You have the very best buffing video on you tube. Clearly you understand how the products are intended to work. Based on the comments below specifically Dankung, people don't understand how diminishing compound is intended to work. You use it correctly by applying the compound to the entire surface. If the compound is just put on the pad, the grit has already broken down as you move to unpolished areas. You know what you are doing. Many of the other youtube are misleading
HEY GUYS , I will be doing this to my boat, so I looked up all the parts, etc. used in this video …. Some of the names have changed a little, but, through my investigating, here is the updated list (click 'Read more' below) : Compounds : - Reel Shine (NOW CALLED STARKE) - Restructure (Hard Cut) (Step 1) - amzn.to/2WdA3iv - Menzerna Medium Cut (Step 2) - amzn.to/2WfpwTY - Menzerna Super Finish 3500 (Fine Compound) (Step 3) - amzn.to/2DEhZXg - Meguires Flagship Premium Marine Wax (Step 4) - amzn.to/2DFEETd Dewalt Buffer - Dw849 - amzn.to/2GQc9nM Makita Buffer - BO6050J (newer model) - amzn.to/2GKfPq4 Shurehold Wax Pad (Used with Makita Buffer (wiggle mode) and Meguires Flagship) - amzn.to/2J2SgLH 3M ultra fine foam polishing pad 05733 (Used with Dewalt Buffer and Menzerna Super Finish) - amzn.to/2Wd24Xh Good Luck ! And check out my RUclips sailing channel if you are board someday ! - Lando Leaves Land
I am detailing a mastercraft x1 tomorrow (which is a detail that doesn't matter for this) and I am doing some preliminary research. Found your video and in 20 min learned what I expect will be at least 75% of what I need to know. The reason I am commenting is that you are absolutely hilarious. This video probably won't win an oscar, but somehow you made a 20 minute video about cleaning a boat pretty entertaining. Not everyone can do that. Thanks for the help and well done sir!
My brother left his boat in a river that leads to Mobile bay for 4 months. I cleaned it up with mild acid and a scotch brite pad and felt horrible because of the minor scratches I left in the surface. I used your method and it looked great. The dumb-ass left it in the same water for another 3 months. He's on his own now!
Well, it's 2022 now, and here I am with a "new-to-me" 2000 Mastercraft in need of this kind of treatment. I found this video very illuminating, particularly the multi-step buffing. I don't know if I'll go to that extent, but watching it was helpful. Good job!
Wet sand or not, you have to remove all the oxidation. You talk about multiple passes with a buffer to get the results you want, well you and I both know you are stripping gel coat on every pass. You also have to make sure you keep cleaning out your pad with every pass. Wet sanding strips all the dead off BEFORE you start buffing, and gets you MUCH BETTER end results. I'm sure the customer will be happy with this, but because it wasn't done right all the way, you'll never be able to seal it up right and the oxidation will keep coming back faster, causing you to keep having to use aggressive compounds every couple years, and keep stripping the gel coat. You and I can see the swirls and dull spots left in that spot you did. Do it right the first time and you won't have to keep re-doing it. Wet sand it. You DO have to wet sand it to get the best possible, longest lasting results, that will remove more gel coat today but save so much in the long run.
My friend has a boat with the same gel coating. He had no luck buffing out the oxidation. He was doing it all wrong. Thank you so much for the upload. Really appreciate all the info. 👍👍🇨🇦
Awesome tips! The gel coat on my 93 Centurion had been severely neglected before I bought it. Looks exactly like that. I have been scratching my head to find the products and techniques to repair it get that shine back. Look forward to doing it this spring. Thanks!
Great info. I watched this because I purchased a bass boat that had very coarse sand feel to it. I started with 1000 grit wet sand and it looked like it was gonna take me weeks. I did what you said and hit it with a coarse paper. I used 400 grit, Then 1500, then 2000 then meguiars compound, then Meguiar's polish and oh my goodness. It looks brand new. Thank you so much.
Great video. I use Menzerna's on all my Mercedes and thought let see how well it works on our boat. It is unreal on the boat. I love the fs 400 for oxidation and 2500 for polishing. Then I use Rejex, especially on the rear port, starboard and stern. With diesels if you use wax, the diesel soot does not come off like it does with Rejex on it. I usually put 2 to 3 coats of Rejex, every 24hours for 3 days prior to launch. Gets me through the season.
Some of the names have changed a little, but, through my investigating, here is the updated list : Compounds : - Reel Shine (NOW CALLED STARKE) - Restructure (Step 1) - amzn.to/2WdA3iv - Menzerna Medium Cut (Step 2) - amzn.to/2WfpwTY - Menzerna Super Finish 3500 (Fine Compound) (Step 3) - amzn.to/2DEhZXg - Meguires Flagship Premium Marine Wax (Step 4) - amzn.to/2DFEETd Dewalt Buffer - Dw849 - amzn.to/2GQc9nM Makita Buffer - BO6050J (newer model) - amzn.to/2GKfPq4 Shurehold Wax Pad (Used with Makita Buffer (wiggle mode) and Meguires Flagship) - amzn.to/2J2SgLH 3M ultra fine foam polishing pad 05733 (Use with Dewalt Buffer and Menzerna Super Finish) - amzn.to/2Wd24Xh Good Luck !
Awesome job and awesome video! The company that details my boat just told me they closed up shop. I'm gonna have to detail my boat myself this year. Thank you for this tutorial!
Great video, thanks for posting it. I've been buffing for a while but have been unable to finish the job without leaving swirl marks behind especially on dark colors. Your video has really helped. Keep on sharing the knowledge.
My boat is also blue with some white fiberglass. About the same condition as this boat. We live in the Keys and use our boat almost daily. (2007 26' Striper cc) Overall a good video, however I wasted 1/2 of my product starting at 1100 rpm's as advised. I did 2 full passes on my boat at 1100 rpms and it did very little. Once I increased it to 1600rpms it did a great job but still needed 2 full passes. To see if I was correct I started the white at 1600rpms and yep, two passes did it.
This should not be construed as negative, but people learning from this video also have to understand what a scratch/blemish is and need to look at their boats and understand what is a problem and what isn't i.e a gel/paint coat when newly applied only has so many microns of depth . Each scratch creates a channel that is lower than the top coat, therefore you need to decide before you polish your boat whether you want to try and recreate the original flat uniform surface it should have had when purchased as new. The reason I mention this is because if you do want this, depending on the depth you may compromise the integrity of the whole gel/paint coat just to try and buff out a deep scratch. There are too many people/companies claiming they are specialist boat polishers when their only ability is to use hard compounds and create a so called shiny surface to the uninitiated (I am not suggesting this company are, it is a caveat to this video). A true polisher should tell you the limitations of the remaining hull gel or paint and the ramifications of each process. In layman's terms if the boat starts with a hypothetical ten layers of gel/paint, one scratch may go through two layers one through seven, do you choose to lower to seven, thus leaving only three remaining and in a shorter time have an expensive adhoc process. There have been so many advances in technology over the years enhancing the life span of boats, someone whose first instinct is to use a cutting compound should be able to explain the rational through a series of test patches low impact first.
Buffers / Pads : Dewalt Buffer - Dw849 - amzn.to/3kFffgv Makita Buffer - BO6050J (newer model) - amzn.to/2GKfPq4 Shurehold Wax Pad (Used with Makita Buffer (wiggle mode) and Meguires Flagship) - amzn.to/2J2SgLH 3M ultra fine foam polishing pad 05733 (Use with Dewalt Buffer and Menzerna Super Finish) - amzn.to/2Wd24Xh Wool Compounding Pads I used : amzn.to/2PO3LsA I used / use these buffers and they are great... I love anything from Dewalt especially. Will last a LONG time. Good Luck !!! Hope I was able to help. As an Amazon Associate I earn a small bit from qualifying purchases, you pay the same as always. Not a penny more.
you should become an amazon affiliate and post the links to your part numbers in the description. When we click through those links and buy then you get a commission. A win for everyone!
