Poli-Glow
DanD2
Member Posts: 848 ✭✭✭
So I decided to go the Poli-Clean / Poli-Glow route this year....We'll see how it holds up.
This is after Poli-Clean
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6 Coats of Poli-Glow later.....It's a GREAT shine. I hope it holds up
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No longer a boat owner.....previous boat - 2005 Rinker Fiesta Vee 342
Comments
Here's a reflection of my wood pile, ladder and power cord off the side of the boat.
Dream 'Inn III -- 2008 400 Express
Dream 'Inn III -- 2008 400 Express
All I've wanted was to just have fun.
All I've wanted was to just have fun.
All I've wanted was to just have fun.
Boat Name: King Kong
"Boat + Water = Fun"
poli-glow is not recommended on a new boat according to their website.
DanD2
I need to research Poli products for my boat, but what is involved to get where you are? Buffer or by hand? Everyone is looking for easy shine and last long.
I have a friend with another brand boat that has a red hull and is badly oxidized. I want to share with him how to solve his problems from a great forum like this one.
Thanks
Rob
DanD2,
Thanks for the feedback. Some are saying to get a electric polisher/buffer to restore gel coat. I was also told to get a random orbital Sh**hold and use their products. Too many opinions on this subject. I have always used Maquire's boat wax by hand and have had good results, but I like what you have done and the results.
Even though my boat doesn't have the oxidation, like my friends red hull, I like what you have shown. I will look into the Poli-Glow on their website.
Rob
You can use the sealer type products like Poli Glow and Island Girl if that suits your needs. Or you can do the more traditional compounding, polishing, waxing with a buffer. I have the Shurhold orbital buffer which I previously used on my white hulled boat and it seemed to work fine. Now if you have a colored hull that is badly oxidized it will not cut it. Best bet is to go buy a true buffer, which is what I did after lots of frustration using that Shurhold to buff my blue 360 for the first time. It looked good at first but you could not apply enough pressure to really get at the oxidation. Dewalt, Makita and others make good ones. Don't fall for the cheapo autozone or walmart specials. They don't spin fast enough or have enough power to spin under any pressure. Harbor Freight actually make a decent one that won't break the bank. I went for the Dewalt and it works great.
Like you said, lots of opinions on this topic. I did a lot of research on boat forums and car detailing forums and went with the below process.
Step 1: Wash the boat with dawn soap or another aggressive type soap that will get all the contaminants or old wax off of it.
Step 2: Get an aggressive cutting compound such Presta Super Cut compound. I tried Buff Magic and others and they never worked nearly as well as Presta. People say 3m makes a good cutting compound as well. Use a wool pad and do small sections at a time. The cutting compound will start off very course and break down as you buff leaving a nice polished finish. Once done assess if you need to do another round of compound. If not wipe it down with a microfiber. The cutting compound makes quite the mess. Don't freak the first time you look at the wool pad as it will likely have the color of your boat on it. That means its doing its job. Make sure you debur and mist wool pad as you go.
Step 3: Use a polish. I use Starbrite with PTEF. Picking a polish is more personal preference in my mind as there are lots of good ones out there, unlike compounds. Use a foam pad on your buffer and apply. This goes a lot faster than compounding. Once done wipe off the polish with a microfiber. I usually do the hull in quarters before going back and wiping with a microfiber.
Step 4: Use a marine wax. This is up to you but many are satisfied with the results after polishing. The boat is thoroughly protected at this point but you can give it that little bit more of protection and a deeper shine with wax. In salt water wax comes off pretty darn fast in my opinion. At least the ones I have tried.
Step 5: Skip all of the above steps and wrap your boat in a marine grade vinyl or if you have the coin paint it with awlgrip.
,,,,,OR - wash boat with soft water once a week - just a fast "pre" spray of the soft water onto the boat to loosen contaminants so as not to brush them INTO the gel coat.....just a gentle brushing and spraying with the softest brush possible.
Rinse that off and then hand towel dry, carefully....this should be a fun bikini and beer type job.
If more is required, like you have to get acid rain and air/water borne contaminant streaks off, use Johnson's No More Tears Baby Shampoo or another "non-stripping" very gental soap.
Rinse this soap off (again) with soft water and hand dry carefully.
when deciding to wax - wax by hand with Meguiars Flag Ship Marine carnuba wax. Constantly change the waxing pad (we use cheap white face towels from Walmart) so that we can see if they are becoming contaminated and change to a new face of the face cloth.
P.S. We keep an eye on the colored hull sides and white top sides and do spot touch ups as needed throughout the summer.
The worst offence most hull preppers do is to wax contaminants INTO the gel coat...the NUMBER ONE mistake by ALL polishers, no matter HOW they polish - by hand, battery drill, 110v polisher.***** IF you polish in contaminated wax you are SCREW*ING your gel coat over and over again. Soon you will be polishing chalk.
We hand buff the wax off changing our buffing towels often.
I have had black hulled boats for 5 years they all look factory new by following the above plus:
My NUMBER ONE TRICK:
What NOT to do.... Want to kill your gel coat in 2 years? Then, let the acid rain and contaminants streak it in the summer or Fall while it's waiting to be put away for storage......Then let those gel coat "killers" sit on and penetrate your gel coat all winter. Then in the Spring you look at that unholy mess and get out the cutting compound and other gel coat destroyers and go at the poor micro thin gel coat! Baaaaad! Boys!
What TO do.... DO your cleaning and Waxing in the .....ready for this .....the FALL.....BEFORE, BEFORE, BEFORE you put the boat up for the winter.
PLEASE Don't leave contaminants to penetrate and sink into your gel coat ALL WINTER LONG and mar it, probably forever
IN THE FALL:....To safe guard your gel coat's longevity, pre rinse with soft water, then rinse again with soft water and scrub with a very soft brush using a "soap" like Johnson's NMT. rinse again then hand dry then let the hull air dry for a few hours. A sunny slightly windy day (no dust) is great.
Use a quality carnuba wax, like Meguiars Flagship Wax (I love its oils and its penetration of the gel coat pores)
Apply it liberally let it sit to soak in, then hand buff with constantly rotated frtesh towels.
You've seen pictures of my black hulls. I've had black hulls dating back over 5 years now. All are still gleaming black, better than oem, imo.
When people saw our all black hull 2013 Rinker EC 310 and our all black hull 2014 Rinker EC360 parked at various marinas the last three years, we got two rapid fire comments. That boat is beautiful and that is the most beautiful black hull I have ever seen.
That's it, bed time, I'm done!