Glass fibre (Gelcoat)
The outer skin of a fibreglass
boat is sometimes called Gelcoat, a silica polymer (SiO2).the basis of
textile-grade glass fibres, consisting of a glass thread less than 25µ (microns)
thick, used loosely or in woven form as a reinforcing material in a very dense
(hard) laminated plastic, also known as fibreglass (fibreglass). In most cases
it is a relatively thin layer of high quality pigmented resin that gives the
boat its colour. The very dense (hard) gel coat (405 – 450 µ) and its top coat
(127 -152µ)
helps to protect the layers of fibreglass.
After the mould has been cleaned and
then highly polished as this affects the final finish of the gelcoat it is then
waxed and sprayed with Mould release, and finally gelcoat is sprayed into the
mould. Several coats can be applied after which the fibreglass chop is sprayed
into the mould on top of the gelcoat and rolled out. Layers of fibreglass mat
are then laid in to build thickness and wooden stringers are glassed in to
strengthen the hull.
Gel coat has a vastly different formulation
than automotive paint; it’s very dense (harder) much thicker and more porous.
This means it usually requires a more aggressive abrasive than that required
for clear coat paint.
Gelcoat fibreglass (polyester resin) is
an ultra violet (UV) sensitive plastic. Though manufacturers add UV stabilizers
in the manufacturing process, these protective agents weaken over time and must
be replenished if continuing UV protection is desired
We all want the beautiful shiny
new-looking boat, but we rarely get there because we assume it will cost us
more than we're willing to spend. A new paint job seems like the only way, but
a professional job is measured in thousands of dollars, not hundreds. Most of
us would do it ourselves except we're not confident in our skills or have no
experience with this sort of task. We ask for advice from others, but we are
given conflicting accounts of the processes by everyone who seems to know more
than us.
If the previous paragraph accurately
describes you, then your hesitation is warranted. No single aspect of boat
restoration is more littered with pitfalls, bad advice, and corner cutting than
the refinishing. Additionally, no damage inflicted on a boat by the
well-intentioned, but ill-equipped boat owner is as visible or costly as an
improperly done restoration or refinish
Collinite
Fiberglass Boat Cleaner -first step cleaner (prior to
polishing) restores blemished fiberglass, restores neglected finishes affected
by weathering
Shurhold Buff Magic - formulated with jeweller’s rouge to be a metal polish,
as well as a buffing and polishing cream. This unique formula changes as you
use it. With each pass of a buffer the proprietary abrasives in this diminishing
compound break down. By varying the size of the abrasive a differing cut is
obtained, so the more the abrasives are reduced in size the finer the resultant
finish until the particles are reduced to a very fine powder, which in turn
produces a burnished surface shine.
This effectively creates a compound that
can work your finish from very dull to ultra glossy with just one product. Additionally, since you do not have to switch
products, this will save you time and money.
Removes: oxidation, gel coat stains, surface rust, tarnish, Plexiglas
scratches and 1000 > grit scratches (Rotary speed 1000 – 12000 RPM)
Detailing
Boat detailing can be a natural
extension of auto detailing. Avoid washing your boat in the hot sun, always
wash from top to bottom, and remember to rinse often. With proper care, you can
keep your beautiful gel coat finish; do not use caustic, highly alkaline (high
pH) cleaners or those containing ammonia
Surface stains may be removed by dish
washing soap, mild cleansers or some household detergents. Chlorine and ammonia
products can cause serious damage to the colour of the gel coat. If the stain
is not removed by dish washing soap, mild cleansers, then the next procedure is
to use either denatured or rubbing alcohol. Do not use acetone or other
solvents to remove stains.
New proprietary restoration systems are
available for boats that are on the last stages of the life of their gel coat. Apple
Polishing, Island Girl, and other systems use
cleaners that pull dirt out of the pores of gel coat and replace wax with
special polymers that fill porosity and achieve a nearly new look. If your hull
needs a total rehab, and you still don't want to repaint, investigate these
products and see if any of them appeal to you.
Polishing Gel Coat
You need to use rotary polisher / wool
pad combination to abrade gel coat, an orbital will not provide enough friction
heat needed to restore gel coat. Gel Coat finishes are ~ 405 – 455µ (micron) (16-18 Mil) thick, and the top 5 to 6 mils is
usually very dense (hard)
Meguiar's
Heavy Duty Oxidation Remover removes moderate
oxidation, scratches, stains and tough water spots on all fibreglass and
painted marine or RV surfaces.
Meguiar's One
Step Compound is an advanced aggressive, yet safe
polishing compound that cleans and restores gloss on all gel coat surface in
one easy step. It removes moderate-heavy oxidation, scratches, stains and tough
water spots on all fibreglass and painted gel coat marine or RV surfaces.
