OJ,
OK, that's a wrap. I've printed and filed for next month.
Many Thanks,
Chase
Wet Sanding
Moderator: Jim Walsh
-
Dan & Pat
- Posts: 107
- Joined: Mar 27th, '06, 18:59
- Location: CD 25 #282: "Play it Again Sam" Fort Lauderdale, FL -
- Contact:
Thanks for the ideas OJ
As usual, O J you've got some great ideas for saving time and energy. I especially like the 2X4 idea, and the counter weight!
Admiral Patty and I have been slowly attacking the 1975 cloudy, chalky gelcoat about 2 feet at a time with a small vibrating air sander until my arms and shoulders are crying for relief. Then I take a break from the sanding and go back to blister repairs with the MarineTex. And there are plenty of them right at and above the water line. When I step back and gaze at how great the progress has been, I yearn to be finished with the whole thing. I can't wait to try out the new ideas!
Dan
Admiral Patty and I have been slowly attacking the 1975 cloudy, chalky gelcoat about 2 feet at a time with a small vibrating air sander until my arms and shoulders are crying for relief. Then I take a break from the sanding and go back to blister repairs with the MarineTex. And there are plenty of them right at and above the water line. When I step back and gaze at how great the progress has been, I yearn to be finished with the whole thing. I can't wait to try out the new ideas!
Dan
Madness takes its toll. Please have exact change.
-
Maine Sail
- Posts: 839
- Joined: Feb 8th, '06, 18:30
- Location: Canadian Sailcraft 36T
Re: Wet Sanding
Essential Tips For A Great Buff / Wax
Hi All,
I thought I'd pass on my secrets for keeping my hull looking like new without the use of "miracle coatings" other than regular "real" waxes. You'll need a few items first. A good Buffer not one of the cheapies. I use a Makita with a thumb dial for speed control and the difference between it and my old Craftsman is like night and day! Second you will need two or three grades of the 3M wool superbuff pads. A heavy (left side of pic) for compounding if you need it, a medium for the polishing stage and a fine (the yellow looking pad) for the waxing/glazing stage although I used a professional grade foam pad for this stage as well sometimes. It's very important to match the aggressiveness of the pad to the stage of the buff/wax. Very important!!
Contrary to popular belief there is no such thing as a one step solution for buffing, polishing and waxing a fiberglass hull unless you're pinched by time and are satisfied with a half baked job. Most will be so you can stop reading here.....
To do it right you must first remove all the oxidation either by wet sanding, starting with 400 or 600 grit and working up to 1200 or 1500. This step is doen by HAND, or if oxidation is not to bad a good heavy duty rubbing compound and a heavy grade wool pad. Second you move to a lighter weight wool pad and a true polish (not a compound or a wax but a polish). The polising phase is the most important because it gives that deep wet look to the hull even before you wax it. You should not depend on the wax for the shine it is a protectant. When you put the wax over it the hull will look like new. Unfortunately most people actually skip the polishing step thinking compounding is polishing. Once polished I do a glazing step then two coats about three days apart of Colinite Fleet Wax. Wax takes a few days to harden and this is why you do it two days apart. Most often one coat will sufice but for a really long lasting finish two coats is best ( I do three at the waterline).
Don't be fooled by the "easy application liquid waxes" I've yet to find one that lasts and I've tried them all! I used to detail "shiny boats" (mega yachts) and found Colinite to be the longest lasting and hardest of the Carnuba's. One way to test if your wax will pass the test of time is to watch your waterline. If it becomes yellow the wax is dead & gone! With Colinite I can get 8 full months without any yellowing at the waterline.
When buffing/waxing the boat out of the water a good trick is to cover the bottom paint with at least 2" blue tape so you don't "buff and wax the paint". It's important to tape neatly so you get wax as close to the bottom paint as you can without actually getting it on the paint. I usually do a 3/4 inch width tape followed by a 2 inch width giving me plenty of tape to save my buffing pads. Fouling of your aplication pad with bottom paint is the end of that pad until you can wash it in a commercial washing machine! Don't do it! To keep "sling", what happens when you use a rotary buffer and it throws white dots of compound up onto your deck, off the decks I bring old card board boxes to the boat yard. Lay them on the deck directly above the area you're working protruding about 12" over the edge of the deck and the cardboard will catch any "sling" on the way up.