Dumb question but do you always go from high to medium to fine grade on all boat detailing jobs? And do you use a different microfiber for taking off all different types of compound? And for the waxing, was that in the random orbit mode? and when can I use random orbit or a regular polisher while detailing?
Some of the names have changed a bit, but here is an updated list. RUclips doesn't allow linking a lot, so just copy and paste the links if need be. - Reel Shine (NOW CALLED STARKE) - Restructure (Step 1) - amzn.to/2WdA3iv - Menzerna Medium Cut (Step 2) - amzn.to/3agEvEO - Menzerna Super Finish 3500 (Fine Compound) (Step 3) - amzn.to/2DEhZXg - Meguires Flagship Premium Marine Wax (Step 4) - amzn.to/2DFEETd Buffers / Pads : Dewalt Buffer - Dw849 - amzn.to/3kFffgv Makita Buffer - BO6050J (newer model) - amzn.to/2GKfPq4 Shurehold Wax Pad (Used with Makita Buffer (wiggle mode) and Meguires Flagship) - amzn.to/2J2SgLH 3M ultra fine foam polishing pad 05733 (Use with Dewalt Buffer and Menzerna Super Finish) - amzn.to/2Wd24Xh Good Luck !!! Hope I was able to help save you some time searching for all of this. After I was done with mine, it was beautiful. Couldn't believe the difference. As an Amazon Associate I earn a small bit from qualifying purchases, you pay the same as always. Not a penny more.
Here ya go... I did this and looked up all the products... some of the names changed, but I found the new names. Good Luck ! Compounds : - Reel Shine (NOW CALLED STARKE) - Restructure (Step 1) - amzn.to/2WdA3iv - Menzerna Medium Cut (Step 2) - amzn.to/2WfpwTY - Menzerna Super Finish 3500 (Fine Compound) (Step 3) - amzn.to/2DEhZXg - Meguires Flagship Premium Marine Wax (Step 4) - amzn.to/2DFEETd Dewalt Buffer - Dw849 - amzn.to/2GQc9nM Makita Buffer - BO6050J (newer model) - amzn.to/2GKfPq4 Shurehold Wax Pad (Used with Makita Buffer (wiggle mode) and Meguires Flagship) - amzn.to/2J2SgLH 3M ultra fine foam polishing pad 05733 (Use with Dewalt Buffer and Menzerna Super Finish) - amzn.to/2Wd24Xh
Updated: - Reel Shine (NOW CALLED STARKE) - Restructure (Step 1) - amzn.to/2WdA3iv - Menzerna Medium Cut (Step 2) - amzn.to/3agEvEO - Menzerna Super Finish 3500 (Fine Compound) (Step 3) - amzn.to/2DEhZXg - Meguires Flagship Premium Marine Wax (Step 4) - amzn.to/2DFEETd Buffers / Pads : Dewalt Buffer - Dw849 - amzn.to/3kFffgv Makita Buffer - BO6050J (newer model) - amzn.to/2GKfPq4 Shurehold Wax Pad (Used with Makita Buffer (wiggle mode) and Meguires Flagship) - amzn.to/2J2SgLH 3M ultra fine foam polishing pad 05733 (Use with Dewalt Buffer and Menzerna Super Finish) - amzn.to/2Wd24Xh Good Luck !!! Hope I was able to help save you some time searching for all of this. After I was done with mine, it was beautiful. Couldn't believe the difference. As an Amazon Associate I earn a small bit from qualifying purchases, you pay the same as always. Not a penny more.
I have a question on pricing. I am in Louisiana and I recarpet boats,mostly bass boats and I sometimes buff and wax boats for customers who ask me too. Do yall charge by length of boat or by square footage? I am sure level of oxidation plays a part also.
gmtony55 We charge by the hour, plus cost of materials. For boats of common lengths/widths, we do charge by the foot as we can predict the amount of time it will take (we have lots and lots of data from past jobs). The level of oxidation certainly plays a part!
Why does it have a shiny stripe at the bottom of the dulled blue gel coat that disappears when you buff it? Was a stripe buffed into it before? Just wondering
+Roby Hutchinson The buffers used have different purposes. One is a RANDOM orbital buffer, the other is not. To reduce the chance of seeing swirl marks, you want to use the random orbital.
I’m kind of curious why add the compound to the boat instead of the pad? You’re buffing the pad instead of the boat. Is that what the instructions say?
How thorough are you with cleaning before buffing? Just schampo and rinse? Or do you see to it that all different types of dirt is removed before buffing? I'm having some problems removing darker water stains on white gelcoat by hand and then when I start to buff some of it comes off and kinda smears into the buffed area. Anyone got some ideas? I don't want to use too strong chemicals like acetone risking a dryed up gelcoat.
We are very thorough before buffing! anything left behind is either going to be ground into the boat, or will simply be more work to remove. I am guessing the darker water stains may have some rust in them, or something else that is harder to remove (not just 'water'). Acetone will not help that type of stain, but I would recommedn an acid. Start mild, with vinegar, then use something stronger till you see a difference; lime-away/CLR -> bottom cleaner -> muriatic
Great video! On my 340 Sundancer, I took off the decals from the previous owner and can also see where decals were from the original owner before that. Should I wet sand or not? It’s been buffed and waxed before and can still see it.
5:39 in and I want to thank you for not putting the buffer on edge and explaining why you don't do it. I see a lot of folks that ride the edge. Say no to swirls...
My SO buffs our boat like this...right on the edge of the buffer and it makes me cringe so badly I have to walk away. I've tried telling him to use it flat and flush so he doesn't risk damaging the gelcoat but he won't stand to reason because I'm a woman therefore I must know nothing.
@@hypurnova I take it back, being as a woman agrees with me I must've been wrong... Lol. Just kidding. There's not many people that know that little knowledge nugget. What's an SO?
Do you just get swirl marks with just the wool pads because i angle my pad which is a sponge pad under certain circumstances and i never see any swirl marks
Hehe, great vid!! I was actually wondering the part no. for the sunnies... ;) Seriously though, I've got a regal 1900 that has been kept 12 years in freshwater, & is now in a saltwater marina, & her underside needs some SERIOUS attention... I've been advised that toilet-bowl cleaner will remove the layer of gunk that has changed her hull colour from white to green-brown... Once that's sorted, I'll be following this for how to get the shine back on her. tyvm
Interested to know how to blend out the color difference where was a decal. On a white surface, under the decal is whiter. I'm using your methods on a fiberglass RV surface and not a boat.
Hi. I got a 2003 Regal Commodore 2465 all white.It's 25 feet long. It did seat on sun for 2-3 years and there is no more shine. I cleaned it with pressure washer and now it's super clean! To get it buffed by someone professional the way you did, how much approximately does it cost? Thank you!
Very nice job - I've watched this video several times, trying to document your technique. I've got a 2003 Sundancer 260. Got a Makita 7" rotary with a wool pad and set of CCC foam pads, and a Porter Cable 7424xp with an assortment of cutting/polishing/finishing pads. My boat is white, so its tougher to see when I've gotten through all the oxidation, but my question is this: how much compound do you use, how much pressure do you apply, and how do you know when you've worked through the compound and need to clean your pad/apply more compound?
I like to make sure there is enough compound on so the boat doesn't get 'hot', and it is lubricated. A very thin layer, there shouldn't be 'mountains' of compound. Medium to heavy pressure; BUT KEEP THE PAD FLAT!!!!!. When you cannot see the compound, or it dries to a haze, apply more.
I am fully aroused at that reveal. God that’s satisfying. I want to go polish something (my car or something, maybe) but it’s late and I’ve been drinking. Keep up the good work.
luvagoodcigar You can find the Reel Shine products here: www.reelshine.net/. As for the rest, use the part #'s Trevor references and find the best price.