Restores colour and leaves a rich gloss on the treated surface. Meguiar's One
Step Compound delivers incredible results by hand or machine.
I would recommend using a wool pad and
cleaning it often with compressed air or a pad brush and using a fresh pad as often
as is necessary
Klasse is an acrylic sealant and the
original two-step paint care system. The first formulation was released in
1969. It was a breakthrough admixing polyethylene carnauba wax replacement
system.
Through the years, Klasse car wax has
evolved with many improvements. The first major change came in 1986, when
Klasse was modified from its original formula to use the latest
polyethylene-acrylic compound technology. Between 1991 and 1996, the chemists
made incremental improvements to improve durability by more than 30% and U.V.
protection by 100%.
Klasse All-In-One contains a chemical (solvent) cleaner that removes embedded dirt, light oxidation, which occurs when paint loses its natural oils, tree
sap, road film and old wax plus it provides a tough acrylic protection. The
foundation of the Klasse line this is a true one-step product. It cleans
polishes and protects in one easy step. All-in-one is the first component of a
two-part system; by adding the SG to the base coat of AIO it enhances
protection, durability and the paints appearance.
Detailers
Tips:
- Apply this
product using water-dampened applicator, and then spray the applicator
with Sonus Spritz.
- Apply Klasse
products very thinly using absolute minimum pressure on the applicator.
3 Everything in a straight line, circular
movements only add to swirl marks.
- Spray the
vehicle surface very lightly with Sonus Spritz between each ‘layer’.
- Use a
slightly damp 100% cotton towel to wipe the surface followed by a dry 100%
cotton towel to remove Sealant Glaze
- I cannot
emphasise ‘apply products very sparingly’ enough.
- Schnell-alternate: (Klasse
Wash) Wash vehicle,
apply "All-in-One" to entire vehicle while it’s still wet, using damp 100% cotton towel, re-wash,
rinse, and dry vehicle.
- As a quick detailer mix a 3:1 solution of Sealant Glaze and Sonus Spritz, spray onto a 100% cotton
- Towel and apply lightly to pant film surface.
- The secret to
the application of a polymer product is to apply it thin (super
thin) fill a spray bottle and mist a foam pad for
application.
Surface
Preparation-
- Wash with a
good quality wash concentrate 1.0oz per 2 gallon
- Using a long
handled boars hairbrush with water hose attachment and a citrus based
cleaner (P21S Total Auto Wash)
- Rinse
thoroughly.
- Remove any
imbedded contaminants with detailing clay (Clay Magic™) and a lubrication
solution 5:1 (Distilled water/Woolite™)
- Remove any
surface imperfections with a suitable machine polish Or a swirl mark
remover (3M™'s PI-III Machine Glaze)
- Clean paint
film surface with a pre-wax cleaner (P21S™ Gloss Enhancing Paintwork
Cleaner)
- Lightly wash
paint surface with a diluted car wash concentrate 1.0oz
per gallon
- Dry
thoroughly and start application process
Klasse All-In-One Application
Methodology:
- First and most importantly, thoroughly prepare your paint film surface.
- Wash, use detailers clay, polish and apply a pre-wax Cleaner
- Shake product
container vigorously to ensure mixing
- Apply to a
clean, dry surface away from direct sunlight
- Dampen the
applicator with water or use a lubricating spray during application
- Place a small
amount of product (about the size of a dime) on to a damp (but not wet)
applicator (not the paint surface) apply a thin even film of product to
paint surface.
- If you are
using a Porter-Cable orbital polisher to apply AIO, use a mild cutting
foam (white) pad, using a low speed (3.5 – 4.0) and light pressure, let
the polish / cleaners do the work.
- Gelcoat does
not dissipate heat as quickly as painted metal.
- Apply to
whole of one side of the boat (1-1.5oz of product should be sufficient)
- Apply to
vertical surfaces top to bottom and then left to right, on horizontal
surfaces bow to stern and then left to right, over-lapping to ensure
complete coverage.
- This
application technique affects the paints optical properties by optimising
light refraction and the reflectivity of the bodylines and contours of the
vehicle.
- To test for
results, wipe off product with a clean / dry Microfiber cloth. If the
surface is still dull continue polishing, ensure that the product is
worked in to obtain the best results.
- Its primary
catalyst is an aerobic process so for the acrylic to dry low air
temperatures and/or humidity may affect the time requirement.