Buffing Waxing a boat the right way takes time. I plan on about 22 hours each spring and I'm only doing a two step glaze (glaze is an ultrafine polish like Meguire's #9 or Show Car Glaze) and wax. Once you get caught up it's only a two step but the first season may take 40+ hours. I know most sailors will never spend the time but it pays off big time.
After selling five boats the longest time on the market was three weeks! The last boat I sold was a Catalina 36. It sold in three days at the highest price for its vintage on Yachtworld!
OK Some more answers.
Tips for keeping it clean..
1) With two coats of a paste Carnuba on the hull I only wash the boat with IMAR boat wash. This stuff is great and it's safe for washing Strataglass dodger windows. The reason I use it is because it's the only product I've found that cleans but does not break down the wax. I'm still beading after 8 months. Do Not use a soap with a built in wax or one that's a heavy detergent. You can order IMAR products from Defender or directly from the IMAR web site although Defender is cheaper. Using this and a very soft car wash brush on a stick works well and does not ruin your wax.
2) Before waxing/buffing: If your hull is old and dirty buy a cheap rain suit, duck tape, rubber gloves and some ON/OFF (basically acid). Duck tape around your wrists so you don't get acid on you while reaching over head to wash the boat. Wait until a nice rainy day and wash the entire hull with ON/OFF. Buy a roll of plastic and rip it with a razor knife into 12 inch wide lengths. Tape this to the water line with 3M green tape (seems to work) at the top but let it hang on the bottom as a drip edge skirt. You do this so the ON/OFF does not eat the copper bottom paint and can drip on the ground vs. the bottom. Wash and rinse quickly a small area at a time and do this perferably before you before you bottom paint just in case. On/Off is basically FSR without the gel. However you can wash much faster with ON/OFF than you can with FSR. The ON/OFF will bring back the white of the hull by removing the metals or tannins (that rusty orange discoloration you get) that attach to the gel coat from the ocean. Maine has lots of metals in the water and ON/OFF is an acid that will eat it. You'll be amazed at the difference in the color of your hull. This is a good palce to start before waxing if your boat is older than a few years. Be carefull not to get On/Off or FSR on aluminum rub rails, cleats etc. because it will pit them. You could also use FSR but it will take a full day to do it right vs. 1/2 hour for the skirt set up and 1/2 hour washing..
3) Do I apply the wax by hand: Yes I use the round MegGuire's foam applicators you can buy at an auto parts store and a spray/mist bottle of water like you use for ironing. The spray bottle is the secret trick for applying wax. Simply mist the hull and liberlally apply the wax. Wait for it to dry and buff by hand with a Micro Fiber rag. Do not use treey cloth! Once you use a Micro Fiber detailing cloth for waxing you'll wonder how you ever survived without one! The spray of water some how helps it attach and buff out to a harder, shinier easier to wipe off finish. It's sort of like when you get your shoes polished and the guy hit them with a mist bottle and then buffs the shine up. I don't think this trick works with the polymer/carnuba blends like the 3M paste but it's like gold with the Colinite carnuba as well as Tre-Wax. Another trick is not to wax a large area! Do a three foot wide swath from toe rail to waterline marking where your are waxing at the toe rail with a piece of blue tape. Also leave a little residue on the leading edge so you'll know exactly where to start. You'll wipe this leading edge when finished with the next swath leaving another leading edge to go off of.
