up afterwards. 

Bringing up this thread again.... Do you have any experience using the smaller 3 inch sized pads as opposed to the 7 inch flex? I was thinking that the 7 inch would be a little big and bulky for the contours of boats.. Also what speed settings do you use on the flex?

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17 hours ago, Cbecker79 said:

Bringing up this thread again.... Do you have any experience using the smaller 3 inch sized pads as opposed to the 7 inch flex? I was thinking that the 7 inch would be a little big and bulky for the contours of boats.. Also what speed settings do you use on the flex?

I use the 3" backing plate and pad when I'm in smaller areas like around decals and chrome accent pieces or the lower part of the transom under the swim platform.

Flex I use 2-3 for spreading, 5-6 for finish polishing.
The dewalt or other true rotary polishers I'll use 1500-2200 rpm, depending on the area and how much cut I want, vs if I'm just glossing over it as a quick "polish." 

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