- After
sufficient drying time do a quick swipe test with your finger. If no
smearing or drag is evident, the product is ready to be removed
- Remove AIO as
soon as it starts to ‘haze’ (set-up) this makes residues easier to remove
than to allow the product to completely dry, and unlike wax, there is no
benefit in doing so.
- Residues
should be slightly damp (not a dry powder) when you buff them. If the
residues are still wet, you are using too much water on the applicator or
too much product.
- Removal:
product can be removed with a 100% cotton cloth (Alpine DF™ Microfiber
towel) or a with a Porter-Cable random orbital polisher and a non-cutting
type (Grey) foam pad
Sufficient time should be allowed to
enable cross-linking; 1-2 hours is recommended before the application of other
products.
Klasse High Gloss Sealant Glaze (SG) is a companion product to AIO that builds finish depth and clarity. It contains no cleaners, wax or polishes and can be layered. With each layer the gloss and depth of shine will increase and the tough acrylic protection will also increase.
The longer SG stays on the surface, the
easier it is to buff off, if it is found to be difficult in almost every
instance it can be traced to using too much product, applying with a dry, not
damp, applicator and/or not waiting long enough before buffing. If there is
resistance to easy buffing after its dry, simply mist the surface with any
quick-detail spray and wipe with a dry Microfiber Cloth.
SG) Application Methodology:
- Shake product
container vigorously to ensure mixing
- Do not dampen
the applicator with water or use any lubricating sprays during
application.
- Apply to a
clean, dry surface, with a temperature of >50 – 90
·
Sufficient time
should be allowed to enable cross-linking, 12 – 72 hours is recommended
Alternative products
1.
Klasse All-in-one = Jeff Werkstat Prime
2.
Klasse High Gloss
Sealant Glaze = Jeff Werkstat Acrylic Jett
3.
Acrylic Jett
Trigger(AJT) a spray on version
Meguiar's Professional Boat
Detailing Products:
1.
Meguiar's
Flagship Premium Marine Wash is a gentle premium blend
shampoo and conditioner enriches fibreglass and gel coat finishes, leaving a
radiant shine
2.
Meguiar's
Heavy Duty Oxidation Remover removes moderate oxidation,
scratches, stains and tough water spots on all fibreglass and painted marine or
RV surfaces.
3.
Meguiar's Hard Water Spot Remover removes tough hard
water spots. The thick, low-drip formula remains on vertical surfaces for easy
cleaning. New technology chemically embraces and lifts mineral deposits
4.
Meguiar's
Boat Polish creates a brilliant high gloss finish. It restores optimal
gloss on fibreglass and painted marine or RV surfaces after cleaning. Plus,
Meguiar's Boat Polish restores valuable oils to feed and nourish the fibreglass
or painted surfaces. Especially effective on dark colours.
5.
Meguiar's
One Step Compound is an advanced aggressive, yet safe polishing compound that
cleans and restores gloss on all gel coat surface in one easy step. Meguiar's
One Step Compound removes moderate-heavy oxidation, scratches, stains and tough
water spots on all fibreglass and painted gel coat marine or RV surfaces.
Restores colour and leaves a rich gloss on the treated surface. Meguiar's One
Step Compound delivers incredible results by hand or machine.
Gelcoat Restoration
Automotive paints and Marine paints are
not interchangeable. Surveying the cosmetic condition of your boat has less to
do with looks than it has to do with a chemically and mechanically solid
foundation.
Polishing Gelcoat
This is the first step in restoring your
boat's finish; if the gelcoat is thick enough and mechanically sound.
Before discussing how to polish a boat,
it's necessary to understand why. Obviously it looks nice.
Shiny is not why we polish boats. Shiny
is the lucky by-product of a safety and maintenance procedure that most of us
are unaware is even necessary. A benefit definitely, but not the reason.
Oxidation and UV damage.
First, oxidation and UV damage are not
the same thing and they don't have the same effect on a boat. Generally, we
refer to both kinds of damage under the umbrella term “oxidation”, but it's
important to know the differences between them. Technically, oxidation is a
chemical reaction caused by exposure to oxygen resulting in the loss of
electrons in the gelcoat. The result of oxidation is the chalking you see on
the palm of your hand when you touch an unprotected boat. Sealing the gelcoat
with a polymer protects the boat from oxidation.
UV damage breaks down the binders in the
resin used in gelcoat and leads to yellowing and an overall weakening of its
mechanical structure. Polishing a gelcoat surface reflects ultra violet (UV) light.
The more reflective the surface, the less UV penetration. The duller the
finish, the more UV light will be absorbed.