I have tried using my buffer to remove the wax but I feel the friction heat is bad for it and it does not shine as well. Buffing it off by hand gives it a harder shell because it's cooler and does not re-melt the cured wax. Have plenty of fresh Micro Fiber rags for the wipe off! On my 31 footer I use only four Micro's where it used to take about a dozen terry cloth rags. I buy my Micro Fiber rags at Sam's Club or Wal*Mart. Try and find the best quality Micro*Fiber you can it WILL make a difference. Sometimes the quality of the Sam's Club Micro's is poor so I go to Wally World. You want the ones that sell individually or three to a pcak not the 12 to a pack rags as the quality is bad on the big multi packs! I think you get 3 for between 6 to 8 dollars.
4) Decks: I buff the smooth and the non skid. I use Colinite there as well and it does not seem to make my decks slipery like a teflon or polymer wax does. You could also tape off the non skid and buff the white only letting the non skid flatten out. I did this on one boat and it looked great!
Hope this info helps. If you do it be prepared to commit the time and iincrease the value of your boat as well!!!! Trust me it pays back. I've never sold any boat I've owned for less than I paid for it including the fact that I pay a 10% commission...
Buff Pad Grades
Hi All,
I thought I'd pass on my secrets for keeping my hull looking like new without the use of "miracle coatings" other than regular "real" waxes. You'll need a few items first. A good Buffer not one of the cheapies. I use a Makita with a thumb dial for speed control and the difference between it and my old Craftsman is like night and day! Second you will need two or three grades of the 3M wool superbuff pads. A heavy (left side of pic) for compounding if you need it, a medium for the polishing stage and a fine (the yellow looking pad) for the waxing/glazing stage although I used a professional grade foam pad for this stage as well sometimes. It's very important to match the aggressiveness of the pad to the stage of the buff/wax. Very important!!
Contrary to popular belief there is no such thing as a one step solution for buffing, polishing and waxing a fiberglass hull unless you're pinched by time and are satisfied with a half baked job. Most will be so you can stop reading here.....
To do it right you must first remove all the oxidation either by wet sanding, starting with 400 or 600 grit and working up to 1200 or 1500. This step is doen by HAND, or if oxidation is not to bad a good heavy duty rubbing compound and a heavy grade wool pad. Second you move to a lighter weight wool pad and a true polish (not a compound or a wax but a polish). The polising phase is the most important because it gives that deep wet look to the hull even before you wax it. You should not depend on the wax for the shine it is a protectant. When you put the wax over it the hull will look like new. Unfortunately most people actually skip the polishing step thinking compounding is polishing. Once polished I do a glazing step then two coats about three days apart of Colinite Fleet Wax. Wax takes a few days to harden and this is why you do it two days apart. Most often one coat will sufice but for a really long lasting finish two coats is best ( I do three at the waterline).
Don't be fooled by the "easy application liquid waxes" I've yet to find one that lasts and I've tried them all! I used to detail "shiny boats" (mega yachts) and found Colinite to be the longest lasting and hardest of the Carnuba's. One way to test if your wax will pass the test of time is to watch your waterline. If it becomes yellow the wax is dead & gone! With Colinite I can get 8 full months without any yellowing at the waterline.
When buffing/waxing the boat out of the water a good trick is to cover the bottom paint with at least 2" blue tape so you don't "buff and wax the paint". It's important to tape neatly so you get wax as close to the bottom paint as you can without actually getting it on the paint. I usually do a 3/4 inch width tape followed by a 2 inch width giving me plenty of tape to save my buffing pads. Fouling of your aplication pad with bottom paint is the end of that pad until you can wash it in a commercial washing machine! Don't do it! To keep "sling", what happens when you use a rotary buffer and it throws white dots of compound up onto your deck, off the decks I bring old card board boxes to the boat yard. Lay them on the deck directly above the area you're working protruding about 12" over the edge of the deck and the cardboard will catch any "sling" on the way up.
Buffing Waxing a boat the right way takes time. I plan on about 22 hours each spring and I'm only doing a two step glaze (glaze is an ultrafine polish like Meguire's #9 or Show Car Glaze) and wax. Once you get caught up it's only a two step but the first season may take 40+ hours. I know most sailors will never spend the time but it pays off big time.
