Which 3M product?

Can I use an orbital polisher/buffer for this type of work? I have a Craftsman 10" that use for polish/wax/buff on my cars. Or so I need to get a different tool for this gel coat work? What is the difference?

Kevin,
The Crapsman orbital will probably not do the job. If you are planning on doing allot of compounding out wet sanding scratches, you'll need a true buffer. That orbital is best for waxing if that!!! Sorry but I DO NOT care for the brand!!!!!

I see that Hutchins makes a lot of DAs. Can anyone tell me which model is the best all around for wet sending boat gel coat finishes? I have done it by hand with a block in the past.

AussieNorts wrote: Would you guys recommend this process for a boat that is not heavily oxidised, 1997 model? It has just lost the shine in the high traffic areas, over the back from swim platform into the boat and around the nose hand rails etc..

Mate, by the sounds of it, it just needs a good buff with a variable speed sander/polisher machine. You can get some cutters from your local marine shop. I've recently finished a full gel sand below my gunnel rubber from 320 to 1500 grit paper and finished it off with two types off buffing, an extra cut, then a superfine cut. The brand I used was Ronstan. Available at my local Biasboating store.

Don't be afraid to attack the gelcoat. It's as tough as anything.

TRBenj wrote: Chris, heres what I suggest: wetsand 800, 1000, 1200 3M Super Duty Compound on a 1" pile wool pad, 2x 3M Perfect-It II Compound on a 1.5" pile wool pad, 1x 3M Finesse-It II Finishing Material (this is a polish) on a wool/acrylic blend polishing pad, 2x Collinites 925 wax, by hand with a microfiber cloth I get all my 3M stuff and Lake Country pads from Smart Shoppers. They have the best prices that Ive found and carry everything you'll need, save for the wax (available at Napa or ebay). You definitely need a good rotary polisher for this stuff. With your fleet Id invest in a Dewalt 849 or the Milwaukee equivalent. If you want more info (part numbers, etc), let me know. This process has worked wonders for every boat Ive used it on.

I have several questions for Tim or anyone else about the buffing procedure.
I have been using 3M Marine Rubbing Compound (09004), followed by 3M Marine Color/Gloss Restorer (09089). The rubbing compound works well, but is pretty aggressive and leaves the expected buffing scratches in the gel. The color restorer seems to have very little abrasive in it, and is unable to remove the extremely small scratches from the surface after the rubbing compound. I end up having a very nice glossy surface, but if you examine it very closely you will see the very fine scratches from the compound. It is similar to what you commonly see on a very glossy black car. Since it is a creme colored boat you have to look hard to see them, but they're there.

I am thinking of trying the procedure described above to get a totally glass like finish, but I would like to know which backing pads I need for the described pads. There are several listed on smartshopper.com, but I don't want to buy the wrong ones being that they are nearly $50 each.

BTW, I really don't want to wet sand the gel. It is in very good condition and I don't want to remove the slight "print through" from the woven roving. It shows that the boat was laid up that way and reminds me of a fine carbon fiber bicycle frame. I believe that wet sanding it would remove this feature as it is very subtle. It's presence separates this from a chop gun lay up. It's not that I don't like and sometimes prefer chop gun layups, but this boat is what it is and I want to keep it that way.

Any help is appreciated, my finish skills are not up to the experience some of you have.

Go Chicago Beers, tonight!

eric lavine wrote: trizac on your final wetsand, its the ***************

Eric, I haven't been wet standing as mentioned above. I have been using only the puffing & polishing compounds. I am afraid that wet standing or any type of blocking will remove the print through. Do you know if it will?

That is the problem I am having, Eric. I think I will go to your system. Is this the back up pad I should be using with these products?
3M™ Hookit SBS Backup Pad
     
Designed to be used with 3M Compounding Pads PN's 05711, 05719 and all Hookit type foam pads)
Designed to be used with 3M Polishing Pads PN's 05713 and all Hookit foam pads.
Part #
Description
UPS Each
Truck Each
05717      Backup Pad; 1 per case      $ 49.00      $ 47.00

I'm reviving this post to get all prepared to wetsand a gasoline stain on my transom. Looks very soaked into the gel coat and will definitely need some wetsanding.

Silly question, but with wetsanding, do you literally keep the sanding pad wet the whole entire time while using the buffer? Do you mix in soap or other agents? Sound pretty simple with starting with the lower grit number working up to the highest number. I was scoping out cheap sanding/buffing tools are Harbor Freight Tools for $50. All the 3m products look awesome.

What grit paper is ok to buff over the graphics without eating them up?

Ken

Ken, you can't sand over graphics or pinstripe. Sanding should be done by HAND. Yes, keep the paper wet. A little bit of dish soap in your water bucket is ok.

Thanks for all the advice. Tim, you don't recommend using a buffer on a fuel stain the size of a bowling ball on the transom? Should I start with 400 or 600 on a fuel stain. Do you use some sort of block if doing it by hand? Do I go in circular motions? I just can't wrap by brain around putting a piece of sandpaper to gel coat!! Maybe I'll take a trip to Goshen

I'm about as schooled in this as I am with brain surgery. I would be pretty pumped to swing by Lake Benjamin for some help with this. I pay with cases of beer. Let me know when you have spare time between your projects and I'll swing by!

Tim, I'll purchase all the necessary supplies. I believe one of your posts tells exactly what to have. I just don't have an orbital tool. Maybe sometime in May will work as the weather starts to improve. In the meantime I'll get the GT40 all tuned up. I greatly appreciate you helping me get started with this project! My next project is having the windshield removed and the frame repainted. Seeking out local body shops who can strip and paint aluminum. I assume they would powder coat it?

The reason to use soap is it lubricates and breaks the surface tension of the water allowing a more consistent scratch pattern. The more consistent your scratch pattern the easier it is to sand them out the next round. I like Murphy's Oil soap, probably because it smells good. You only need a little bit (a tablespoon maybe) in a spray bottle.

Bumping an old thread. Read through this and know what I want to do to remove some minor oxidation but have a question regarding the decals. I have a DA Dewalt polisher and I’m worried what it might do to the decals while using 3M compound. Will it white them out, rip them off, do nothing to them? Should I just hand apply the compound around the decals?

Thanks! Matt

Edit-no one answered so I made a new post and someone responded. Avoiding the decals with the polisher and will hand polish those areas. Figured I’d share in case someone like me comes along later and needs this answer.