- Reel Shine (NOW CALLED STARKE) - Restructure (Step 1) - amzn.to/2WdA3iv - Menzerna Medium Cut (Step 2) - amzn.to/3agEvEO - Menzerna Super Finish 3500 (Fine Compound) (Step 3) - amzn.to/2DEhZXg - Meguires Flagship Premium Marine Wax (Step 4) - amzn.to/2DFEETd Buffers / Pads : Dewalt Buffer - Dw849 - amzn.to/3kFffgv Makita Buffer - BO6050J (newer model) - amzn.to/2GKfPq4 Shurehold Wax Pad (Used with Makita Buffer (wiggle mode) and Meguires Flagship) - amzn.to/2J2SgLH 3M ultra fine foam polishing pad 05733 (Use with Dewalt Buffer and Menzerna Super Finish) - amzn.to/2Wd24Xh Good Luck !!! Hope I was able to help save you some time searching for all of this. After I was done with mine, it was beautiful. Couldn't believe the difference. As an Amazon Associate I earn a small bit from qualifying purchases, you pay the same as always. Not a penny more.
Great video. You are a professional. I have been looking for something to remove the swirl marks from my black hull. Menzerna 4000 worked fantastic! Thank you for your video.
Is Maguire"s Pure Wax, just as good as the Flagship wax that you use? If not, what do you usually use the pure wax for? a Also, great video!!!! It's helped me a lot on my 1984 Sea Ray Sundancer.
I've used the Meguiar's one step compound and it works well. The stuff in a blue bottle. My gelcoat oxidation was so bad it was almost white instead of its its teal color. Took all the oxidation out and gave it a really nice shine. I'd give this a try if your looking for a good compound.
Great video and thank you. I use a little different approach for boats here in Michigan. In Fla its probably a whole different approach with salt water and heat. As an fyi I use a new 3M 3000 Non Woven Disc, and go right to polish. Ive been doing it this way on cars so I tried it last week on a Crownline and it worked great. I also have it available on my ecommerce site should you be interested . My problem are the bottoms as I approach 70 I'm no spring chicken anymore.. Again I appreciate seeing your videos.
Donald, You are selling a polish? we always love trying new products. A clear coat (or even single stage paint) on a car is a much less porous material than gelcoat, and ages much better. Oxidized gel requires allll these steps. WE do a lot of work in Northern Michigan as well!
I have never seen so much compound used to buff. not only is there being ten times more use than necessary you're ruining your wool pad at a rapid rate.
I agree.... I will give a 2x2 area a squirt of compound and move it with the buffer until that area is and has been compounded, and if I have to maybe a little more? Then I will spur my pad and remove it and move on to the next 2x2 area. When I am finished with all my compounding I will use my orbital polisher to put the finishing touch. Otherwise he did a nice job, just way too much compound.
Thank you so very much for your wealth of information especially the products that you use and how they are used. My boat is not that oxidated but now I know how to execute in keeping my paint longer.
That's what I was thinking... it says it was heavily oxidized... um, no if you want to see a heavily oxidized boat this guy should look at mine.. the teal color of mine is almost white it's so bad. I just bought it and it needs a lot of work.
Just curiuos, but why do you have a Dewalter buffer for compound and a Makita Buffer for wax. Aren't they both relatively the same thing just different company
ethan'stank The Dewalt buffer used here is a rotary machine, the Makita is a random orbital. They are NOT relatively the same thing. The random orbital makes it virtually impossible to leave swirl marks, the same can not be said of the rotary buffer (the Dewalt).
Yes. Just remember that even if it looks bad 5 feet away it might look perfect 20 feet away so give yourself a little bit of slack. If you have dark colors (black/dark blue) then you might be able to see some defects at distance. You can always buff after wax. If you are buffing after wax just remember to follow up with polish (and obviously wax too). If you see defects after wax, polish might take them out. I would always recommend to try polish before buffing especially if you see minor imperfections. Cheers!
Good job on the gelcoat...I don't envy your job. I know how much work it takes to get gelcoat back like that as i did that to one of the boats I owned that was almost as bad as that. I used a DA polisher with foam pads so it took me a little longer than using wool etc. I used 3D products HD Uno for the entire job just changing pads along the way.
The RO DA polishers are great for applying wax, but you really need a rotary wheel with torque to 'cut' the severe oxidation. Make the tools work, not you!
GOOD JOB ON THE BUFFING. I WANT TO ASK YOU HAVE YOU EVER BUFFED A CAPE HORN BOATS...!!! THEY HAVE VERY HIGH END GEAL COATING IF I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY. I DON'T KNOW THE NAME OF IT. BUT HAVE YOU BUFFED ANY & IF SO HOW DID IT TURN OUT. THANKS.
- Reel Shine (NOW CALLED STARKE) - Restructure (Step 1) - amzn.to/2WdA3iv - Menzerna Medium Cut (Step 2) - amzn.to/3agEvEO - Menzerna Super Finish 3500 (Fine Compound) (Step 3) - amzn.to/2DEhZXg - Meguires Flagship Premium Marine Wax (Step 4) - amzn.to/2DFEETd Buffers / Pads : Dewalt Buffer - Dw849 - amzn.to/3kFffgv Makita Buffer - BO6050J (newer model) - amzn.to/2GKfPq4 Shurehold Wax Pad (Used with Makita Buffer (wiggle mode) and Meguires Flagship) - amzn.to/2J2SgLH 3M ultra fine foam polishing pad 05733 (Use with Dewalt Buffer and Menzerna Super Finish) - amzn.to/2Wd24Xh Good Luck !!! Hope I was able to help save you some time searching for all of this. After I was done with mine, it was beautiful. Couldn't believe the difference. As an Amazon Associate I earn a small bit from qualifying purchases, you pay the same as always. Not a penny more.
Nice video. Learned a lot, thanks! Neglected my Sea Ray for the past couple years. Thankfully it's white gel coat so Oxidation didn't show too bad (at least to according to my wife) but it was driving me NUTS. With these tips I'm going to knock it out and get that thing back to a mirror finish!One question, to avoid having to cut the oxidation and really work to bring back the shine, how often should I wax the boat? Should I polish also with a light compound before waxing every time or would regular waxing stop me from having to do all the extra work? I live in a desert area of SE Washington State. High UV/Sun exposure.
Drayn509 We would recommend every 6-8 weeks depending on the weather. If you are on a regular wash schedule, you should be able to notice when the water stops beading up and the boat starts to dry before you can chamois it dry.
Drayn509 As long as you stay on top of the waxing, you should be able to go 2 seasons without buffing. If you keep up on it, only a light buff will be required then.
I looked up all the parts etc used in this video …. Some of the names have changed a little, but, through my investigating, here is the updated list : Compounds : - Reel Shine (NOW CALLED STARKE) - Restructure (Step 1) - amzn.to/2WdA3iv - Menzerna Medium Cut (Step 2) - amzn.to/2WfpwTY - Menzerna Super Finish 3500 (Fine Compound) (Step 3) - amzn.to/2DEhZXg - Meguires Flagship Premium Marine Wax (Step 4) - amzn.to/2DFEETd Dewalt Buffer - Dw849 - amzn.to/2GQc9nM Makita Buffer - BO6050J (newer model) - amzn.to/2GKfPq4 Shurehold Wax Pad (Used with Makita Buffer and Meguires Flagship) - amzn.to/2J2SgLH 3M ultra fine foam polishing pad 05733 (Use with Dewalt Buffer and Menzerna Super Finish) - amzn.to/2Wd24Xh Good Luck !
I've seen your video before. Watched it again. It's really excellent. Thanks for the information. Very well done. Thanks. Hope my job turns our half as good as yours.
$129 for 2 quarts very affordable? what am i missing here.. tx for the vid tho - just one product for the whole job? great vid man - looks like ill be hunting for some tools now :/ can i buff out a light dull wet sand spot? also - scratches that are above the surface - should i just buff em out with the 4000 or meguires?