After selling five boats the longest time on the market was three weeks! The last boat I sold was a Catalina 36. It sold in three days at the highest price for its vintage on Yachtworld!
OK Some more answers.
Tips for keeping it clean..
1) With two coats of a paste Carnuba on the hull I only wash the boat with IMAR boat wash. This stuff is great and it's safe for washing Strataglass dodger windows. The reason I use it is because it's the only product I've found that cleans but does not break down the wax. I'm still beading after 8 months. Do Not use a soap with a built in wax or one that's a heavy detergent. You can order IMAR products from Defender or directly from the IMAR web site although Defender is cheaper. Using this and a very soft car wash brush on a stick works well and does not ruin your wax.
2) Before waxing/buffing: If your hull is old and dirty buy a cheap rain suit, duck tape, rubber gloves and some ON/OFF (basically acid). Duck tape around your wrists so you don't get acid on you while reaching over head to wash the boat. Wait until a nice rainy day and wash the entire hull with ON/OFF. Buy a roll of plastic and rip it with a razor knife into 12 inch wide lengths. Tape this to the water line with 3M green tape (seems to work) at the top but let it hang on the bottom as a drip edge skirt. You do this so the ON/OFF does not eat the copper bottom paint and can drip on the ground vs. the bottom. Wash and rinse quickly a small area at a time and do this perferably before you before you bottom paint just in case. On/Off is basically FSR without the gel. However you can wash much faster with ON/OFF than you can with FSR. The ON/OFF will bring back the white of the hull by removing the metals or tannins (that rusty orange discoloration you get) that attach to the gel coat from the ocean. Maine has lots of metals in the water and ON/OFF is an acid that will eat it. You'll be amazed at the difference in the color of your hull. This is a good palce to start before waxing if your boat is older than a few years. Be carefull not to get On/Off or FSR on aluminum rub rails, cleats etc. because it will pit them. You could also use FSR but it will take a full day to do it right vs. 1/2 hour for the skirt set up and 1/2 hour washing..
3) Do I apply the wax by hand: Yes I use the round MegGuire's foam applicators you can buy at an auto parts store and a spray/mist bottle of water like you use for ironing. The spray bottle is the secret trick for applying wax. Simply mist the hull and liberlally apply the wax. Wait for it to dry and buff by hand with a Micro Fiber rag. Do not use treey cloth! Once you use a Micro Fiber detailing cloth for waxing you'll wonder how you ever survived without one! The spray of water some how helps it attach and buff out to a harder, shinier easier to wipe off finish. It's sort of like when you get your shoes polished and the guy hit them with a mist bottle and then buffs the shine up. I don't think this trick works with the polymer/carnuba blends like the 3M paste but it's like gold with the Colinite carnuba as well as Tre-Wax. Another trick is not to wax a large area! Do a three foot wide swath from toe rail to waterline marking where your are waxing at the toe rail with a piece of blue tape. Also leave a little residue on the leading edge so you'll know exactly where to start. You'll wipe this leading edge when finished with the next swath leaving another leading edge to go off of.
I have tried using my buffer to remove the wax but I feel the friction heat is bad for it and it does not shine as well. Buffing it off by hand gives it a harder shell because it's cooler and does not re-melt the cured wax. Have plenty of fresh Micro Fiber rags for the wipe off! On my 31 footer I use only four Micro's where it used to take about a dozen terry cloth rags. I buy my Micro Fiber rags at Sam's Club or Wal*Mart. Try and find the best quality Micro*Fiber you can it WILL make a difference. Sometimes the quality of the Sam's Club Micro's is poor so I go to Wally World. You want the ones that sell individually or three to a pcak not the 12 to a pack rags as the quality is bad on the big multi packs! I think you get 3 for between 6 to 8 dollars.
4) Decks: I buff the smooth and the non skid. I use Colinite there as well and it does not seem to make my decks slipery like a teflon or polymer wax does. You could also tape off the non skid and buff the white only letting the non skid flatten out. I did this on one boat and it looked great!
