Recommend a good marine polish kit?

Shabah180

Petty Officer 2nd Class
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Apr 16, 2016
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167
Hey fellas, to save a lot of reading on the internet, can you recommend a good hull polish/ wax and what pads to use for hull's and gelcoat? Everybody says their product is the best, just like to know what your using that works well. Marine 31 seems to have a nice kit!
Thanks.
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
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Jul 23, 2011
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I have a tub of various buffing and cutting compounds I use for the boat and cars. I use a mix of 3M products and Mequires polishes. For wax, in the past I had even used turtle wax (becasue I got a case of it for $5)

the best stuff to use depends on the surface you are working on, your skill level, and what equipment you have.
 

Patfromny

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Dec 2, 2012
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I use Fleet Wax, aeronautical and marine wax. I have used it for years on my cars actually because it lasts a long long time. I get a year plus before the stuff even starts to wear. I was told about it years ago by a customer who owned a body shop. It can be hard to find but I imagine it is on the net. I get it at my local marina. Warning. It is a bit of work to apply. They say to take it off while still wet and this leads to more than normal polishing but IMHO worth it. Great stuff. You can throw a polish product over it if desired but I'm good with it after the fleet. My brother is an absolute nut with his vehicles and uses Maguires polishes and pre-wax stuff along with the fleet. Going by his finished product I would recommend the same if you are looking for a kit. Just substitute the fleet wax over the Maguires when at that step. Just my opinion. I haven't used much else. Found the fleet and it stays for so long I never looked elswhere.
 
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David Young

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Jul 12, 2015
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485
I bought some cheap boat cleaner wax at Walmart from their boat section. I swear, it goes on 'and' off easy and works very good. I couldn't believe it :)
 

Shabah180

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Apr 16, 2016
Messages
167
thanks guys, seen lots of compound polish wax kits, apparently in order for the wax to bond properly it needs to get a bit hot, resulting in a longer lasting finish. I ordered the flex kit from marine 31.. I searched on here for a kit ( with rotary buffer/pads/product) but couldn't find one. ive heard good things about maguires marine wax, 3m as well but not the scotch guard because apparently its a silicone based product. I will keep my eye out for the fleet wax as well

im going to practice on an old boat we have at the lake, try my hand at wet sanding and hull scratch removal.... should be fun!!! thanks again!
 

Shabah180

Petty Officer 2nd Class
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Apr 16, 2016
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167
So people are tossed between silicone based hull wax and the other one that begins with "can" can someone tell me the difference?
 

Patfromny

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Dec 2, 2012
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Silicone is a big no no when in a body shop. Silicone causes fish eyes in paint. It is always off gassing and is forever airborne so I always try to stay away from silicone in any product as do body shops. You never know when you will have a fender bender and bring your car to the shop. That armour all just might wreck every paint job in the shop. I'm not sure, but I think it also actually eventually dries out rubber so it will dry rot your tires prematurely and Crack dashes as well. Once again, I am going from a very vague memory on that one but pretty sure of the statement. I used to work for a company that sold automotive chemicals, fastners, etc. So I was in body shops every day. They mostly used 3m products and I think you're safe with anything they make on the pro level. For me the fleet wax was my choice because I could go almost two years without having to wax again. Lazy would be the one word answer. Lol
 

Shabah180

Petty Officer 2nd Class
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Apr 16, 2016
Messages
167
Silicone is a big no no when in a body shop. Silicone causes fish eyes in paint. It is always off gassing and is forever airborne so I always try to stay away from silicone in any product as do body shops. You never know when you will have a fender bender and bring your car to the shop. That armour all just might wreck every paint job in the shop. I'm not sure, but I think it also actually eventually dries out rubber so it will dry rot your tires prematurely and Crack dashes as well. Once again, I am going from a very vague memory on that one but pretty sure of the statement. I used to work for a company that sold automotive chemicals, fastners, etc. So I was in body shops every day. They mostly used 3m products and I think you're safe with anything they make on the pro level. For me the fleet wax was my choice because I could go almost two years without having to wax again. Lazy would be the one word answer. Lol

Is it carnauba wax? 3m marine cleaner and wax 09009 says it uses ablend of carnauba wax. On the back warning label for first aid, one of the chemicals is siloxane. If im not mistaken, thats a silicone based chemical?
Thanks for the info, its a lot of work compounding a boats hull, you want to get the most out of your work and more time on the water!
 

Patfromny

Lieutenant Junior Grade
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Dec 2, 2012
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Here is something that might turn my theory on it's head. I thought I grew up in the 70s though. Lol.