- Reel Shine (NOW CALLED STARKE) - Restructure (Step 1) - amzn.to/2WdA3iv - Menzerna Medium Cut (Step 2) - amzn.to/3agEvEO - Menzerna Super Finish 3500 (Fine Compound) (Step 3) - amzn.to/2DEhZXg - Meguires Flagship Premium Marine Wax (Step 4) - amzn.to/2DFEETd Buffers / Pads : Dewalt Buffer - Dw849 - amzn.to/3kFffgv Makita Buffer - BO6050J (newer model) - amzn.to/2GKfPq4 Shurehold Wax Pad (Used with Makita Buffer (wiggle mode) and Meguires Flagship) - amzn.to/2J2SgLH 3M ultra fine foam polishing pad 05733 (Use with Dewalt Buffer and Menzerna Super Finish) - amzn.to/2Wd24Xh Good Luck !!! Hope I was able to help save you some time searching for all of this. After I was done with mine, it was beautiful. Couldn't believe the difference. As an Amazon Associate I earn a small bit from qualifying purchases, you pay the same as always. Not a penny more.
+Gus Lopez It would depend on the condition of the boat. Shoot us an email at info@firstmateyachtcare.com with more details (when was it last buffed/waxed) and we can give you a better idea.
- Reel Shine (NOW CALLED STARKE) - Restructure (Step 1) - amzn.to/2WdA3iv - Menzerna Medium Cut (Step 2) - amzn.to/3agEvEO - Menzerna Super Finish 3500 (Fine Compound) (Step 3) - amzn.to/2DEhZXg - Meguires Flagship Premium Marine Wax (Step 4) - amzn.to/2DFEETd Buffers / Pads : Dewalt Buffer - Dw849 - amzn.to/3kFffgv Makita Buffer - BO6050J (newer model) - amzn.to/2GKfPq4 Shurehold Wax Pad (Used with Makita Buffer (wiggle mode) and Meguires Flagship) - amzn.to/2J2SgLH 3M ultra fine foam polishing pad 05733 (Use with Dewalt Buffer and Menzerna Super Finish) - amzn.to/2Wd24Xh Good Luck !!! Hope I was able to help save you some time searching for all of this. After I was done with mine, it was beautiful. Couldn't believe the difference. As an Amazon Associate I earn a small bit from qualifying purchases, you pay the same as always. Not a penny more.
- Reel Shine (NOW CALLED STARKE) - Restructure (Step 1) - amzn.to/2WdA3iv - Menzerna Medium Cut (Step 2) - amzn.to/3agEvEO - Menzerna Super Finish 3500 (Fine Compound) (Step 3) - amzn.to/2DEhZXg - Meguires Flagship Premium Marine Wax (Step 4) - amzn.to/2DFEETd Buffers / Pads : Dewalt Buffer - Dw849 - amzn.to/3kFffgv Makita Buffer - BO6050J (newer model) - amzn.to/2GKfPq4 Shurehold Wax Pad (Used with Makita Buffer (wiggle mode) and Meguires Flagship) - amzn.to/2J2SgLH 3M ultra fine foam polishing pad 05733 (Use with Dewalt Buffer and Menzerna Super Finish) - amzn.to/2Wd24Xh Good Luck !!! Hope I was able to help save you some time searching for all of this. After I was done with mine, it was beautiful. Couldn't believe the difference. As an Amazon Associate I earn a small bit from qualifying purchases, you pay the same as always. Not a penny more.
+david bullard You should always check Amazon, especially if you don't have a good marine store near you. They will sell Meguiars by the gallon and you can save a few bucks.
david bullard if it's natural, carnuba-based, its garbage way before a modern polymer-based product. Its amazing at a car show or 1957 but the moment dirt hits it... Fail.
I really appreciate this video! I currently wet sand and buff cars, i need to learn more under my belt. I've had multiple people offer me almost a thousand dollars to buff their boat, but i couldn't do it because i don't know the procedure. It's GOT to be different from a car, and i was correct. Honestly, i'm here to see if it's something i can do in a timely fashion. How long does it take to buff a boat? Obviously you can't cut corners, most body shops will beg you to cut corners and still bitch at you for doing so when the job doesn't come out fast.
The best buffer ever made is Black & Decker Automotive Heavy Duty Type 2 2300 RPM. No direct sun. No Velcro pad. As you can see the uneven cut/ polish from the velcro pad.
You have the very best buffing video on you tube. Clearly you understand how the products are intended to work. Based on the comments below specifically Dankung, people don't understand how diminishing compound is intended to work. You use it correctly by applying the compound to the entire surface. If the compound is just put on the pad, the grit has already broken down as you move to unpolished areas. You know what you are doing. Many of the other youtube are misleading
HEY GUYS , I will be doing this to my boat, so I looked up all the parts, etc. used in this video …. Some of the names have changed a little, but, through my investigating, here is the updated list (click 'Read more' below) :
Compounds :
- Reel Shine (NOW CALLED STARKE) - Restructure (Hard Cut) (Step 1)
- amzn.to/2WdA3iv
- Menzerna Medium Cut (Step 2)
- amzn.to/2WfpwTY
- Menzerna Super Finish 3500 (Fine Compound) (Step 3)
- amzn.to/2DEhZXg
- Meguires Flagship Premium Marine Wax (Step 4)
- amzn.to/2DFEETd
Dewalt Buffer - Dw849
- amzn.to/2GQc9nM
Makita Buffer - BO6050J (newer model)
- amzn.to/2GKfPq4
Shurehold Wax Pad (Used with Makita Buffer (wiggle mode) and Meguires Flagship)
- amzn.to/2J2SgLH
3M ultra fine foam polishing pad 05733 (Used with Dewalt Buffer and Menzerna Super Finish)
- amzn.to/2Wd24Xh
Good Luck ! And check out my RUclips sailing channel if you are board someday ! - Lando Leaves Land
Menzerna 400 heavy cut is some good shit, i tell ya
@@djstatyk1540 right on. Ya, the Menzerna worked great.
Thank you!! Finally someone answered the repeating question and listed the products and the tools😁 Your awesome!
I am detailing a mastercraft x1 tomorrow (which is a detail that doesn't matter for this) and I am doing some preliminary research. Found your video and in 20 min learned what I expect will be at least 75% of what I need to know. The reason I am commenting is that you are absolutely hilarious. This video probably won't win an oscar, but somehow you made a 20 minute video about cleaning a boat pretty entertaining. Not everyone can do that. Thanks for the help and well done sir!
+Harrison Gilbert Thanks for the kind words. We will hold out hope for an Oscan. #leohadtowait
My brother left his boat in a river that leads to Mobile bay for 4 months. I cleaned it up with mild acid and a scotch brite pad and felt horrible because of the minor scratches I left in the surface. I used your method and it looked great. The dumb-ass left it in the same water for another 3 months. He's on his own now!
Well, it's 2022 now, and here I am with a "new-to-me" 2000 Mastercraft in need of this kind of treatment. I found this video very illuminating, particularly the multi-step buffing. I don't know if I'll go to that extent, but watching it was helpful. Good job!
Wet sand or not, you have to remove all the oxidation. You talk about multiple passes with a buffer to get the results you want, well you and I both know you are stripping gel coat on every pass. You also have to make sure you keep cleaning out your pad with every pass. Wet sanding strips all the dead off BEFORE you start buffing, and gets you MUCH BETTER end results. I'm sure the customer will be happy with this, but because it wasn't done right all the way, you'll never be able to seal it up right and the oxidation will keep coming back faster, causing you to keep having to use aggressive compounds every couple years, and keep stripping the gel coat. You and I can see the swirls and dull spots left in that spot you did. Do it right the first time and you won't have to keep re-doing it. Wet sand it. You DO have to wet sand it to get the best possible, longest lasting results, that will remove more gel coat today but save so much in the long run.
Thanks James, can you give more details on the wet sanding? Any good video tutorials for that? What grit etc... ? Thanks !