Hope this info helps. If you do it be prepared to commit the time and iincrease the value of your boat as well!!!! Trust me it pays back. I've never sold any boat I've owned for less than I paid for it including the fact that I pay a 10% commission...
Buff Pad Grades
the quality program
Acoustic (Brad?),
I'm on board. Thanks for taking the time to spell your method out. Would you mind proofreading my list to make sure I've got it right? Also, would you comment on my time allotment?
1) Wetsand by hand (12 hrs)
2) On and Off (1 hour)
3) Polish with McGuires? (4 hrs)
4) "Spit Shine" with Carnuba, buff w/ microfiber (6-8 hrs)
5) wait 3 days and repeat wax and buff w/ microfiber (6-8 hrs)
A couple more questions:
1) How many containers of the three products would you buy for a 30 footer?
2) If you were painting a fresh bootstripe, how long would you wait before polishing or waxing? Would you do it right after the on and off?
3) Each year to refresh, do I on and off and polish and wax?
4) Where do you get your wet sandpaper?
5) I don't see any room for my power buffer here, but at least I'll be safe. Did I miss something?
Thanks again for taking the time to put this comprehensive list together. You've really dumbed it down for me.
Best,
Chase
I'm on board. Thanks for taking the time to spell your method out. Would you mind proofreading my list to make sure I've got it right? Also, would you comment on my time allotment?
1) Wetsand by hand (12 hrs)
2) On and Off (1 hour)
3) Polish with McGuires? (4 hrs)
4) "Spit Shine" with Carnuba, buff w/ microfiber (6-8 hrs)
5) wait 3 days and repeat wax and buff w/ microfiber (6-8 hrs)
A couple more questions:
1) How many containers of the three products would you buy for a 30 footer?
2) If you were painting a fresh bootstripe, how long would you wait before polishing or waxing? Would you do it right after the on and off?
3) Each year to refresh, do I on and off and polish and wax?
4) Where do you get your wet sandpaper?
5) I don't see any room for my power buffer here, but at least I'll be safe. Did I miss something?
Thanks again for taking the time to put this comprehensive list together. You've really dumbed it down for me.
Best,
Chase
for what it's worth
Just my 2cents on wet sanding. When I bought my 1979 CD36 the hull was really old, tired and even slightly pitted up at the bow for some reason. I tried the rubbing compounds followed by was, but not that great really. I had planned on paint when the yard manager suggested we do a test patch with wet-sanding - wow! Like new. They used an air sander starting out with 600 grit I think then followed up with 1000 and then rubbing compound and wax. Hull was like new. The guy doing the wet-sanding used a pencil and scribed out a 2'x2' area on the hull, lightly scribbled in with the pencil and only sanded to take off the pencil marks. That way he knew he was taking of pretty much uniformly and not much at that.
Pat
________
ARIZONA DISPENSARIES
________
Mazda familia astina history
Pat
________
ARIZONA DISPENSARIES
________
Mazda familia astina history
Last edited by patturner on Feb 15th, '11, 22:01, edited 2 times in total.
-
Maine Sail
- Posts: 839
- Joined: Feb 8th, '06, 18:30
- Location: Canadian Sailcraft 36T
Re: the quality program
I've edited your post my replies are in red....
-Acoustic
-Acoustic
farmerchase wrote:Acoustic (Brad?),
I'm on board. Thanks for taking the time to spell your method out. Would you mind proofreading my list to make sure I've got it right? Also, would you comment on my time allotment?
1) On and Off (1 hour) This should be the first step.
2) Wetsand by hand (12 hrs) Depending on oxidation start with a 400 or 600 (I personally don't like to start with a 400) then move up to 1k then maybe 1.2k grit and then compound. Could be 12 hours depending on you could be less. I work fairly agressively and don't take breaks..
3) Compound with "3M Heavy duty Rubbing Compound" or similar & a heavy duty compounding grade pad? (4 - 6hrs). Wipe off residue, as you go, with Micro fiber.