While oxidation only affects the
surface, UV damage penetrates the full thickness of the gelcoat and can damage
the fiberglass beneath it. Oxidation increases the rate of absorption of UV
light because it reduces gloss (reflectivity). Conversely, UV exposure also
increases the rate of oxidation by lowering the structural density of the
gelcoat.
This creates a parabolic effect where a
degraded finish will continue to degrade at an ever increasing rate. In other
words, a polished boat doesn't just look better than a dull boat, a polished
boat will deteriorate at a slower rate than an oxidized boat. This is why you
should polish and then seal the gelcoat.
Polished
Polishing is the procedure of
mechanically altering the smoothness of a surface. This is done by abrading the
surface with successively finer grits of sandpapers and compounds until it
becomes a glass-smooth, highly-reflective surface without any further coatings.
When a new boat comes out of the factory, it's mirror-like reflection is not
the result of wax or another coating. It is the result of mechanically
polishing the mould prior to the boat's layup. It is a perfectly smooth surface.
Polish the finish
When a boat is in need of gelcoat
restoration, I already have some idea of what it will take to bring the boat
back to a factory finish. Even with years of experience I still advise a’Test
Spot’ to avoid unnecessary trauma to the gelcoat.
Acting too aggressively will take years
off of the life of the gelcoat. When doing test spots, start with the invasive
combination of pad / abrasive and finish that spot through the rest of the
steps. Then do another test spot, start with the next mildest compound through
to completion. Continue on with the test spots until no more improvement is
seen between test spots. This is your starting point.
Another factor is that levels of
oxidation will vary with UV exposure. Horizontal surfaces with full exposure to
the sun will be more severely oxidized than vertical surfaces exposed to only
indirect sunlight. It is prudent to attack the more oxidized surfaced first and
then continue to attack the entire boat with the next (milder) step in the
process. The goal is to remove only as much material as is necessary to achieve
the highest level of gloss.
Wet Sanding
Step one is wet sanding the boat. 800
grit wet or dry sandpaper and a soft foam block, will make quick work of the
oxidation. Only use 800 grit if the boat is severely oxidized and you're sure
the gelcoat is thick enough to withstand this aggressive paper. If you start at
this stage, do not sand any corners or sharp edges with this grit. Save those
areas for step two.
Side note: For wet sanding, adding a few
drops of liquid dish soap to the water will help lubricate the paper.
After sanding, you need to remove all of
the slurry, (the sanding residue), before moving on to step two. A damp rag
will get most of it. Finish wiping off the boat with a rag lightly soaked in isopropyl
alcohol (IPA). Sanding over coarse residue will give subsequent passes with
finer grit paper an uneven finish as the residue will act like ball bearings
under the paper.
Cleaning the surface will also give you
an opportunity to visually make sure you didn't miss any intended spots.
When the boat is fully sanded and wiped
off, wet sand again, but this time with 1000 grit wet or dry. You should expect
to spend twice as much time sanding with 1000 grit as you did with 800 grit.
This is to ensure you have removed 100% of the sanding scratches left by the
coarser grit paper. This time, make sure to get all the corners and into the nooks
and crannies.
Follow this up by cleaning the surface
again. If you missed any spots or you can still see sanding scratches from
coarser grit, you'll need to go over those spots again. Successive steps will
not remove them entirely.
Compounding
My preference for the tool needed here
is a rotary polisher. The major factor in all of these tools is their working speed.
Compounds and polishes intended for gelcoat recommend machine applications
between 1500 and 2500 rpm. This is considerably slower than the working speeds
for automotive compounds and polishes. The reason for this is because gelcoat
is a much softer material than automotive lacquers and enamels, and, because of
that, it builds up much more frictional heat (clean and/or change pads often).
The heat generated by compounding a
gelcoat surface has a direct effect on the compound itself. When you think of
buffing compounds, think of them as liquid sandpaper. Essentially, it is grit
floating around in a pool of solvents. As you buff the surface, the top layer
is abraded by the grit. The particles of gelcoat are then emulsified in the
solvents which then, by the heat generated from the spinning buffing pad,
evaporates leaving the residue stuck to the pad.
When you generate too much heat, the
solvents evaporate too quickly. The dead layer of gelcoat doesn't have a chance
to emulsify and stays smeared onto the surface giving you a hazy, blotchy
finish. To add insult to injury, the excessive heat can burn the gelcoat
resulting in a brownish discoloration of the surface.
Initial pressure of between 20 and 25
lbs of downward force. That was for one or two passes around a 2'x2' panel and
it was mostly done to spread the compound evenly. After that, my pressure
lightened up dramatically to about 15 lbs pretty consistently. that was my base
working pressure. Over the course of the next 45 seconds to a minute, my
pressure steadily lightened to about 10 lbs (which is approximately the weight
of the tool). After that, I eased off even more until I was just grazing the
surface. That lasted anywhere from 10 to 30 seconds.