This is how it is done! Excellent example of the steps needed to properly detail a boat.
My friend has a boat with the same gel coating. He had no luck buffing out the oxidation. He was doing it all wrong. Thank you so much for the upload. Really appreciate all the info. 👍👍🇨🇦
Awesome tips! The gel coat on my 93 Centurion had been severely neglected before I bought it. Looks exactly like that. I have been scratching my head to find the products and techniques to repair it get that shine back. Look forward to doing it this spring. Thanks!
T
@@sharonlavergne2229 What?
Great info. I watched this because I purchased a bass boat that had very coarse sand feel to it. I started with 1000 grit wet sand and it looked like it was gonna take me weeks. I did what you said and hit it with a coarse paper. I used 400 grit, Then 1500, then 2000 then meguiars compound, then Meguiar's polish and oh my goodness. It looks brand new. Thank you so much.
Great video. I use Menzerna's on all my Mercedes and thought let see how well it works on our boat. It is unreal on the boat. I love the fs 400 for oxidation and 2500 for polishing. Then I use Rejex, especially on the rear port, starboard and stern. With diesels if you use wax, the diesel soot does not come off like it does with Rejex on it. I usually put 2 to 3 coats of Rejex, every 24hours for 3 days prior to launch. Gets me through the season.
Rejex is great too, but better for paint. Old gel like this sucks it in like a sponge, and cannot keep a perfect layer of protection.
Great video. Can you list the products used including the buffer pads with model numbers . Thank you
Some of the names have changed a little, but, through my investigating, here is the updated list :
Compounds :
- Reel Shine (NOW CALLED STARKE) - Restructure (Step 1)
- amzn.to/2WdA3iv
- Menzerna Medium Cut (Step 2)
- amzn.to/2WfpwTY
- Menzerna Super Finish 3500 (Fine Compound) (Step 3)
- amzn.to/2DEhZXg
- Meguires Flagship Premium Marine Wax (Step 4)
- amzn.to/2DFEETd
Dewalt Buffer - Dw849
- amzn.to/2GQc9nM
Makita Buffer - BO6050J (newer model)
- amzn.to/2GKfPq4
Shurehold Wax Pad (Used with Makita Buffer (wiggle mode) and Meguires Flagship)
- amzn.to/2J2SgLH
3M ultra fine foam polishing pad 05733 (Use with Dewalt Buffer and Menzerna Super Finish)
- amzn.to/2Wd24Xh
Good Luck !
Awesome job and awesome video! The company that details my boat just told me they closed up shop. I'm gonna have to detail my boat myself this year. Thank you for this tutorial!
Great video, thanks for posting it. I've been buffing for a while but have been unable to finish the job without leaving swirl marks behind especially on dark colors. Your video has really helped. Keep on sharing the knowledge.
+david bullard Thanks!
@@FirstMateYC do you make your own compound?
Start fast and coarse, finish fine and slower.
Do you ever wash the boat after compounding so there's no grit left over to get in the wax?
My boat is also blue with some white fiberglass. About the same condition as this boat. We live in the Keys and use our boat almost daily. (2007 26' Striper cc)
Overall a good video, however I wasted 1/2 of my product starting at 1100 rpm's as advised. I did 2 full passes on my boat at 1100 rpms and it did very little. Once I increased it to 1600rpms it did a great job but still needed 2 full passes. To see if I was correct I started the white at 1600rpms and yep, two passes did it.
What compound did you use?
Thanks ! Always good to watch somebody who is skilled and thinks about the work.
What do you do with the non skid part of boat when polishing areas that are smooth beside it and the non skid needs work
This should not be construed as negative, but people learning from this video also have to understand what a scratch/blemish is and need to look at their boats and understand what is a problem and what isn't i.e a gel/paint coat when newly applied only has so many microns of depth . Each scratch creates a channel that is lower than the top coat, therefore you need to decide before you polish your boat whether you want to try and recreate the original flat uniform surface it should have had when purchased as new. The reason I mention this is because if you do want this, depending on the depth you may compromise the integrity of the whole gel/paint coat just to try and buff out a deep scratch. There are too many people/companies claiming they are specialist boat polishers when their only ability is to use hard compounds and create a so called shiny surface to the uninitiated (I am not suggesting this company are, it is a caveat to this video). A true polisher should tell you the limitations of the remaining hull gel or paint and the ramifications of each process. In layman's terms if the boat starts with a hypothetical ten layers of gel/paint, one scratch may go through two layers one through seven, do you choose to lower to seven, thus leaving only three remaining and in a shorter time have an expensive adhoc process. There have been so many advances in technology over the years enhancing the life span of boats, someone whose first instinct is to use a cutting compound should be able to explain the rational through a series of test patches low impact first.
Thank, you taught me something!
What is the model/description of that buffer and the pads again? Nice video!
Buffers / Pads :
Dewalt Buffer - Dw849
- amzn.to/3kFffgv
Makita Buffer - BO6050J (newer model)
- amzn.to/2GKfPq4
Shurehold Wax Pad (Used with Makita Buffer (wiggle mode) and Meguires Flagship)
- amzn.to/2J2SgLH
3M ultra fine foam polishing pad 05733 (Use with Dewalt Buffer and Menzerna Super Finish)
- amzn.to/2Wd24Xh
Wool Compounding Pads I used : amzn.to/2PO3LsA
I used / use these buffers and they are great... I love anything from Dewalt especially. Will last a LONG time.
Good Luck !!!
Hope I was able to help.
As an Amazon Associate I earn a small bit from qualifying purchases, you pay the same as always. Not a penny more.
you should become an amazon affiliate and post the links to your part numbers in the description. When we click through those links and buy then you get a commission. A win for everyone!
What speed do you set the buffer for the various compound products. Mild, moderate, aggressive, etc.
STart slower with more aggressive compound, finish high with finer (helps burn off if too much oil, makes wiping up easier, and bakes in oil).
Dumb question but do you always go from high to medium to fine grade on all boat detailing jobs? And do you use a different microfiber for taking off all different types of compound? And for the waxing, was that in the random orbit mode? and when can I use random orbit or a regular polisher while detailing?
Product List?
Some of the names have changed a bit, but here is an updated list. RUclips doesn't allow linking a lot, so just copy and paste the links if need be.
- Reel Shine (NOW CALLED STARKE) - Restructure (Step 1)
- amzn.to/2WdA3iv
- Menzerna Medium Cut (Step 2)
- amzn.to/3agEvEO
- Menzerna Super Finish 3500 (Fine Compound) (Step 3)
- amzn.to/2DEhZXg
- Meguires Flagship Premium Marine Wax (Step 4)
- amzn.to/2DFEETd
Buffers / Pads :
Dewalt Buffer - Dw849
- amzn.to/3kFffgv
Makita Buffer - BO6050J (newer model)
- amzn.to/2GKfPq4
Shurehold Wax Pad (Used with Makita Buffer (wiggle mode) and Meguires Flagship)
- amzn.to/2J2SgLH
3M ultra fine foam polishing pad 05733 (Use with Dewalt Buffer and Menzerna Super Finish)
- amzn.to/2Wd24Xh
Good Luck !!!
Hope I was able to help save you some time searching for all of this.
After I was done with mine, it was beautiful. Couldn't believe the difference.
As an Amazon Associate I earn a small bit from qualifying purchases, you pay the same as always. Not a penny more.
you should put the names of all the products in the description....
Here ya go... I did this and looked up all the products... some of the names changed, but I found the new names. Good Luck !
