Gel is a lot thicker than paint or clear coat, that's why you can get away with 600 if it's bad. We have a young kid working as a cleaner for us and after buffing a couple glass boats he tried to buff a aluminum boat and found out quick he needs to be careful.

I think a lot of that is just by hand. Be careful with a wheel.

77 VIPER- Your boat looks great and I can hardly wait to see it done! I have some 3M Restorer that I'll try just need to get a good buffer. Do you guys have a preference when it comes to pads/ wheels?

I have had real good luck with 3M "Marine Restorer & Wax". Its a 1 step process. Part # 09005. I usually give it a good wax coat after for good measure though.

Try just buffing a spot and see how it turns out. I agree 3m is all I will use. If you need to sand do it by hand it will go fairly quick.

No...it's not to far gone, just begining to see some cloudy areas and want to take care of it before it gets to bad!!!

I like 3M they have always worked well

if it's not too far gone you can get by with just a good compound

Do I need to wet sand by hand or can I use a 6" grinder with pads? What are the best compounds to use?

Wet sand the gel starting with 600 if it's real bad then work up to 2000 then buff with a wool pad and buffing compound then buff again with a foam pad and a lighter finish cut. After your arms are ready to fall off wax with a good wax and keep it waxed to keep the shine.

This is my boat that has new gel but just went through the buffing process.

How do I keep 26 year old Black gel coat looking good? Boat was a trailer queen when I bought it ten years ago and looked new. It still looks good but is fading on the top where it is exposed to the sun. I have a shop now and would like to spend some time/ money getting her back in shape. Any suggestions are appreciated!
SSMVEGAS
The new guy


Posts: 2
Joined: Jun 09, 2010 10:12 am
Location: Seattle Washington
Private message