4) "Polish" with Meguiar's #9 Swirl Remover or similar using a rotary buffer & a polishing grade pad. Wipe off residue as you go with Micro Fiber rags. Time depends on you. This is the fun phase and I spend a lot of time here because this is where you actually see a shine..
5) "Glaze" With a glazing compound Like Meguiar's #7 Show Car Glaze & a foam glazing pad. This step might seem like overkill but really is one of the most important to getting the gel coat "like glass". If your happy after the #9 however you could stop there. #9 is a little less aggressive than Finesse It by 3M but I find it wipes off easier and does not "burn" or "dry" on the pad as bad as Finesse It Does. Picture a scale from 1 to 10 in terms of grit like the one I made below.. You could use Finesse it and then move to a glaze or like I prefer Meguiar's #9 and then a glaze.. Most, meaning, 98% of people stop at Finesse It. That's fine but you will deteriorate and oxidize quicker because the surface is not smooth and has microscopic scores, from the "grit", that leave more surface area for the sun to attack. I hope that made sense.
10) Like 600 Grit sand paper
9) Like 1000 Grit sand paper
8) Like 1500 grit sand paper
7) Like 3M Heavy Duty Rubbing Compound
6) Like some of the "all in one" compound wax products
5) Like a less aggressive "all in one"
4) Like Finesse It
3) Meguiar's #9
2) Something in between Show Car Glaze #7 & #9
1) Like Meguiar's #7 Show Car Glaze
0) Carnauba Wax
A couple more questions:
1) How many containers of the three products would you buy for a 30 footer? I rarely go through more than one of each and the Colinite Paste Wax lasts me two full seasons. The one your most likely to use most of is the Heavy Duty Rubbing Compound because it picks up the most residue off the hull clogging the pad and causing it toi "dry" or "burn" more rapidly so you use more to keep a wet pad. Spraying the pad with a mist bottle will keep the pad wet longer but you still use a lot of compound so maybe 2 bottles.
2) If you were painting a fresh bootstripe, how long would you wait before polishing or waxing? Would you do it right after the on and off? I would paint the boot (unless it is gel coat then I'd revive it) after on/off and after wet sanding but before any compounding! The problem is you'll need to wait for it to cure for at least a week or two before taping it off with blue tape. Do not compound, polish or glaze the boot only wax. You'll have to cover it up with the blue tape while your doing the rest. You do need to apply the paint after wet sanding to give you your best adherance. This is why I HATE, HATE, HATE painted boot stripes. If people maintained the original gel-coat boot in the first place it could save a lot of time.
3) Each year to refresh, do I on and off and polish and wax? If you followed the procedure you should not need to on/off each year. The wax should prevent the yellowing. the only time you need to on/off is when you have yellowing at the waterline from an insufficient compound/wax job. Each year I do either a glaze/wax or if it needs it a polish, glaze & wax. If you keep up with it you should never have to use a compound or wet sand again.
4) Where do you get your wet sandpaper? I buy all my supplies at an auto parts store like Napa or the local body shop supplier. You can find the pads on line but I'd stick with the 3M brand of pads wether or not your using foam or wool. Grits or levels of grit like compound, polish or glaze are just that, suspended levels of grit in a carrier/transport liquid that in cheap forms (crap) can sometimes have silicone a huge no no. Silicone or lubricants can make amatures feel like a professional because the pad does not SEEM to "load up". Stay away from ANY product that does not say "paintable" on the label when buying compound, polish or glaze. You don't need to get ripped off by buying "marine grade" it's a scam. The carriers on the Meguiar's professional line "handle" much better than their "marine" line does so I use Meguiar's Professional grade products usually in a tan colored bottle.
5) I don't see any room for my power buffer here, but at least I'll be safe. Did I miss something?
Thanks again for taking the time to put this comprehensive list together. You've really dumbed it down for me. Apparantly it's a lot more dumbed down now....
