Boat Details and what products are gel coat safe?

[Show 'N' Shine Car Detailing]

Re: Boat Details and what products are gel coat safe?

ok just got done speaking with the owners of the boat. No acid wash on the aluminum. Just interior APC+, some leather/vinyl seat cleaning, and shampoo carpets. Wash boat, remove algae and do a polish on all the aluminum. They weren't willing to do the acid wash, maybe because the price I shot them, but hey it was worth a shot. So now is to get the right pads to do the best and fastest job on the aluminum to make a noticeable difference. So again I need that help with getting the pads for it. I did send LAke Country an email, so hopefully they'll get back to me, otherwise, I'll look for a reply from someone here. I may just call them tomorrow since they're in the same time zone as me and in WI.

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Re: Boat Details and what products are gel coat safe?

Hopefully someone can answer this for me. I've decided to go with the Marine 31 Metal Polish. Do you think 1 can or 2? They are 16 oz cans. Also the pads I finally came across come in a 3 pack, so I'll get 2 3 packs. I'm thinking maybe 2 cans, even if I only go through one can, I can still use this stuff for auto metals as well. I'm tight on money for his, so I gotta think about what I'm charging and what I need to buy to do this job which is only the pads and polish. I do have flitz and mothers on hand, but only like a 4 ox tube and 8 oz bottle which is almost empty. I don't think it'd be enough to do the whole boat. Although the auto stores would have metal polishes on hand.

I think after reviewing the marine 31 I'll go with that. Of course Mike Phillips is in those videos too, lol Mike you get around!!

[Detailing by M]

Re: Boat Details and what products are gel coat safe?

I think 16 oz should be enough.
I would still acid wash it. This step will remove all the crud in the aluminum and make polishing a breaze. do a test spot with and without.

here's the link to LC pads

http://www.lakecountrymfg.com/products/industrial/

but talk to them, they know aluminum polishing.

[Show 'N' Shine Car Detailing]

Re: Boat Details and what products are gel coat safe?

I've already got everything ordered. So just a matter of when I get it now! Oh the wait!! And since the customer didn't want the acid wash, I'm not going to do it. I informed them it may not be as bright or clean as it could be and they are ok with that. He told me I was more worried about it than he was, so that tells me just clean it up good enough to sell and that's it. lol. They're good people to work with.

As far as the pads, I talked to Mike Philips, well over at the forums anyway. He was doing a boat during our chat, so good timing and I gave him the info on the WEN polisher and measured the pad and he led me to the pad to use on this project.

Oh and I ended up getting 2 cans of the metal polish. Probably overkill, but the guys at Marine 31 said there is no expiration date on the stuff and it can be used on auto metals as well.

Then purchased 6 pads and the spur to clean them, so again ready to go. Now I just gotta wait a week, lol

[Detailing by M]

awesome!
glad to hear it.
aren't these forums great?

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Re: Boat Details and what products are gel coat safe?

No these forums aren't great. The people on these forums are great. At this point in time I want to personally thank you Mario for the chats over the phone and here, Joe from Superior Shine on autogeek, as well as Mike Phillips for chiming in and giving me pointers and lead me to the right stuff and the right way to do things. Of course thanking Michael Stoops for chiming in and other members. But just you 3 and Michael Stoops alone are more than enough to do any job right!

Before and After pics to come next weekend! Stay tuned!! I'll post the link to the detailing work section here!!

[Show 'N' Shine Car Detailing]

Re: Boat Details and what products are gel coat safe?

Ok the time has come and the boat detail has commenced. Spent 9 hours on it today. WOOOOOO crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here is a link to the detailing work section. It's not yet complete but will be by Saturday evening.

17' Bass Pro Shop Pro Crappie 175 Detail

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Ok sorry for lying lol all pictures are now up. Please check em out at the above link and let me know what you think. Definitely a lot of work, especially for a one man show.

[Stephan]

Re: Boat Details and what products are gel coat safe?

I'm tired after looking at all that work.

You must be exhausted!

[Show 'N' Shine Car Detailing]

Re: Boat Details and what products are gel coat safe?

Yes it was a lot of work. I could have easily put another 14 hours into it with more polishing and bringing it out to a mirror shine but we weren't going for that. And they weren't paying me for it, lol. Even though I wanted to give them the shine.