Compounds :
- Reel Shine (NOW CALLED STARKE) - Restructure (Step 1)
- amzn.to/2WdA3iv
- Menzerna Medium Cut (Step 2)
- amzn.to/2WfpwTY
- Menzerna Super Finish 3500 (Fine Compound) (Step 3)
- amzn.to/2DEhZXg
- Meguires Flagship Premium Marine Wax (Step 4)
- amzn.to/2DFEETd
Dewalt Buffer - Dw849
- amzn.to/2GQc9nM
Makita Buffer - BO6050J (newer model)
- amzn.to/2GKfPq4
Shurehold Wax Pad (Used with Makita Buffer (wiggle mode) and Meguires Flagship)
- amzn.to/2J2SgLH
3M ultra fine foam polishing pad 05733 (Use with Dewalt Buffer and Menzerna Super Finish)
- amzn.to/2Wd24Xh
Updated:
- Reel Shine (NOW CALLED STARKE) - Restructure (Step 1)
- amzn.to/2WdA3iv
- Menzerna Medium Cut (Step 2)
- amzn.to/3agEvEO
- Menzerna Super Finish 3500 (Fine Compound) (Step 3)
- amzn.to/2DEhZXg
- Meguires Flagship Premium Marine Wax (Step 4)
- amzn.to/2DFEETd
Buffers / Pads :
Dewalt Buffer - Dw849
- amzn.to/3kFffgv
Makita Buffer - BO6050J (newer model)
- amzn.to/2GKfPq4
Shurehold Wax Pad (Used with Makita Buffer (wiggle mode) and Meguires Flagship)
- amzn.to/2J2SgLH
3M ultra fine foam polishing pad 05733 (Use with Dewalt Buffer and Menzerna Super Finish)
- amzn.to/2Wd24Xh
Good Luck !!!
Hope I was able to help save you some time searching for all of this.
After I was done with mine, it was beautiful. Couldn't believe the difference.
As an Amazon Associate I earn a small bit from qualifying purchases, you pay the same as always. Not a penny more.
I can't find the Reel Shine compound. Anyone know where to get it? Thanks.
If the Reel Shine is out of stock you can use this (also works great) : amzn.to/30OZX0t
Great point about wet-sanding. Thank you!!
Right lol 🤣
Is there any opposition to applying wax in forced rotation? Is foam preferable for this on gelcoat?
is the menzerna super finish 4000 for cars as well ? you cant find there marine stuff on any American web sites
Yes. Menzerna is an EXCELLENT line. well suited for Auto as well, very greasy, long working time.
I have a question on pricing. I am in Louisiana and I recarpet boats,mostly bass boats and I sometimes buff and wax boats for customers who ask me too. Do yall charge by length of boat or by square footage? I am sure level of oxidation plays a part also.
gmtony55 We charge by the hour, plus cost of materials. For boats of common lengths/widths, we do charge by the foot as we can predict the amount of time it will take (we have lots and lots of data from past jobs). The level of oxidation certainly plays a part!
Why does it have a shiny stripe at the bottom of the dulled blue gel coat that disappears when you buff it? Was a stripe buffed into it before? Just wondering
I was wondering that too! I'm guessing it was covered by a glued on stripe which was removed just before the buffing.
how much would you charge for a 52 boat like this
i have a person that wants me to do this job please let me know thanks 🙏
Around $35ft
What a great video. I only wish I could have seen how the whole boat came out.
Is there a big difference between using the Makita and the Dewalt? Could you not just get by with one of them or do they function that differently?
+Roby Hutchinson The buffers used have different purposes. One is a RANDOM orbital buffer, the other is not. To reduce the chance of seeing swirl marks, you want to use the random orbital.
Waxing can help preserve your boat’s fibreglass exterior and make it easier for you to do follow-up cleaning on your own.
I’m kind of curious why add the compound to the boat instead of the pad? You’re buffing the pad instead of the boat. Is that what the instructions say?
Yeah add it to the pad and then turn it on see what happens genius.!
How thorough are you with cleaning before buffing? Just schampo and rinse? Or do you see to it that all different types of dirt is removed before buffing? I'm having some problems removing darker water stains on white gelcoat by hand and then when I start to buff some of it comes off and kinda smears into the buffed area. Anyone got some ideas? I don't want to use too strong chemicals like acetone risking a dryed up gelcoat.
We are very thorough before buffing! anything left behind is either going to be ground into the boat, or will simply be more work to remove. I am guessing the darker water stains may have some rust in them, or something else that is harder to remove (not just 'water'). Acetone will not help that type of stain, but I would recommedn an acid. Start mild, with vinegar, then use something stronger till you see a difference; lime-away/CLR -> bottom cleaner -> muriatic
who polishes is direct sun ?
Great video!
On my 340 Sundancer, I took off the decals from the previous owner and can also see where decals were from the original owner before that. Should I wet sand or not? It’s been buffed and waxed before and can still see it.
5:39 in and I want to thank you for not putting the buffer on edge and explaining why you don't do it. I see a lot of folks that ride the edge. Say no to swirls...
My SO buffs our boat like this...right on the edge of the buffer and it makes me cringe so badly I have to walk away. I've tried telling him to use it flat and flush so he doesn't risk damaging the gelcoat but he won't stand to reason because I'm a woman therefore I must know nothing.
@@hypurnova I take it back, being as a woman agrees with me I must've been wrong... Lol. Just kidding. There's not many people that know that little knowledge nugget. What's an SO?
@@anthonysilva5015 SO stands for "significant other"
@@hypurnova ah, gotcha. Thanks 👍🏼😁
Do you just get swirl marks with just the wool pads because i angle my pad which is a sponge pad under certain circumstances and i never see any swirl marks
Hehe, great vid!! I was actually wondering the part no. for the sunnies... ;) Seriously though, I've got a regal 1900 that has been kept 12 years in freshwater, & is now in a saltwater marina, & her underside needs some SERIOUS attention... I've been advised that toilet-bowl cleaner will remove the layer of gunk that has changed her hull colour from white to green-brown... Once that's sorted, I'll be following this for how to get the shine back on her. tyvm
Should I do this before I put a partial vinyl wrap on my boat or will that make for poor adhesion? I'd hate for the wrap to start peeling
Interested to know how to blend out the color difference where was a decal. On a white surface, under the decal is whiter. I'm using your methods on a fiberglass RV surface and not a boat.
Hi. I got a 2003 Regal Commodore 2465 all white.It's 25 feet long. It did seat on sun for 2-3 years and there is no more shine. I cleaned it with pressure washer and now it's super clean! To get it buffed by someone professional the way you did, how much approximately does it cost? Thank you!
Very nice job - I've watched this video several times, trying to document your technique. I've got a 2003 Sundancer 260. Got a Makita 7" rotary with a wool pad and set of CCC foam pads, and a Porter Cable 7424xp with an assortment of cutting/polishing/finishing pads. My boat is white, so its tougher to see when I've gotten through all the oxidation, but my question is this: how much compound do you use, how much pressure do you apply, and how do you know when you've worked through the compound and need to clean your pad/apply more compound?
I like to make sure there is enough compound on so the boat doesn't get 'hot', and it is lubricated. A very thin layer, there shouldn't be 'mountains' of compound. Medium to heavy pressure; BUT KEEP THE PAD FLAT!!!!!. When you cannot see the compound, or it dries to a haze, apply more.
No tricks no mirrors, just shine 👍
I am fully aroused at that reveal. God that’s satisfying. I want to go polish something (my car or something, maybe) but it’s late and I’ve been drinking. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for the video. Do you have a list of the products used in the video and where I can get them?
luvagoodcigar You can find the Reel Shine products here: www.reelshine.net/. As for the rest, use the part #'s Trevor references and find the best price.
- Reel Shine (NOW CALLED STARKE) - Restructure (Step 1)
- amzn.to/2WdA3iv
- Menzerna Medium Cut (Step 2)
- amzn.to/3agEvEO
- Menzerna Super Finish 3500 (Fine Compound) (Step 3)
- amzn.to/2DEhZXg
- Meguires Flagship Premium Marine Wax (Step 4)
- amzn.to/2DFEETd
Buffers / Pads :
Dewalt Buffer - Dw849
- amzn.to/3kFffgv
Makita Buffer - BO6050J (newer model)
- amzn.to/2GKfPq4
Shurehold Wax Pad (Used with Makita Buffer (wiggle mode) and Meguires Flagship)
- amzn.to/2J2SgLH
3M ultra fine foam polishing pad 05733 (Use with Dewalt Buffer and Menzerna Super Finish)
- amzn.to/2Wd24Xh
Good Luck !!!