Best,
Chase
-
tartansailor
- Posts: 1535
- Joined: Aug 30th, '05, 13:55
- Location: CD25, Renaissance, Milton, DE
Now The Dilemma
I bought into Acoustic's post a month ago about razor scraping loose paint off the hull of my CD 25.
Under that appears to be another coat of white paint (or gel coat?) and under that is a tan colored layer that I am uncertain if it is gel coat or fiberglass resin?
Can anyone shed light on this? I would be most appreciative.
Dick
Under that appears to be another coat of white paint (or gel coat?) and under that is a tan colored layer that I am uncertain if it is gel coat or fiberglass resin?
Can anyone shed light on this? I would be most appreciative.
Dick
Viam Inveniam Aut Faciam
now I'm ready
Acoustic,
OK, I feel like I've just attended a boat-detailing seminar -- you've gone above and beyond the call of duty and I appreciate your sharing all the details about detailing. Along with the other contributions to this thread I feel like I have a good handle on the process and can use my time more efficiently now.
Your post and others in this thread will be in the archives for sailors to reference in the future.
Here's wishing you a great autumn,
Chase
OK, I feel like I've just attended a boat-detailing seminar -- you've gone above and beyond the call of duty and I appreciate your sharing all the details about detailing. Along with the other contributions to this thread I feel like I have a good handle on the process and can use my time more efficiently now.
Your post and others in this thread will be in the archives for sailors to reference in the future.
Here's wishing you a great autumn,
Chase
now I'm ready
Acoustic,
OK, I feel like I've just attended a boat-detailing seminar -- you've gone above and beyond the call of duty and I appreciate your sharing all the details about detailing. Along with the other contributions to this thread I feel like I have a good handle on the process and can use my time more efficiently now.
Your post and others in this thread will be in the archives for sailors to reference in the future.
Here's wishing you a great autumn,
Chase
OK, I feel like I've just attended a boat-detailing seminar -- you've gone above and beyond the call of duty and I appreciate your sharing all the details about detailing. Along with the other contributions to this thread I feel like I have a good handle on the process and can use my time more efficiently now.
Your post and others in this thread will be in the archives for sailors to reference in the future.
Here's wishing you a great autumn,
Chase
-
Cathy Monaghan
- Posts: 3502
- Joined: Feb 5th, '05, 08:17
- Location: 1986 CD32 Realization #3, Rahway, NJ, Raritan Bay -- CDSOA Member since 2000. Greenline 39 Electra
- Contact:
What will you be sanding?
Hi Dick,
Just what are you going to wet-sand? If it's the antifoulant off the boat's bottom, make sure you find out the regulations in your area before you start. Around here (NJ) wet-sanding of antifouling paint is prohibited by EPA and yard regulations. Anyway, here's what we do to comply.
Anyway, failure to comply with EPA or yard regulations has resulted in some yards prohibiting boatowners from carrying out this task on their boats. So it's important to follow the regulations so that the boatyard where you keep your boat doesn't wind up imposing that prohibition on their customers -- just my 2 cents anyway.
Cathy
CD32 Realization, #3
Rahway, NJ
Raritan Bay
Just what are you going to wet-sand? If it's the antifoulant off the boat's bottom, make sure you find out the regulations in your area before you start. Around here (NJ) wet-sanding of antifouling paint is prohibited by EPA and yard regulations. Anyway, here's what we do to comply.
- 1. A tarp must be placed beneath the boat to catch any of the antifoulant paint debris.
2. Use a vacuum sander. They can usually be rented (rent the sander and the vac) from the yard but you should be able to rent one from anywhere tools are rented, or you can buy one and the vacuum too.
3. Any of the paint dust/chips that wind up on the tarp must be cleaned up and disposed of according to the yard's regulations.
4. The paint chips/dust in the vacuum should be dsiposed of according to the yard's regulations.
5. I don't think this is a regulation but it's a good idea. Make sure you wear protective clothing, like a Tyvek suit, hearing protection, goggles and dust mask.
