Oxidation Removal - Exterior Gel-Coat and Hull Detailing One of the major areas of boat detailing is the restoration, maintenance and preservation of your goat's gel-coat hull. |
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05-10-2013, 04:29 PM | #1 |
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Gel-Coat Oxidation Removal on 13" Boston Whaler
Gel-Coat Oxidation Removal on 13" Boston Whaler
The center console as well as the rest of the topside smooth gel-coat surfaces have oxidized and turned chalky. Here's a two-step approach to remove the oxidation and restore a smooth, glossy surface that will resist deterioration better than a rough surface as well as restore the show room new look to our boat. First I removed the speakers and the speaker grills so I wouldn't have to worry about running my buffing pad into the plastic or getting splatter into the grill holes. Next I placed a towel behind the speaker hole openings to prevent any splatter from getting inside the console and the wiring tucked inside of it. Next I taped off any other components and then placed a tape-line down the center to show the before and after difference. If you look at the top of the ship shape decal where the tape line is you can see a portion is glossy from the overhead light shining down but the gel-coat finish is chalky white with zero gloss. The gel-coat is oxidized but not bad enough for an aggressive compound so I'm using a medium cut polish... Note the extension attached to the spindle of the rotary buffer to move the backing plate away from the body of the buffer, this enables me to get into tight areas better... You can see the oxidation is removed and the gloss is starting to amp-up... After removing the oxidation I then switch over to a all-in-one cleaner/wax and switch my rotary buffer over to a foam pad... Since the foam is a lot more gentle than the wool cutting pad I'm able to buff over the decals without burning them off... Now lets remove the tape and check out the results... Oxidation is removed, gloss is restored and the gel-coat surface is now protected... Here you can now easily see the overhead florescent lights reflecting off the console... On the other side of the tape-line the gel-coat is still dull and chalky looking... Now John only has the other half to buff out... Looks like brand new... Crank up the stereo! On Marine31.com Marine 31 Gel Coat Gloss & Color Restorer Marine 31 All-In-One Gel Coat Polish & Wax Cyclo 4 Inch Hook and Loop Wool Pads Flex PE14 Rotary Polisher 4" Lake Country Backing Plate Rotary Backing Plate Extension
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05-15-2013, 09:12 PM | #2 |
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Re: Gel-Coat Oxidation Removal on 13" Boston Whaler
wow, that brought back the shine and gloss very well. the 50/50 is pretty dramatic with just two steps.
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05-16-2013, 12:03 PM | #3 |
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Re: Gel-Coat Oxidation Removal on 13" Boston Whaler
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05-16-2013, 01:13 PM | #4 |
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Re: Gel-Coat Oxidation Removal on 13" Boston Whaler
Excellent work Mike! :eek: I'd also like to mention that all Marine 31 polishes can be used in direct sunlight. |
05-16-2013, 01:16 PM | #5 |
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Re: Gel-Coat Oxidation Removal on 13" Boston Whaler
It doesn't look like this boat has been buffed in a while sometimes I see that as an indicator that after I buff it out it's not necessarily going to all of a sudden start getting more or regular maintenance so I wanted to do a good job but keep my steps to a minimum.
I'll probably buff out the other half of the console tomorrow and then see what I can do for the T-Top.
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05-16-2013, 05:01 PM | #6 |
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Re: Gel-Coat Oxidation Removal on 13" Boston Whaler
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06-20-2013, 10:37 PM | #7 |
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Re: Gel-Coat Oxidation Removal on 13" Boston Whaler
What is item is the yellow foam pad used with the all in one ?
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06-21-2013, 07:34 AM | #8 | |
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Re: Gel-Coat Oxidation Removal on 13" Boston Whaler
Quote:
That was a 4" CCS Yellow Foam Cutting pad.
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