Gummy

[sailorlen10]

I am having a very very hard time getting the wax off my boat, it is "gumming up" and can't get it off. If I wait till it totally dries it is almost impossible to get it off. what's wrong?

[Tim Lingor]

Re: Gummy

Morning,

Welcome to MOL!

There are a few things that could be happening:

1. You are applying the wax way too thick
2. You are applying it in direct sunlight to a warm or hot surface
3. The gel coat is oxidized or has contaminants on it and needs to be cleaned first


When applying a wax, you want to apply it as thinly as possible as extra wax can get very gummy making it hard to remove, and it just wastes the wax. Use a foam applicator and apply the wax. When using a cleaner wax, you need to work it in as it is not a wipe on wipe off product. You need to work in small sections at a time really working the product into the gel coat. Then move onto the next section. Allow the product to dry before removal; do the Swipe Test (after 15-20 min) - swipe your finger across the product and see if it comes off cleanly without smears. If it does, it is time to remove it.

You need to apply the wax in the shade if at all possible. If you can not, then you will have to wait for a cloudy day and/or apply it to small sections at a time. If you apply a product to a hot surface, the lubrication in the wax will dry up almost instantly making it difficult to apply and remove.

Is your boat new? If it is not, then it is very likely to have either mild to moderate oxidation and other contaminants from the water it has been in. If it is oxidation, as you apply a cleaner wax type product, it can make the wax get gummy as it is taking off some of the contaminants. Therefore, you will need to pre-clean the boat before waxing.

I would suggest pre-cleaning your boat first. How is the condition of the boat? If it is in excellent condition, you could pre-clean it with M44 Color Restorer and then follow with either M63 Premium Wax or M50 Cleaner Wax with my preference going to the M63.

If your boat is oxidized somewhat, then we may need to move to something more aggressive like M49 or M67.

But first we need to find out a little more about your boat's condition, where it is used, stored etc... then we can make the correct suggestions.

Tim

[J. A. Michaels]

Re: Gummy

Hello and welcome to mol.

[sailorlen10]

Re: Gummy

It is a 1981 in very good condition. Hand waxxes every year. Gums up in the sun or shade. If I let it dry, it is almost impossible to get the dried gum off. I use it in the ocean and keep it clean. I'm wonderring if it has built up too many layers of old wax??