Hope I was able to help save you some time searching for all of this.
After I was done with mine, it was beautiful. Couldn't believe the difference.
As an Amazon Associate I earn a small bit from qualifying purchases, you pay the same as always. Not a penny more.
Great video. You are a professional. I have been looking for something to remove the swirl marks from my black hull. Menzerna 4000 worked fantastic! Thank you for your video.
+wilson wilson Glad it worked out for you!
The more I learn.. the smarter you are. Great job!!!
Is Maguire"s Pure Wax, just as good as the Flagship wax that you use? If not, what do you usually use the pure wax for? a
Also, great video!!!! It's helped me a lot on my 1984 Sea Ray Sundancer.
I've used the Meguiar's one step compound and it works well. The stuff in a blue bottle. My gelcoat oxidation was so bad it was almost white instead of its its teal color. Took all the oxidation out and gave it a really nice shine. I'd give this a try if your looking for a good compound.
Also I find Sea Rays come back the best. No matter how old. Clever choice. 👍
Tiaras all day.
Great video and thank you. I use a little different approach for boats here in Michigan. In Fla its probably a whole different approach with salt water and heat. As an fyi I use a new 3M 3000 Non Woven Disc, and go right to polish. Ive been doing it this way on cars so I tried it last week on a Crownline and it worked great. I also have it available on my ecommerce site should you be interested . My problem are the bottoms as I approach 70 I'm no spring chicken anymore.. Again I appreciate seeing your videos.
Donald, You are selling a polish? we always love trying new products. A clear coat (or even single stage paint) on a car is a much less porous material than gelcoat, and ages much better. Oxidized gel requires allll these steps. WE do a lot of work in Northern Michigan as well!
I have never seen so much compound used to buff. not only is there being ten times more use than necessary you're ruining your wool pad at a rapid rate.
I appreciate your opinion, but this boat was severely neglected.
I agree....
I will give a 2x2 area a squirt of compound and move it with the buffer until that area is and has been compounded, and if I have to maybe a little more?
Then I will spur my pad and remove it and move on to the next 2x2 area.
When I am finished with all my compounding I will use my orbital polisher to put the finishing touch.
Otherwise he did a nice job, just way too much compound.
You do realize how much gel coat is on a boat right? You could sit there for a day and wouldn’t burn through that gel coat with a wool pad
Lets see your video then!
Y’all don’t have to be dicks about it to him about it jeez
Great video! Thank you picked up a ton of great tip. -Paul
Thank you so very much for your wealth of information especially the products that you use and how they are used. My boat is not that oxidated but now I know how to execute in keeping my paint longer.
+sleeper6t6 Glad to know you are taking care of your boat!
Nice Job!! What do you normally charge to do a boat in that condition?
Also do you use the same steps on a white boat?
White boats usually don't need as heavy of compounding.
You must have never seen a chalky boat , that boat shines so much you can see a reflection of the clouds in the finish :)
That's what I was thinking... it says it was heavily oxidized... um, no if you want to see a heavily oxidized boat this guy should look at mine.. the teal color of mine is almost white it's so bad. I just bought it and it needs a lot of work.
When it gets real hot do you add water to your compound
My boat is 22 years old. Is a paste wax better for sealing the gel coat that a liquid wax?
For longevity, use a sealant like Powerlock+. If you're after depth and clarify, and keep up on the maintenance, use a paste wax.
Just curiuos, but why do you have a Dewalter buffer for compound and a Makita Buffer for wax. Aren't they both relatively the same thing just different company
ethan'stank The Dewalt buffer used here is a rotary machine, the Makita is a random orbital. They are NOT relatively the same thing. The random orbital makes it virtually impossible to leave swirl marks, the same can not be said of the rotary buffer (the Dewalt).
And if I’m not satisfied with the area after I wax it , can I buff it again?
Yes. Just remember that even if it looks bad 5 feet away it might look perfect 20 feet away so give yourself a little bit of slack. If you have dark colors (black/dark blue) then you might be able to see some defects at distance. You can always buff after wax. If you are buffing after wax just remember to follow up with polish (and obviously wax too). If you see defects after wax, polish might take them out. I would always recommend to try polish before buffing especially if you see minor imperfections. Cheers!
after you do this and wax....how often should you wax to maintain?
Thank Trevor. I was just about to get my gradywhite a wet sand. But I will use your method first. Can you post a list of products.
Good job on the gelcoat...I don't envy your job. I know how much work it takes to get gelcoat back like that as i did that to one of the boats I owned that was almost as bad as that. I used a DA polisher with foam pads so it took me a little longer than using wool etc. I used 3D products HD Uno for the entire job just changing pads along the way.
The RO DA polishers are great for applying wax, but you really need a rotary wheel with torque to 'cut' the severe oxidation. Make the tools work, not you!
GOOD JOB ON THE BUFFING. I WANT TO ASK YOU HAVE YOU EVER BUFFED A CAPE HORN BOATS...!!! THEY HAVE VERY HIGH END GEAL COATING IF I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY. I DON'T KNOW THE NAME OF IT. BUT HAVE YOU BUFFED ANY & IF SO HOW DID IT TURN OUT. THANKS.
How did you prepare the boat before buffing? Did you wash it with soap? I’ve heard toilet bowl cleaner works great.
Doesn't the repaired/re-surfaced area stick out like a sore thumb -- and wouldn't the rest of the hull be in line for the same treatment?
I thought you weren't suppose to polish in direct sunlight?
Sometimes you have no choice when working within the schedule of hoisting a 52' yacht out of the water, drydock time and so on!
Can you give us a list of the products used
- Reel Shine (NOW CALLED STARKE) - Restructure (Step 1)
- amzn.to/2WdA3iv
- Menzerna Medium Cut (Step 2)
- amzn.to/3agEvEO
- Menzerna Super Finish 3500 (Fine Compound) (Step 3)
- amzn.to/2DEhZXg
- Meguires Flagship Premium Marine Wax (Step 4)
- amzn.to/2DFEETd
Buffers / Pads :
Dewalt Buffer - Dw849
- amzn.to/3kFffgv
Makita Buffer - BO6050J (newer model)
- amzn.to/2GKfPq4
Shurehold Wax Pad (Used with Makita Buffer (wiggle mode) and Meguires Flagship)
- amzn.to/2J2SgLH
3M ultra fine foam polishing pad 05733 (Use with Dewalt Buffer and Menzerna Super Finish)
- amzn.to/2Wd24Xh
Good Luck !!!
Hope I was able to help save you some time searching for all of this.
After I was done with mine, it was beautiful. Couldn't believe the difference.
As an Amazon Associate I earn a small bit from qualifying purchases, you pay the same as always. Not a penny more.
Why do these vids always use decorators tape? Is there a reason or is just to demonstrate the contrast of before and after?
DarfADA - low tack and no adhesives residue
I was told after buffing you need to wash the area with soap and water ( or whatever you wash your car with ) then wax? Is this true?
would i do the same steps on say a non gel coat houseboat for same results???
Nice video. Learned a lot, thanks! Neglected my Sea Ray for the past couple years. Thankfully it's white gel coat so Oxidation didn't show too bad (at least to according to my wife) but it was driving me NUTS. With these tips I'm going to knock it out and get that thing back to a mirror finish!One question, to avoid having to cut the oxidation and really work to bring back the shine, how often should I wax the boat? Should I polish also with a light compound before waxing every time or would regular waxing stop me from having to do all the extra work? I live in a desert area of SE Washington State. High UV/Sun exposure.
