What pads are you using to polish your boats?

[haugy]

I've got some specialized pads for my cars and bike, but I need some pads that will do the job and I won't feel bad about trashing.

My Saltare needs a bottom polish like you wouldn't believe. So I need some pads that can cut pretty good, and then some more to smooth out the swirls once all the oxidation is removed. Then a polishing pad.

I now have a Porter Cable polisher which will save me hours of doing it by hand like I used to. But I'm really trying to get it to that high gloss shine that a few of you guys with old girls have. There are a couple of boats in here that shine like new, even better, and I want to get my boat to that level.

I'll be using 3M Marine on everything till I get to the high gloss stuff. But for cutting and polishing, 3M's products seem to hold up well.

But I need some pads. What are you guys using, and where did you get them from?

[sybrmike]

I used Presta coumpounds (it's what I had) instead of 3M, but hear good things about the 3M stuff too. After final wetsanding with 1000, a 3M wool pad for the gel coat compound followed by cutting cream (rinse thouroughly between compounds), then a foam pad for the polish, followed by hand application of Collinite wax. My pads are hook & loop backed on a disc (all from local auto parts store) mounted on cheap Harbor Freight polisher. My shoulders gave out at the waterline, so I too still need to crawl underneath and finish the bottom.

[Jetlink]

Haugy, you lifting the boat off the trailer at the shop to get the underside? Reason I ask is that the underside of my hull is ridiculously oxidized and I can't get to it.

[haugy]

Mike, did you have any problems with the wool pads getting caked thick? I prefer foam pads, but I know the wool will cut better.

Ben, nope, I just wiggle my skinny ass under the boat and go to town. Unfortunately that does leave 4 sections undone (bunks). But since they are directly under the boat, and when out of the water, on the bunks I can live with that.

Having it close to the ground, and in a solid position allows me to really press and get the job done.

[Jetlink]

How long do you think that will take you? I have access to two front end loaders that could lift the boat for a little bit while I work under the bunks part but not sure if that is such a good idea.

[sybrmike]

No problems with caking the wool - the Presta stuff went on wet and then dried to a powder as it was worked over an area, then just reapplied more liquid to the pad & moved onto the next area.

I got as far as wetsanding one side of the bottom before my arms gave out for the last time. Used a floor jack & piece of 3/4 plywood between the bunks on port side to rock the hull over to starboard so I could get under the port bunks. Nothing creaked, cracked, or groaned so eventually I'll jack it again to finish wetsanding, compound, etc. However if you try this, unlike me, remember to undo the transom straps before you start lifting or you'll wonder why the hull isn't lifting very far off the trailer after a few pumps

[haugy]

Ben, if you do got that route, make sure you get some boat stands for a weekend. You could probably throw a guy at the local marina $40 to borrow them for the weekend. DO NOT GET UNDER AN UNSUPPORTED BOAT!!!! Especially a boat being held up by hydraulic lifts with no locking mechanism. I've seen buckets lose pressure over time. Don't risk it. Have something under that sucker to protect you. Even if you have to back the trailer in side ways just to act as a failsafe, do it.

Doing the underside will take a full weekend. But I get going and won't stop till done. If the bottom is real bad, you may have to wetsand. I'm hoping that with the super aggressive stuff from 3M (equivalent to 1000 grit) I can just knock it out with the power buffer and be done.

Mike, yeah that certainly helps. I've never been keen on jacking boats up in one location. After seeing a hole punch through a boat, I'm pretty gunshy. Guy was using a 2x6 to spread the load, but it still popped right through his Comp. Oooooof. So if the underside of my hull, which no one sees, isn't perfect, I'm okay with that.

[Salty87]

i've never had much luck with foam. always use wool. find them at lowe's sometimes.

keep a big screwdriver handy to clean the pad frequently.

[Okie Boarder]

Wool pads for the compound and foam pads for the polishes. The screwdriver method Salty mentions seems to work good if the pads get caked. The pads I have are all 3M hook and loop style.