Waxes

billb · Post by **billb** » Thu Mar 09, 2006 5:29 am

Well is that time of year again,haul out,bottom job,and compound and wax the boat...I have heard too many negatives about Poly-Glow... which wax do you all recommend for a long lasting shine and protection??? Is Rejex good stuff??? Thanks

MIKEFRITZE · Post by **MIKEFRITZE** » Thu Mar 09, 2006 6:30 am

BILL I use 3M finesse 2 then 3m liquid wax.I have used 3M for the last 6 years on my previous boat and each spring the boat looks brand new and the water still beads up at the end of the season in November.I waxed my 1979 sf last week and it came out great Mike F

Post by **dougl33** » Thu Mar 09, 2006 2:00 pm

Bill, I used Rejex for the first time last year and I was very impressed with the results. Regards, Doug L. 1986 33 Bertram FBC Queen Elizabeth Marblehead, MA [img]http://www.bertram33.com/photogallery/p ... sabeth.jpg[/img]

Rick · Post by **Rick** » Mon Mar 13, 2006 4:26 am

Bill, I use Trewax....the old stuff, 2 coats. Seems like no matter what I use, the glass has to be cleaned and waxed every Spring. So I compound and apply 2 coats. It'll still bead and shine come November when the cover goes on. Rick Ticket 85 SF Falmouth, MA

JohnD · Post by **JohnD** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 3:35 am

My B35 has been painted, so I think it may be a little different than gel-coat. Anyway we use one coat of cleaner-wax (Mcquires or Boat-Us) then 2 coats of Yacht-Bright Poish. If things are too rough then we repeat the cleaner wax until we're happy with the results. I say we because the wife has stepped up to the plate and does the waxing & I back fill when neeeded [:D] br, JohnD

lobsta1 · Post by **lobsta1** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 4:12 am

John, Since the cleaner/waxes are abrasive, I always thought they were a NO-NO on painted surfaces. Hopefully the pro, Frank Price will jump in on this. Meanwhile you had better promote your wife to Rear Admiral status! Al 1978 33 FBC NITES OFF

JohnD · Post by **JohnD** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 4:28 am

Al, you're probably right about the cleaner-wax being a no-no. My paint job was done before I bougt and I suspect a quick and dirty... It's fading and cracking and needs to be re-done. I just haven't found a reasonable price, nor summend the courage to roll&tip myself. Also, I believe the cleaner-wax is not as abrasive as a compound. There's no detectable grit in the wax itself. br, JohnD

franklyprice · Post by **franklyprice** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 7:55 am

John, A cleaner /wax isn't necessarily bad for paint. As you noticed, it's not very abrasive. The problem with cleaner/waxes, is that they aren't much good at either.The best wax products are just that, wax. First you need to clean the surface and sometimes because of lots of oxidation, you need to compound the surface.Generally after removing the oxidation with a compound, glazing and then wax, or just go straight from compound to wax but you shouldn't need to compound very often if you keep it protected with a decent wax, at least yearly but as often as you see the finish sucking up stains. The obvious problem with lots of compounding is that you will , at some point, run out of material to compound. With a paint job, you have about 3 to 4 thousandths of an inch to work with. With gel-coat, you have about 15 to 20 thou, sometimes more so if you compound through the gel-coat, you are working too hard. As far as products, I always recommend against so called"finish restorers" they contain kerosene which looks good for a little while but will destroy the gel-coat or paint in time. I also avoid Meguires products because they contain silicone and look good for a little while but don't last long, also they leave a white film on rubber that seems impossible to remove. For a real wax, I always use Zymol. You can get it online at Zymol.com. It's expensive but the best by far of real waxes. That is, it's for protection , not cleaning the surface. I hope this helps.

Rick · Post by **Rick** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 4:16 am

Just curious Frank, on a scale of 1 - 10, how do you rate Trewax ? Both Price & Performance. Rick Ticket 85 SF Falmouth, MA

franklyprice · Post by **franklyprice** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 12:48 pm

Rick, I have some here and have used it but it's been so long since I did use it that I can't remember much about it. I will give it a test to see how I like it and report back. I know I didn't hate it.

IRGuy · Post by **IRGuy** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 2:28 am

Frank... Please be frank with me on this.. and in the future I promise to be frank with you! The 83 FBC I just bought and am presently restoring has been painted.. below the rub rail the previous owner had the hull done professionally in 1999.. this part looks OK, with a few marks and small scratches. My concern is above the rub rail. About a year ago one of the owners (not sure if it was Bubba or Jethro) painted everything above the rub rail (deck, cabin sides, flybridge, cockpit.. etc) with a roller.. no brush, just a roller. (The surveyor's comment.. "It looks like someone painted this boat with a dead cat!"). It looks like crap! Sags, runs, etc. While not on my highest priority list, I plan on one day doing something to make the exterior look better. The previous owner tells me they used "some paint from BoatsUS.. had a green label".. It was a single part paint.. that is all I know. My question is.. does it make sense to try to strip off the existing paint and restore the gel coat? Or, is that rediculous and should I repaint? What procedures/materials would you suggest for whatever procedure you think is best? Frank B - IRGuy@aol.com New owner.. 1983 FBC! Finally!!

Rick · Post by **Rick** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 2:52 am

Just thinking of that job makes me tired ! Rick Ticket 85 SF Falmouth, MA

franklyprice · Post by **franklyprice** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 4:34 am

Frank, to be frank, Stripping and restoring the gelcoat will be very difficult. If you can get the paint to come off with something not so damaging, you may get it without hurting the gelcoat. I would try peelaway first and then maybe a paint remover that is acetone based without methylene chloride. If none of those work , the only choice then would be to sand it off. In my opinion, even if you want to repaint, you will need to strip off the old paint. I guess the best thing to do is try a small area to see how hard the old paint is to get off and how badly they sanded it to prepare the surface. It's going to take some trial and error on your part.

IRGuy · Post by **IRGuy** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 5:32 am

Thanks Frank.. I was afraid you would say just what you said. I haven't tried any tests yet, since I have plenty of other things to do on the boat. In your opinion what would a methylene chloride based remover do to the gel coat? I have worked with this material before (I am a Chemical Engineer) and it is nasty stuff. Would it chemically damage the gel coat, or soften it? I will try other systems first. The peel away concept sounds good if it would work.. especially since the boat might be in the water while I mam doing this job. I know this is an expensive system, but if it works with minimal mess it would be better than trying to scrape up all the goop with a traditional stripper. I suspect they did not sand before painting.. that might be a plus! Frank B - IRGuy@aol.com New owner.. 1983 FBC! Finally!!

franklyprice · Post by **franklyprice** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 6:43 am

Yes the methylene chloride will soften the gelcoat. If you can get it off quickly it will be OK but any dwell time will kill the fiberglas resin. If the substrate isn't sanded the paint should come of like a prom dress.