Polishing after wet sanding - advice on pads and polish

[1bluemcm]

My gel coat is it pretty good shape to begin with. I've been doing some correction of very light surface scratches in gel coat that is not oxidized. I've been working a flat area, about 1.5 - 2 sq ft to get a handle on what it'll take to do the job.

Doesn't take much wet sanding with 800 or 1500 grit to get these scratches out. Often some time with 1500 is enough. I went over the 1500 with 2000, I'm not sure I spent enough time with the 2000, or if it's even necessary. After that, in this flat area I began with, I buffed with a white wool pad and 3M Perfect It Light cutting polish, their newer stuff (purple bottle, orange label).

So where I am right now is under fluorescent lighting in my shop, I can still see faint, light straight lines that I attribute to the sanding, it's real subtle. The surface is nice and shiny, but not perfectly glassy smooth. What do I need to do? More buffing with the same pad/material? More sanding with 2000? Different pad or polishing material? I also have a yellow wool pad, but nothing more aggressive in the way of polish. I use a Dewalt polisher, I take it easy with the pressure, keep it moving, and about 1400 rpm. I don't have any swirl marks from the polisher so I think I'm not overdoing it there.

Thanks for any tips.

[rubberdown]

Did you sand one way with 1500 and then the other way with 2000? I know you probably did but just making sure. If not that will cause that.

[crank68]

IMO .... if there was no oxidation or scratches you could feel with your fingernail, I woulda never put sandpaper on it. Step 1....3M Imperial Marine compound and a wool pad followed by Step 2....3M Perfect It #2 with a yellow wool pad....then seal. Right now Step 2 should get the scratches out you see under the lights.

[1bluemcm]

Thanks gents. I sorta switched directions in sanding, so that may or may not be it. It is better to just sand in straight lines and switch directions, circular, a random mix?

crank68 - I know you do a lot of this, have seen many of your other posts so thanks for chiming in. yeah, there were fine scratches you could feel, not a ton of them but enough that I thought I'd try to get them out seeing as I'm undergoing a restoration of the entire boat. So perhaps what I'll do before getting out the sand paper again is go at it with 3M Imperial and a white wool pad first. But if that doesn't get small shallow scratches out that you can feel, I guess you have to go back to wet sanding?

[McGreavster]

If you've only sanded with 1500 and 2000 you should just be able to buff out any remaining scratchers. Try to get more heat with the buffer.

[95202DCX]

Presta Ultra Cutting Crème...will be scratch free under any light after 2000.

[crank68]

Thanks gents. I sorta switched directions in sanding, so that may or may not be it. It is better to just sand in straight lines and switch directions, circular, a random mix?

crank68 - I know you do a lot of this, have seen many of your other posts so thanks for chiming in. yeah, there were fine scratches you could feel, not a ton of them but enough that I thought I'd try to get them out seeing as I'm undergoing a restoration of the entire boat. So perhaps what I'll do before getting out the sand paper again is go at it with 3M Imperial and a white wool pad first. But if that doesn't get small shallow scratches out that you can feel, I guess you have to go back to wet sanding?

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[texmex03]

I used meguiars 105 followed by 205 cutting compound and it did wonders on my boat.