I then take a clean flannel rag and hand
polish any dust or residue off and inspect the panel. There should be even colour
and no haziness. If it is necessary to redo the panel, I will add a little more
compound and lighter pressure to even out the panel.
Continue this way for the rest of the
boats gelcoat surface. When the whole boat has been compounded, rag out the
whole boat again. Make sure to look at it from all angles. Swirl marks and
residue can be nearly invisible from one side, but stick out like a sore thumb
from another.
The next step is an abrasive polishing;
my preference is Menzerna
polishes. It works the same as compound but with lighter pressure all around.
It is a much finer, more liquid polish and requires less mechanical force to be
effective.
For this, you should switch from the
wool compounding pad to a foam polishing pad (my preference for pads are that
mfg. by Lake
County). The working speed is the same as the
compound, just less pressure.
After each 2'x2' panel, inspect the
surface and buff off any residue with a clean flannel or microfiber rag. You'll
notice that I added microfiber to this step, but not to the previous step.
That's because the microfiber rag will get loaded with compounding dust and
residue limiting its use before it's entirely too dirty, yet adds no
appreciable benefit prior to the polishing compound.
Sealing
Congratulations! You have now
successfully mechanically polished the gelcoat surface of your boat. The next
step is seal the gelcoat to keep it from oxidizing and undoing all your hard
work.
Synthetic sealers don't add the depth or
have the void filling characteristics of a good quality marine wax, nor do they
have level of UV inhibitors found in good waxes, but they are very effective at
sealing out oxygen on a long term basis. Much longer than wax alone.
Wipe on a thin coat with a clean flannel
rag and buff it off by hand with a microfiber cloth after about thirty seconds.
Waiting too long with this product will leave streaks.
Once the gelcoat has been sealed, a coat
of wax will add depth and lustre to the finish as well as blend in minor
surface imperfections.
The wax I prefer is Collinite
#885 Fleetwax, utilizing a wet-rag method. The
instructions are printed on the can and they
are not just a suggestion.
The wax is applied using a damp rag that
must be constantly turned over for each trip back to the can. The wax is then
buffed out immediately while the wax is still wet. This is known as the wet-rag
method and it's a trick used on hot days in direct sunlight for applying normal
paste waxes. The moisture of the damp rag is used as a thinner to prevent the
wax from solidifying too quickly. Wax that cures too rapidly makes buffing very
difficult to do evenly. It is a testament the strength of Collinite's finish
that it must be wet-ragged on, even in average climates.
There are two downsides to Collinite's
Fleetwax. The first is that it must be done by
hand. Mechanical buffing is not an option with this wax unless you have a
second person to either apply the wax as you buff right next to them, or vice versa.
The second downside is actually a by-product of its quality; in some
situations, it's too effective.
I didn't mention this earlier and maybe
I should have, but don't wax the non-skid areas of your boat. All wax is slick
and safety should always be of paramount importance on the water. For non-skid
areas, there are a number of sealers designed specifically for this purpose.
They seal very well, have UV inhibitors, and designed for people to walk on.
For most people, buffing and waxing a
boat is an annual affair. If the boat is lucky, it might get a second coat at
the end of the season, but most will never get that much.
Carnauba is the only word people know
when it comes to wax. A marine grade
polymerized waxes will outlast all others and still provide some level of
protection throughout the year
Other Products
3M™ Marine Supplies - http://www.3mdirect.co.uk/automotive-marine/3m-marine-supplies.html?gclid=CMC0nM-Lw8wCFUE_GwodsikJ0A&gclsrc=aw.ds
Copyright
© All original material in these
articles is copyright, unless otherwise stated, and may be copied and
distributed for non-commercial purposes only as long as the source of the
material is stated
Always be willing to learn; because the more you learn, the more you’ll
realize what you don’t know.
It is said that knowledge is power, with the caveat that it includes
access to a reliable information sources. I would like to think that these
articles become an asset to anyone who is new to detailing and to
professional’s alike, as well as industry experts who seek to advance their
knowledge.
I hope the article are informative. By having some understanding of the
‘What’ and ‘Why’ as well as the ‘How’ along with a little science to help you
understand how the chemicals we use react, you can achieve the results you
desire.
I would appreciate it if you would share these articles as it helps
other detailers further their knowledge.
As always if you have questions, I’ll do my best to answer; bear in mind
the only stupid questions is the one that was unasked. Questions and/ or
constructive comments are always appreciated.
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2013 TOGWT® (Established 1980) all rights reserved
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