Anyway, failure to comply with EPA or yard regulations has resulted in some yards prohibiting boatowners from carrying out this task on their boats. So it's important to follow the regulations so that the boatyard where you keep your boat doesn't wind up imposing that prohibition on their customers -- just my 2 cents anyway.
Cathy
CD32 Realization, #3
Rahway, NJ
Raritan Bay
-
tartansailor
- Posts: 1535
- Joined: Aug 30th, '05, 13:55
- Location: CD25, Renaissance, Milton, DE
The Entire Boat
Hello Cathy,
Thanks for the regulatory wake up call.
We are moored in a river behind a friend's house and not associated with any yard.
The boat needs a complete refinishing: bottom, hull, deck, spars, interior.
The plan, when hauled is to do the trailer mounted boat work in my property over plastic sheeting.
I have all of the equipment you mentioned above except the compressed air tools.
We are inclined to favor wet sanding because there is no dust to contaminate my property, and dumping wet rags is our preferred disposal regimen.
But for the life of me I do not know if my hull is white or tan?
Dick
Thanks for the regulatory wake up call.
We are moored in a river behind a friend's house and not associated with any yard.
The boat needs a complete refinishing: bottom, hull, deck, spars, interior.
The plan, when hauled is to do the trailer mounted boat work in my property over plastic sheeting.
I have all of the equipment you mentioned above except the compressed air tools.
We are inclined to favor wet sanding because there is no dust to contaminate my property, and dumping wet rags is our preferred disposal regimen.
But for the life of me I do not know if my hull is white or tan?
Dick
Viam Inveniam Aut Faciam
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Cathy Monaghan
- Posts: 3502
- Joined: Feb 5th, '05, 08:17
- Location: 1986 CD32 Realization #3, Rahway, NJ, Raritan Bay -- CDSOA Member since 2000. Greenline 39 Electra
- Contact:
Hi Dick,
As far as I know, Cape Dory used the same gelcoat (that off-white color) on all of their boats -- no other. Any Cape Dorys that are any color except white have been painted unless a previous owner regelcoated the boat. The tan color that you see, hopefully, is just discolored gelcoat and hopefully you're only seeing it under the bottom paint.
Cape Dory used a relatively thick layer of gelcoat so you shouldn't have a problem bringing back the original shine by wet-sanding -- make sure that you de-wax the boat before sanding. You only need to remove the oxidized surface layer which should be pretty thin. You can probably use 1000 grit. Anyway, sanding shouldn't take too long for the hull anyway -- between the toerail and the bottom paint.
You'll probably have to use something like Peel-Away to remove all those years of built-up bottom paint. That job will be a BIG one.
And if you're going to sand/grind the deck and repair any gelcoat cracks then repaint the deck, that'll be a big job too.
Good luck with your project and be sure to take lots of photos during the work as well as the finished product and share them with us.
Fair winds,
Cathy
CD32 Realization, #3
Rahway, NJ
Raritan Bay
As far as I know, Cape Dory used the same gelcoat (that off-white color) on all of their boats -- no other. Any Cape Dorys that are any color except white have been painted unless a previous owner regelcoated the boat. The tan color that you see, hopefully, is just discolored gelcoat and hopefully you're only seeing it under the bottom paint.
Cape Dory used a relatively thick layer of gelcoat so you shouldn't have a problem bringing back the original shine by wet-sanding -- make sure that you de-wax the boat before sanding. You only need to remove the oxidized surface layer which should be pretty thin. You can probably use 1000 grit. Anyway, sanding shouldn't take too long for the hull anyway -- between the toerail and the bottom paint.
You'll probably have to use something like Peel-Away to remove all those years of built-up bottom paint. That job will be a BIG one.
And if you're going to sand/grind the deck and repair any gelcoat cracks then repaint the deck, that'll be a big job too.
Good luck with your project and be sure to take lots of photos during the work as well as the finished product and share them with us.
Fair winds,
Cathy
CD32 Realization, #3
Rahway, NJ
Raritan Bay