Polishing gelcoat hulls

Im a boat builder
At the boat yard i work at we only use 3m. This for a $3M riv or a 6ft tender
Best results is to use machine polish with a foam head not wool head.
keep a spay bottle with water handy light coat of water just stops the polish from drying up. Dry polish is what makes the swirl marks you see on cars, once you have finished a area go back over it with a clean dry rag
the job will come up spiffy
NOTE
do not use an aggressive polish unless you are trying to remove scratches (you will see the polish marks) If your just trying to make you boat shine fine polish is the way to go.
Most polishes are the same but 3m is made for marine and has a better finish than car polish on fiberglass
Cheers

Hi Greg , Debra

I use Farecla 1000 grit and 1500 Grit. I also use a flat pad from an auto shop about $20. Screws straight on m14 thread on a makita polish/ sander. There are different hardness in the foam pads. Black which is soft. I use the orange pad. With a similar technique to above.
Sometimes the gelcoat is so porous / rough that i wet and dry the hulls in 800 grit first then 1000, 1200,1500. I then start buffing.
Tash's mossie had bad gelcoat and hours of TLC came up like a treat.
I don't use polishers as it has wax in it. Wax slows you down.

Hope this helps

Matt

Thanks to Stephen and Matt for the advice. I had a look at the recommended products.

Seems like 3M have two; one in a yellow container and the other in purple. While Farecla have about ten different products.

So guys could you make it simple and tell me which particular product you recommend?

Thanks,
Greg

Hi Greg,
The farecla products that Matt uses are called Profile 500 and Profile 300. The 500 is about 1500 grit. Here is the website- http://www.farecla.com/industrial/profile-500-light-cut-liquid-compound

If you have trouble getting hold of it, i can easily send some from the chandlery.

Tash

Hey Tash,

Thanks for the info, much appreciated. I hadn't even seen those two products as on the Farecla website they are on the

industrial

page whereas the ones I was looking at are on the

automotive

page.

If I can't find it locally I'll get back to you.

Thanks again,
Greg.