Wax types?

[Edziu23]

Does it matter if you use a cleaner wax or finish wax? I will be finishing up compounding and polishing this weekend. I will get a sealer but have an old can of cleaner wax, can I use this or shall I purchase another kind? Also does wax go bad in a can.

And to make sure sealer goes on after the polish step but befor the wax?????

Thanks guys...I can't wait to see her shine

[BASSCAT7]

Cleaner wax is polish.

If using a gelcoat sealer, depending on the sealer, you do not need a coat of wax as the sealer acts as the wax.

Compound, polish, wax.

Waxes ,cleaners and polish are different chemical make ups, each do a specific job for the gelcoat.
Cleaners should be used first to remove stains, pollution build up, scum, etc.
Any of the light compounds should do a good job cleaning the gelcoat with a buffer or hand scrubbing.

Meguiars heavy duty gel coat cleaner is a good one.

http://www.autogeek.net/meguia...FROOG



Polish should be used next, it will remove almost all of the little swirl and scratch marks from the gel left behind from the cleaning compound and leave a glossy, glass like finish

Meguiars Polish

http://www.westmarine.com/1/1/....html

Wax goes on last to protect and seal the glossy finish the polish put on. A good High caranuba wax will protect the gel from everyday pollution, make scum lines easier to remove after a day on the water , etc.

Collonite heavy Duty Fleetwax is one of the best

http://www.waxbytes.com/marine.html

Not many of the combo wax/cleaners will work well as the cleaner part is usually a compound type to remove stains, etc while the wax is their to protect, kind of like an oxymoron, trying to remove dirt/stains and leave a coat of wax at the same time. Something isn't going to work right.

To really do it right, all 3 should be a separate step.

[ChrisH]

BASSCAT7, when do you use a buffer? i just bought a new one cheap off a friend. i have never used any polish on my boat. just waxed 1 or 2 times a year. i have thought about washing with dish detergent to get all the old crap off then polish and wax, i guess?? i have no idea. my boat is stored inside and looks almost new.

[Edziu23]

Thanks Basscat. So in your opinion would you seal the gellcoat with a product like Protech sealer or would you prefer to wax it with the fleetwax? My topcap has been wet sanded starting with 800 grit paper.

Is there any harm or benefit in doing both?

I havent touched the hull with sandpaper or compound because it doesnt look oxidized or feel rough. Should I seal or wax and is so how do you remove the old wax?

Many thanks again, without this board I wouldnt have made it this far.

[BASSCAT7]

To remove the old wax wash with Dawn dish soap or Simple green.

You can polish with a buffer to remove light swirl marks, stains, surface scratches, etc.
Use a foam polishing pad like the 3M black pads or one similar.

http://www.jamestowndistributo...=3872

If you have never used a buffer before, find something to practice on first......Wife's car maybe, to get a feel for how it pulls. You want to keep it moving and not let it sit in one spot.
Once you have it polished then you can apply a good wax or sealant and buff off.

[BASSCAT7]

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by Edziu23 &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">Thanks Basscat. So in your opinion would you seal the gellcoat with a product like Protech sealer or would you prefer to wax it with the fleetwax?

Many thanks again, without this board I wouldnt have made it this far.
</td></tr></table>

Either is a good choice, both will seal the gel:


The key to keeping a glass boat shining is to keep the Gel Coat sealed.

Gel Coat is the outer layer of your boat, made of polyester resin, about 1/16th of an inch thick. Pigments and polyflake are added to get your color ordered.

Boats are made inside out in a highly polished fiberglass mold.
Clear Gelcoat is sprayed in first, then any striping/arrows, etc. are taped off and sprayed in, then the colored Gel is sprayed in. Very time consuming and a lot of hand labor involved.

Gel coat is very hard, but also porous, if seen under a high powered lens you can see why dirt, scum will adhere easily to unprotected Gel Coat. This is very noticeable on white hulled boats that are not protected, the hull starts to turn a yellowish color from the Gel Coat breakdown. Not as noticeable on colored polyflake boats, but it is happening when the Gel Coat is not well protected.

You see a lot of questions on boating boards asking how to " fix " dull top caps, etc.
The key is preventing Oxidation from occurring. Oxidation is what causes the dulling, and eventual breakdown of the gelcoat.

3 things are needed for Oxidation to occur :

Oxygen, Heat and UV radiation.

Eliminate one of the three and you will slow down the process.

A good wax or sealant will help to eliminate this. This wax layer diffuses (refracts) both UV and infrared radiation from the sun.
Without the wax/sealant coating, the radiation is absorbed by the pigment in the gel coat causing it to over heat, once the gel gets too hot a chemical reaction process starts that will dry out, dull and oxidize the surface.
Once oxidation gets too bad, the actual clear Gel coat will start to turn cloudy. This is a combination of a chemical breakdown in the gel that causes a powdery white dust to form ( plastic rust ) and any other surface contaminants ( dirt/pollution,etc).
This powdery substance will settle in the pores in the gelcoat, this is why you see the whitish, dull looking areas on boats that are not kept waxed.


The 2 most used ways to prevent oxidation are :

Protect the Gel Coat with a paste wax.
Any good paste wax with a high Carnauba content will protect.
Most retail waxes only contain between 3 % and 5 % pure Carnauba, the more Carnauba, the higher the price.

Pros = Inexpensive, easy to find decent paste wax, easy to use. Will seal the Gel Coat initially.

Cons = Most paste waxes will start to break down and melt in High air temps/humidity, high 90 degree temps.
High air temps and friction from the water will remove a lot of the wax layer eventually.
If boat is used in these conditions, paste wax should be applied every couple of months, or sooner.
Hard to find high Carnauba content wax, can be expensive.

Another option is a Polymer Sealer for the gel coat.

One of the best made is a product called Pro - Tec.

A Polymer sealer forms a chemical bond with the Gel Coat to seal the pores preventing contaminants from settling in the pores.

Pros = Bonds to Gel Coat , sealing pores. Usually will last up to 6 months. Not affected by high heat/sun/brackish water.
Holds a high gloss shine.

Cons = hard to find. Boat must be stripped of any wax first before applying, use a solution like Simple Green/water to wash/strip the wax.
Two coats needed, must wait 12 hours between the 2 coats.

Once the Gel is sun damaged , then it will need to be protected regularly. One of the easiest ways is to keep a good wax or Sealer on, and then , after each time out, give the boat a quick wipe down with one of the quick spray type waxes that contain a UV inhibitor. This will not only remove the scum line and dirt from the gel, but also enhance the wax/sealer with a thin coat of UV protection.

Bass Boat saver is an excellent product for this, contains UV inhibitors and wax.
A 5 minute wipe down at the ramp with it or any similar product will help keep your Wax/Sealant working like it should.
Another feature from using this type of wipe down product is that after the first few times, you'll notice that the scum lines and water spots will become less noticeable and much easier to wipe off.


Basscat7

http://www.protecproducts.com/products.html

http://www.bassboatsaver.com/

Collinite makes one of the best Carnauba marine waxes, The Heavy Duty paste Fleetwax. Here is a link for them :

http://www.waxbytes.com/marine.html

[bassranger1]

Good info here. I wish I had read this before I did my work.