Drayn509 We would recommend every 6-8 weeks depending on the weather. If you are on a regular wash schedule, you should be able to notice when the water stops beading up and the boat starts to dry before you can chamois it dry.
Drayn509 As long as you stay on top of the waxing, you should be able to go 2 seasons without buffing. If you keep up on it, only a light buff will be required then.
looking forward to waxing to get this season started.
I have a sea ray 23 1987 same color blue and will do mine soon great video.
Can we get list or link to product used?
I looked up all the parts etc used in this video …. Some of the names have changed a little, but, through my investigating, here is the updated list :
Compounds :
- Reel Shine (NOW CALLED STARKE) - Restructure (Step 1)
- amzn.to/2WdA3iv
- Menzerna Medium Cut (Step 2)
- amzn.to/2WfpwTY
- Menzerna Super Finish 3500 (Fine Compound) (Step 3)
- amzn.to/2DEhZXg
- Meguires Flagship Premium Marine Wax (Step 4)
- amzn.to/2DFEETd
Dewalt Buffer - Dw849
- amzn.to/2GQc9nM
Makita Buffer - BO6050J (newer model)
- amzn.to/2GKfPq4
Shurehold Wax Pad (Used with Makita Buffer and Meguires Flagship)
- amzn.to/2J2SgLH
3M ultra fine foam polishing pad 05733 (Use with Dewalt Buffer and Menzerna Super Finish)
- amzn.to/2Wd24Xh
Good Luck !
How many RPM do you spin the buffer??
I start low, to initially work the compound in around 600-800rpm, and minimize sling. To finish, I rev it up to around 2000rpm
I've seen your video before. Watched it again. It's really excellent. Thanks for the information. Very well done. Thanks. Hope my job turns our half as good as yours.
How much pressure do you apply to the buffer?
Thank you for your knowledge. Vero Beach loves you, man!
$129 for 2 quarts very affordable? what am i missing here.. tx for the vid tho - just one product for the whole job? great vid man - looks like ill be hunting for some tools now :/ can i buff out a light dull wet sand spot? also - scratches that are above the surface - should i just buff em out with the 4000 or meguires?
What brand is that "Restructure" cutting coumpound he is showing at the beginning?
can you post all the products u used and hardware>?
- Reel Shine (NOW CALLED STARKE) - Restructure (Step 1)
- amzn.to/2WdA3iv
- Menzerna Medium Cut (Step 2)
- amzn.to/3agEvEO
- Menzerna Super Finish 3500 (Fine Compound) (Step 3)
- amzn.to/2DEhZXg
- Meguires Flagship Premium Marine Wax (Step 4)
- amzn.to/2DFEETd
Buffers / Pads :
Dewalt Buffer - Dw849
- amzn.to/3kFffgv
Makita Buffer - BO6050J (newer model)
- amzn.to/2GKfPq4
Shurehold Wax Pad (Used with Makita Buffer (wiggle mode) and Meguires Flagship)
- amzn.to/2J2SgLH
3M ultra fine foam polishing pad 05733 (Use with Dewalt Buffer and Menzerna Super Finish)
- amzn.to/2Wd24Xh
Good Luck !!!
Hope I was able to help save you some time searching for all of this.
After I was done with mine, it was beautiful. Couldn't believe the difference.
As an Amazon Associate I earn a small bit from qualifying purchases, you pay the same as always. Not a penny more.
Its 2018 did you ever fishing that 52' ?
How much do you normally charge for a 21' Boston Whaler Outrage?
+Gus Lopez It would depend on the condition of the boat. Shoot us an email at info@firstmateyachtcare.com with more details (when was it last buffed/waxed) and we can give you a better idea.
really good vid. I'm in west palm where can I get the products? thanks
+Chris Schultz www.reelshine.net/
- Reel Shine (NOW CALLED STARKE) - Restructure (Step 1)
- amzn.to/2WdA3iv
- Menzerna Medium Cut (Step 2)
- amzn.to/3agEvEO
- Menzerna Super Finish 3500 (Fine Compound) (Step 3)
- amzn.to/2DEhZXg
- Meguires Flagship Premium Marine Wax (Step 4)
- amzn.to/2DFEETd
Buffers / Pads :
Dewalt Buffer - Dw849
- amzn.to/3kFffgv
Makita Buffer - BO6050J (newer model)
- amzn.to/2GKfPq4
Shurehold Wax Pad (Used with Makita Buffer (wiggle mode) and Meguires Flagship)
- amzn.to/2J2SgLH
3M ultra fine foam polishing pad 05733 (Use with Dewalt Buffer and Menzerna Super Finish)
- amzn.to/2Wd24Xh
Good Luck !!!
Hope I was able to help save you some time searching for all of this.
After I was done with mine, it was beautiful. Couldn't believe the difference.
As an Amazon Associate I earn a small bit from qualifying purchases, you pay the same as always. Not a penny more.
How long did it take you to the whole boat?
Crew of 3 about 1wk?
Thats a lot of passes, What do you charge per foot for a boat like that
On a project like that, we only provide a rough number, and focus on the hours, not $/ft. I think this boat was around $3,500 for the buff
First Mate Yacht Care
$3500? A lot of work but that's a crazy price. Good for you for getting it :)
Just saw the video description. 52' boat! $3500 is good price :)
what are the product you use nd buffers you use nd pads?
I am not sure what you mean, "ND", can you clarify?
- Reel Shine (NOW CALLED STARKE) - Restructure (Step 1)
- amzn.to/2WdA3iv
- Menzerna Medium Cut (Step 2)
- amzn.to/3agEvEO
- Menzerna Super Finish 3500 (Fine Compound) (Step 3)
- amzn.to/2DEhZXg
- Meguires Flagship Premium Marine Wax (Step 4)
- amzn.to/2DFEETd
Buffers / Pads :
Dewalt Buffer - Dw849
- amzn.to/3kFffgv
Makita Buffer - BO6050J (newer model)
- amzn.to/2GKfPq4
Shurehold Wax Pad (Used with Makita Buffer (wiggle mode) and Meguires Flagship)
- amzn.to/2J2SgLH
3M ultra fine foam polishing pad 05733 (Use with Dewalt Buffer and Menzerna Super Finish)
- amzn.to/2Wd24Xh
Good Luck !!!
Hope I was able to help save you some time searching for all of this.
After I was done with mine, it was beautiful. Couldn't believe the difference.
As an Amazon Associate I earn a small bit from qualifying purchases, you pay the same as always. Not a penny more.
Do you have any comments on a brand of wax called collanite?
david bullard Collinite waxes are good (we use a fair amount of their metal wax/polish). We find it to be a bit "greasier" than the Meguiars Flagship.
First Mate Yacht Care Ok thanks a lot. I may try the flagship brand. Collinite is a bit exspencive.
+david bullard You should always check Amazon, especially if you don't have a good marine store near you. They will sell Meguiars by the gallon and you can save a few bucks.
david bullard if it's natural, carnuba-based, its garbage way before a modern polymer-based product. Its amazing at a car show or 1957 but the moment dirt hits it... Fail.
Does the water reflect uv onto the gel coat right above the waterline?
nice work man! can you recommend anyone in metro Detroit for my boat?
Chalky? So how do I prevent it? The wax?
I really appreciate this video! I currently wet sand and buff cars, i need to learn more under my belt. I've had multiple people offer me almost a thousand dollars to buff their boat, but i couldn't do it because i don't know the procedure. It's GOT to be different from a car, and i was correct. Honestly, i'm here to see if it's something i can do in a timely fashion. How long does it take to buff a boat? Obviously you can't cut corners, most body shops will beg you to cut corners and still bitch at you for doing so when the job doesn't come out fast.
The best buffer ever made is Black & Decker Automotive Heavy Duty Type 2 2300 RPM. No direct sun. No Velcro pad. As you can see the uneven cut/ polish from the velcro pad.
What would you charge per ft to do this?
Great video!!!
The pad numbers and times and details help alot
Can this be done on a RV or Travel Trailer?