Marine 31 Forum - View Single Post - Pictures: 1960 Glastron - Wetsand, Cut & Buff at Marine31Online.com

Mike Phillips · 09-02-2014, 06:05 PM

A few comments....

Thank You!
First I'd like to thank all the guys that traveled from far and near to be a part of this project. Wetsanding a brand new gel-coat from start to finish is a HUGE undertaking. The gel-coat finish we started with was as rough as concrete pavement. That's the nature of the beast, it's how gel-coat lays out when sprayed onto a hull and then air dried.

I'd also like to thank John Greviskis and his Team from Ship Shape TV, Bert, Mike and Steve. Not only do the run the cameras and do all the behind the scenes work to make a TV show come together but they also wetsand, cut and buff boats!

Mold Finish
Normally when a boat is built the gel-coat is sprayed into a mold and because the mold is sanded and buffed till it's smooth, when you pull the boat out of the mold the finish mimics the mold and thus the outside finish on a boat is smooth and even shiny.

50+ Year Restoration Project
This is John's personal boat, a Glastron built in 1960. John chose to have the boat sprayed with gel-coat because by spraying with gel-coat a much THICKER layer or film-build of polyester resin could be applied. The thickness was measured and averages around 25 mils.

Had the boat been painted, the average film build would have been in the 4-6 mil range.

The thicker, incredibly tough gel-coat resin will hold up better and longer to damage such as bumping into wooden docks or pulling onto shore. With a paint job, the paint would easily chip off, not so with the fresh gel-coat finish. And this is why John chose to respray new gel-coat instead of simply painting.

The challenge then is to sand and buff the sprayed gel-coat till it as a smooth, shiny surface like a boat pulled from a mold and that's where Marine 31 and my team of guys excelled.

You can do it too!
We hand sanded, machine sanded, compounded, polished and machine waxed and I think the results speak for themselves.

You can duplicate this sanding and buffing process yourself for,

Fiberglass repairs

Heavy oxidation removal

Fresh gel-coat

And you can get all the tools and supplies you need plus the personal help from myself and our staff at Marine 31. Call our friendly staff or shop online and we'll ship everything right to your door. It can't get any easier than this....

On Marine31.com

Products used...

Marine 31 Captain’s One-Step Compound & Polish

Marine 31 Gel Coat Wash & Wax with Carnauba

Tools for buffing used...

Compounding: FLEX PE14-2-150 Rotary Polisher

Polishing: Flex XC 3401 VRG Dual Action Orbital Polisher

Waxing: Flex XC 3401 VRG Dual Action Orbital Polisher

Machine Sanding Tools

Porter Cable 7424XP HD Plus

Buffing Pads

7.5 inch Hook & Loop DuroWool 100% Twisted Wool Cutting Pad

http://www.autogeek.net/lc-wool-sheepskin-polishing-pad-7inch.html

6.5 Inch Hybrid Power Finish Blue Pad

CCS Red 6.5 inch Ultrasoft Wax/Sealant Foam

09-02-2014, 06:05 PM	#7
Mike Phillips Status: Director of Training Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 675	Re: Pictures: 1960 Glastron - Wetsand, Cut & Buff at Marine31Online.com *A few comments....* Thank You! First I'd like to thank all the guys that traveled from far and near to be a part of this project. Wetsanding a brand new gel-coat from start to finish is a HUGE undertaking. The gel-coat finish we started with was as rough as concrete pavement. That's the nature of the beast, it's how gel-coat lays out when sprayed onto a hull and then air dried. I'd also like to thank John Greviskis and his Team from Ship Shape TV, Bert, Mike and Steve. Not only do the run the cameras and do all the behind the scenes work to make a TV show come together but they also wetsand, cut and buff boats! Mold Finish Normally when a boat is built the gel-coat is sprayed into a mold and because the mold is sanded and buffed till it's smooth, when you pull the boat out of the mold the finish mimics the mold and thus the outside finish on a boat is smooth and even shiny. 50+ Year Restoration Project This is John's personal boat, a Glastron built in 1960. John chose to have the boat sprayed with gel-coat because by spraying with gel-coat a much THICKER layer or film-build of polyester resin could be applied. The thickness was measured and averages around 25 mils. Had the boat been painted, the average film build would have been in the 4-6 mil range. The thicker, incredibly tough gel-coat resin will hold up better and longer to damage such as bumping into wooden docks or pulling onto shore. With a paint job, the paint would easily chip off, not so with the fresh gel-coat finish. And this is why John chose to respray new gel-coat instead of simply painting. The challenge then is to sand and buff the sprayed gel-coat till it as a smooth, shiny surface like a boat pulled from a mold and that's where Marine 31 and my team of guys excelled. You can do it too! We hand sanded, machine sanded, compounded, polished and machine waxed and I think the results speak for themselves. You can duplicate this sanding and buffing process yourself for, Fiberglass repairs Heavy oxidation removal Fresh gel-coat And you can get all the tools and supplies you need plus the personal help from myself and our staff at Marine 31. Call our friendly staff or shop online and we'll ship everything right to your door. It can't get any easier than this.... On Marine31.com Products used... Marine 31 Captain’s One-Step Compound & Polish Marine 31 Gel Coat Wash & Wax with Carnauba Tools for buffing used... Compounding: FLEX PE14-2-150 Rotary Polisher Polishing: Flex XC 3401 VRG Dual Action Orbital Polisher Waxing: Flex XC 3401 VRG Dual Action Orbital Polisher Machine Sanding Tools Porter Cable 7424XP HD Plus Buffing Pads 7.5 inch Hook & Loop DuroWool 100% Twisted Wool Cutting Pad http://www.autogeek.net/lc-wool-sheepskin-polishing-pad-7inch.html 6.5 Inch Hybrid Power Finish Blue Pad CCS Red 6.5 inch Ultrasoft Wax/Sealant Foam __________________ Made by boat people for boat people...