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Old 05-06-2014, 02:05 PM   #6
Mike Phillips
 
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Status: Director of Training
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 675
Default Re: How to wetsand, cut and buff a gel-coat boat

After compounding the side of the hull to remove the scratches next up we switch to foam pads and Flex 3401 Forced Rotation & Forced Oscillation polishers to machine polish the gel-coat.


Gerald
This was Gerald's first time using a Flex 3401 but he picked up on it like a duck to water.




Robert
We started out using the White Hybrid pads but after some testing found the more aggressive Blue Light Cutting Hybrid pads were both cleaning up the swirls left by the wool pads AND leaving behind a better, more clear finish than the softer foam pads.

Just to note... gel-coats don't react to polishing like clear coat paints so you have to think outside the box and do some testing to dial in a process that works for you and your boat.




LOOK AT THE REFLECTIONS!
If you look past Robert and down the side of the boat, look at how nice the finish is coming out and we haven't even waxed her yet!







Polish Residue
Besides buffing, we always need help wiping...




Gerald to the rescue....






Teamwork
Check out this shot, first there's John polishing up front, then Jay in the middle, followed by Chris!




John




Jay




Chris




Chris can always be trusted to do the job right!








Pizza Time!
Thank you Eric for springing for the pizza!





Hungry John!
You don't have to call John twice for dinner!





:dblthumb2:
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