Ok got the one 18 Hobie cleaned up buffed and polished whew ! Now do I wax it or use sealant ? I've always used wax it looks good for a while but doesn't last ! never used sealant does sealant last the whole year ? what works best Gelcoat labs , 303 , Poli Glow , 31 marine or ?
i like newglass2
some like car wax (i don't want to hold a power buffer for hours)
some floor wax (pass)
some like other sealants ...
i think the end is the same ... you either reapply every x months or it fade/stains
pic your fav way to apply
x months = uv, salt, and all other exposure you have. If you wash your boat after use and tarp it, it will extend the reapply interval -
for me .. it's 10 laps around my boat with newglass2 2x a year
i would not use 303 on my decks or gunnels or anywhere my butt, feet or hands would be during inboard and trapping. that stuff is pure lubricant.
Edited by MN3 on Aug 10, 2018 - 08:50 PM.
MN3
The only thing I have used on my boat is Starbrite Marine Polish, keeps the gelcoat super slick and shiny, I haven't waxed it at all.
in812 wrote: Ok got the one 18 Hobie cleaned up buffed and polished whew ! Now do I wax it or use sealant ? I've always used wax it looks good for a while but doesn't last ! never used sealant does sealant last the whole year ? what works best Gelcoat labs , 303 , Poli Glow , 31 marine or ?
On both my cats and my motor boat I always use Maguires marine wax after cuttimg / polishing
https://www.amazon.com.au/Meguiars-M6332-Flagship-Premium-Marine/dp/B0007TR47G
Wax helps protect the gelcoat from UV and contaminantes, in my experience if you dont wax it you will be polishing it again sooner. I hear 3M do some pretty good stuff too (I use their cutting compound) but the Maguires works so well I have never bother to look at which of their vast range of products to use instead.
Also dont use car waxes, some of them turn a funny colour when immersed in salt water
Ants
Klasse and like one other are the only sealants that can survive upward of a year. Everything else is pretty much gone in a month or two regardless of what the bottle says.
Newglass 2 lasts for about 8 months of non summer fl sun
or about 4 months of including summer sun (tarped during the week used most weekends, left on the beach for the weekend)
so 2x a year
IF you keep up with it, you just have to put a couple coats on (with a synthetic shammy) to reseal in the shine (and it is very shinny)
IF you wait till it start to fail and yellow, you need to strip it, and use acid or other to get the discoloration off you hulls first. it seals in any stain you may have
MN3
in812 wrote: what works best Gelcoat labs , 303 , Poli Glow , 31 marine or ?
I have been using this Starbrite product for years and it seems to work quite well. Once you have your hulls shined up nicely apply twice a year to keep them shiny and slick.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Star-Brite-Marine-Polish-with-PTEF-16-oz/51201190
martyr wrote: Starbrite Marine Polish
how many coats / laps around the boat per application?
how often?
MN3
aquaaddict wrote: Maguires marine wax after cuttimg / polishing
how many coats / laps around the boat per application?
how often?
cuttimg
???
Edited by MN3 on Aug 13, 2018 - 07:16 PM.
MN3
tamumpower1 wrote: Klasse
how many coats / laps around the boat per application?
(you said) how often
MN3
Guess I was hoping for the new miracle potion ? Guess it all has drawbacks so I just order some more 3M wax I know how to deal with that ! (Hold the buffer for hours LOL)
Thanks for all the replies
Edited by in812 on Aug 14, 2018 - 12:57 AM.
MN3 wrote: [quote=aquaaddict]Maguires marine wax after cuttimg / polishing
how many coats / laps around the boat per application?
how often?
cuttimg
???Edited by MN3 on Aug 13, 2018 - 07:16 PM.
Cutting: using abrasive compound to 'cut' back the surface a fraction to remove surface contamination. 'Fiberglass restorer' in its simplist (and most often its lightest) form, some products are more aggressive and depends how you use them (pressure and speed), how much you need depends on how bad it has gotten.
Applying wax is normally the easy part, normally just one coat easy on and buff, you should not need to spend hours with the electric polisher, thats what you do before waxing with the 'restorer' to cut the surface gradually redusing pressure / insensity to to get rid of swirl marks etc. Just like painting all the work is in the prep before waxing.
(above all in my experience of hanging around boat yards, others may do it differently)
Ants
Edited by aquaaddict on Aug 14, 2018 - 04:11 PM.
I apply one good coat by hand, remove by hand, then use a buffer, once a year so far.
MN3 wrote: i would not use 303 on my decks or gunnels or anywhere my butt, feet or hands would be during inboard and trapping.
Agreed.