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Old 05-13-2016, 08:55 AM   #1
RG1
 
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Status: Junior Member
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: North Texas
Posts: 4
Default Crownline Express Cruiser Job

In my intro post I indicated that I have been in the process of accumulating supplies to do my boat. I have been in research mode for the last several months and have not previously removed oxidation nor performed a boat detailing project, overall my boat is 29 feet. Now that I have 2.5 days into the job here are some preliminary results and thoughts.

Equipment and Supplies Purchased
· Marine 31 oxidation removal kit http://www.marine31.com/boat-polishing-kit.html
· DeWalt DWP-849X polisher
· How to Detail Boats with Marine 31 book
· Wool cutting and polishing pads
· 3M high performance auto masking tape
· A dozen microfiber towels

Results
· I found the Marine 31 Gel Coat Heavy-Cut Oxidation Cleaner followed by Marine 31 Gel Coat Final Step Polish to be very effective. I have the 16 oz. bottles of each and it appears I will be able to do the whole boat with these quantities.
· Mike indicated in my intro post that the DeWalt machine is a beast. I think I understand what he means between the weight of the machine and the power. Great machine and it is certainly up to the task. Doing small sections at a time allows relief for the fatigue.
· There were some places I had to really lean into the machine to get through some difficult oxidation and in those cases it took 2 or 3 complete runs. Interestingly, I found the wool cutting and polishing pads to be more effective than the foam Lake Country pads. Not saying the foam pads are not good, wool seemed to make the job a whole lot easier.

Thoughts
· I have a 12ft x 40ft boat garage to work in this was immensely helpful to be able to see the oxidation and then the results. This provided the continual feedback to see that I was making good progress and to keep me motivated to continue. Also I treated this as a job, I got up each morning and traveled to where I keep my boat on Lake Texoma. I packed a lunch, plenty of water, some snacks and of course my dog Lexi an American Water Spaniel who enjoys the truck ride and hanging out with me all day.
· Working on a ladder to reach the top part of the boat was slow going. I wonder what others have done to make this process go faster. In my case I don’t have a lot of extra room on either side of the boat in the garage even with the boat parked close to the wall on the side I am not working on. Pro suggestions to make the ladder work go faster or some type of scaffolding?
· Working small sections at a time with tape as a visual guide to stay in the area proved to be very helpful and not get “lost” in where I was working.
· As I got to the second side of the boat I could tell I was moving faster and developed some process improvements in my techniques.
· Having purchased and read Mike’s book ahead of time provided additional confidence for me. I was starting with a level of knowledge that prepared me to start the job with confidence.
· Overall I am extremely satisfied with the Marine 31 products and quality. The Marine 31 website, product descriptions and book provided an authoritative source of information to enable me to learn the knowledge to do this job myself.

Next steps
· I have one section left to remove oxidation and polish then I will begin the waxing process
· I will update with some additional pictures as I finish the job
Attached Images
File Type: jpg CL1.jpg (20.9 KB, 12 views)
File Type: jpg CL2.jpg (19.0 KB, 10 views)
File Type: jpg CL3.jpg (22.4 KB, 11 views)
File Type: jpg CL4.jpg (20.5 KB, 10 views)
File Type: jpg CL6.jpg (22.5 KB, 11 views)
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