The Role Silicone Plays in Car Care Products
Published by Mike Phillips

One of the most frequent comments I hear when I go to car club meetings and events is that silicone is bad for your car. It?s a common myth, from years gone by, that the mere presence of silicone near a car will cause the paint to shrivel up and fall off or prevent it from ever being repainted. These myths are false, but the latter is based on factual problems painters once experienced. The fact is that all modern automotive paints contain silicone as an ingredient to help the paint to spray and flow smoothly.

Most of the concerns people have about silicones and products that contain silicones stem from the days when lacquers were used as the primary car finish. Back then, if the surface wasn't properly prepared, residual silicones on the bodywork or in the shop environment would cause paint defects. The most common silicone induced problem is a small defect referred to as ?fish eyes?.

Fish eyes are small craters that form in the paint finish. Fish eye defects form where the paint piles up in a circle surrounding a point on the surface that contains a contaminant. The reason freshly sprayed paint does this is because contaminants like wax and silicone tend to create high surface tension and do not allow the paint to properly flow and self-level. Instead of laying down flat, paint moves away from these ingredients, forming a ring around them that has the visual appearance of what is historically described as a fish eye. In severe cases, where the painter does not properly prepare the bodywork for painting, contamination from wax, oils and silicones can cause paint adhesion problems.

Knowledge of paint and other automotive finishes have evolved and grown substantially since the 1950's. The problems painters encountered 50 years ago are more easily addressed with today's modern paint formulas and prepping chemicals. Likewise, the modern paint facility has evolved into a high-tech environment (primarily due to environmental regulations), and paint additives help overcome common flaws. More importantly, modern paint technicians are educated in their craft. Until the 1970?s, there were very few formal training programs available for young men and women entering the automotive repair industry. Today there are certified schools that specialize in formal education for the automotive industry. This includes paint manufacturers, who provide in-depth training for anyone who uses their paint systems.

All professional body shops understand that the cars they repair have been maintained using products that contain waxes, oils and silicone. For this reason, all professional repair facilities perform the necessary preparation work required to insure that the paintwork is free of contaminates before they begin their work. In so doing, the dreaded "fish eyes" will not be a problem. The preparation work includes using special degreasers and silicone removers that effectively remove these substances from the surface or chemically alter their molecular structure in such a way to insure they pose no problems. If there is ever any question or doubt about the surface to which new paint is going to be applied, painters will use a paint additive to eliminate fish eyes. Interestingly enough, the paint additive that eliminates fish eyes is typically a special silicone additive.

SILICONES USED IN CAR CARE PRODUCTS
There are many kinds of silicones available for use in car care products. They vary in form and functionality. Car care chemists select the best performing silicones to create a desired finish for each kind of car surface.

Silicones are primarily used to modify or enhance a specific characteristic of another ingredient in a polish, wax or protectant formula. Silicones are not used for any characteristic they offer in and of themselves. There are some functions in a car care formula that only silicone can produce or no other ingredient can perform better.

One of the most commonly used features of silicone is its ability to lubricate (improve slip). The use of some types of silicone in a formula acts to make the product easier to apply and buff off. In this way, silicone lubrication helps reduce surface marring (scratches and swirl marks) induced from wiping with bad toweling or applicators. That's a benefit to you.

Chemists also use silicones to create water-in-oil emulsions, reduce emulsion particle size, to stabilize emulsions, and to improve spreading and coverage of wax products. Most modern silicone formulas are water soluble (no oil or petroleum), and are completely inert. The best way to describe most forms of silicone is to think of it as a man-made wax ester. Silicone is created by the reaction generated when you combine fatty acids with polydimethylsiloxane (or other derivatives of the compound).

The fear and confusion surrounding this single ingredient, silicone, is an ongoing problem. Some small car care chemical manufactures create fear, uncertainty and doubt in people?s minds by claiming their products contain ?no harmful silicones,? suggesting that silicone is harmful to the paint. This product hype and misinformation spread from person to person, generation to generation, and now-a-days on the internet, exaggerates the myth that silicones in car care products are harmful. The fact is that the largest and most respected names in the paint and body shop industry, which include 3M and Meguiar?s, use silicones in their car care products to make them better.

The facts are indisputable. Silicone is part of the protective system in paint and helps the paint look better and last longer. Silicone cannot harm paint, let alone anything else it is formulated into, or sitting on top of, especially in the form of a coating of wax. Without properly blended silicones, waxes would be difficult to apply and would not have the high gloss and radiance we enjoy
 

mxcobra

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jun 27, 2011
Messages
526
Seriously try Simple Green, a scotch brite pad, and blue paper towel, elbow grease, and watch the gell coat clean up amazingly before youre eyes...
 

Shabah180

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Apr 16, 2016
Messages
167
Seriously try Simple Green, a scotch brite pad, and blue paper towel, elbow grease, and watch the gell coat clean up amazingly before youre eyes...

Really? Interesting! Ill try it and let you know how i made out. Thanks
 
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