Winter Waxing Project - what works best for you?


The fiberglassics article was written by a guy named Jamil Mehdi, who at one time was detailing boats out of the Lake Stevens area (west of Everett) in Washington. I used him 6-7 years ago, he used the same process of a) compound, b) seal, c) wax, and I couldn't be more pleased with the outcome as the boat looked near new, and the wax held up great. If I knew how to get in touch with him, I would hire him again. Although in the article he suggested multi-step, if one has a good base, he suggested then that I could just do the wax part.

good luck. DAJ
 
my 2 cents...


As said before it depends on the hull condition...

my Hull had mild oxidation so here is what worked for me.

1.Wash boat with strong soap (dish soap) /and or or wipe with isopropyl alcohol to remove old wax and grime.

2.polish with a pure polish...(No waxes/cleaner wax or one step waxes) or if in real bad shape use a cutting compound..followed by a polish.

3.when desired shine is reached, finish off with a good quality wax to protect the finish. (boat should be waxed/polished in a warm environment 15-25 degrees and not in direct sunlight.)

For polishes and waxes i use the 3M marine cut polish and 3M finishing compound for my polishes.and a 3M marine wax for the end...

Polisher is a simoniz variable speed polisher.
 
Agree, that's what I like about the article, don't start at the most aggressive step, test for what can get the job done with least material removal before adding protection.
 
Agreed, certainly learned a lot more than I knew before asking for help on this. Great hints, thanks.
 
After reading this thread, checked my bookmarks and found I had saved that same fiberglassics page. Good one. Another really informative and helpful post can be found here:

http://www.sailnet.com/forums/gear-maintenance/52772-tips-compound-polish-wax.html

I have a Makita 9227c buffer that I got at Midland Tools. They had the best price I could find then it went on sale for I think 25% off. Can't remember the exact price but a good deal on a great tool. Maybe Black Friday will see some good deals. Used 3M Pefect-it Compound then 3M Perfect-it Machine Polish before waxing. A little bit of wet sand on a couple of heavier oxidized spots too. Turned out better than I imagined it would. A mirror like finish.
 
Did I mention I LOVE my gray aluminum unpainted boat hull???? Polish on boys-- polish on !! ;-)

ha, you beat me to it... although i do like polishing up the railings and rocket launchers.
 
Just did mine last week. 3 days to cut it then polish it with 3m products using a buffer. Did all stainless as well. It’s a lot of work. I do every 2nd year. It’s too much to do annually. I also do all the Eisenglass with Plexis. I didn’t have to go to the gym last week cause it’s a hell of a work out.
 
Just did mine last week. 3 days to cut it then polish it with 3m products using a buffer. Did all stainless as well. It’s a lot of work. I do every 2nd year. It’s too much to do annually. I also do all the Eisenglass with Plexis. I didn’t have to go to the gym last week cause it’s a hell of a work out.

just working on that today on my tub..then in the water she goes :) :)
 
So I'll throw out an alternate to waxing. For the last couple of years I've been using an Acrylic Floor Polish from Zep. It's much easier to apply than wax and no polishing is required. I've had it on the boat now for a couple of years and its amazing how long the product lasts and how much easier it is to keep the boat clean. My boat is older and lives in the water full time and has a flybridge with some areas that are nearly impossible to wax because I can't reach them. The acrylic polish makes those areas gleam.

Here are the steps I follow.

- Clean the boat using your favourite boat soap - including removal of any scuff marks as they will be sealed under the polish
- After cleaning, rinse the boat with TSP - this will get rid of any solvents, soaps etc....
- apply acrylic to a damp microfiber cloth and ring it out so it's not dripping wet with the stuff (I use a window polisher on a pole) - apply very light coat to boat ensuring it doesn't run. Product self-levels and will fill any light scratches and scuffs. Overlapping is fine -- just ensure you don't over-apply and wipe up any runs or they will dry like that.
- I do the entire boat and once done - I then do it again. First time you apply you want to do 4-5 coats - simply go around multiple times until done. Works great on rubber trim, stickers etc... makes all that stuff shine too.
- Next time you clean the boat -- any dirt and grime rinses off with simple soap. Applying more polish you can just do 1-2 coats.

Recognize that many will be reluctant to do it, will say it yellows etc... All I can tell you is that my boat has never looked better. What used to take 2 full days to wax, now takes me a couple of hours and I can get to spots I've never been able to reach. Product can be removed with a stripper product.

Some good reading of the pros and cons here: https://www.thehulltruth.com/boating-forum/395916-commercial-floor-wax.html

Tons of good YouTube videos as well:
 
Just did mine last week. 3 days to cut it then polish it with 3m products using a buffer. Did all stainless as well. It’s a lot of work. I do every 2nd year. It’s too much to do annually. I also do all the Eisenglass with Plexis. I didn’t have to go to the gym last week cause it’s a hell of a work out.
Yeah just starting to do mine. Just came on here to do some research on how to get my boat up to snuff.
 
I will be doing my annual polishing and waxing in the next couple of weeks. Not my favourite job but it is rewarding when you are done and the boat looks as good as new. I find if I miss a year the job is 3 times more tedious. Just like missing a week of cutting the lawn during the peak grow season. Takes way longer, the mower stalls and you have to stop and empty the clippings more often. I prefer to do the polishing every year so that the oxidation is minimal before I start.
 
Does anyone have a good way to clean up the rubber trim on boats? I need to clean mine up a bit...
 
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