Buffing Gel Coat

Iboat Friends –

Last year my boat got scratches, park dockside, from a broken cleat during a storm. It’s a 1994 V-hull and the actual finish still has a lot of shine to it (always kept in garage)! All the scratches don’t cut into the gel-coat; they are more like White Scuff marks on the teal green finish. I did have one gouge in the gel right in the middle of all the white scratches: I’ve already sanded out and filled it in with”Evercoat match & patch gelcoat repair kit.” Sanded the gouge down with 600 to 800 to 1000 to 1500 grit sand paper. Will I have to also sand down the white scuff-mark scratches or will buffing be enough to get them out??? You can’t feel them when you run your hand over the boat, but Boy You Sure Can See Them! I also have a couple of these white scuff-mark looking scratches on my bow from the trailer winches crank arm…

I plan on buffing my boat but not really sure about the process!! I have a Chicago Electric Variable speed Polisher/Sander with a hookit 5/8 arbour that ranges from 300 to 3000 RPMs with a 7” backing pad (purchased from Harbor Freight). I also have a 10” Orbital Bonnet Polisher/Buffer with 3200 RPMs.
I was given some Interlux Light Duty Compound, Interlux Polish Cleaner, and Interlux Teflon Wax... I think I’m going to try and use it -- the boat shines, it just has these scuff-mark scratches. Will this light compound take them out??

How should I apply the Compound and polish? Should I put it on by-hand with an applicator pad and buff off with the electric Chicago buffer. Or should I put the Compound right on to the electric buffer pad and then buff it back off with a clean pad???

Also what pad should I use when? Should I use a Wool pad to compound with this light duty compound?? I see there are all different types of foam pads, wool pads, and applicator pads on the 3M & Harbor freight websites. What is the right pad to use for Compounding??? Polishing??? Waxing???

I have been doing searches on buffing / Compound / Scratched Gel Coat / Boat Finishes/ Polishing/ Gel Coat, ect... it has all been very helpful and want to thank you all.. Thank you Bounder 4465, Reel Poor, Crazy Charlie and Bondo for posting on these topics; they have most helpful to me!

Appreciate any help all! This will by my first buffing experience…

Re: Buffing Gel Coat

3M makes a very heavy duty buffing compound, that is a very good product. If you have experience in buffing car's the rules are completely different with gel coat.

In compounding the old boat that i had, i applied the compound to the hull @ worked on a foot two foor square area @ a time. So much was cut of the top i had to clean the pad every two feet, had this been a car there would have been burn marks everywhere a reapaint would have been in order.

However the results of the compounding were outstanding, After the compounding i just took a wax and polished it in one lap, Dont be timid with gel it's very durable............ In fact i am begining to think just sanding it much like doing a final finish on a clear varnish it actually might be less work and better results

1. Use the eletric buffer designed for buffing or cutting down the gel (you can even polish nick's out if your careful)
2. After you have cut your gel just take a polish wheel and polish it up, some people apply the polsih then buff, some lay the polish (wax) and polish right in and up.

Re: Buffing Gel Coat

I used a combination of buffing bars (red and white)* and McGuires to give my (old) boat a mirror finish. Here is "my" process.

Same variable speed buffer/polisher...wool pad set speed between 2 and 3.

Turn polisher on...pad facing up...apply red bar to pad...(hold bar at 45* angle to pad)
Polish small area. Don't linger too long on any one spot..you will heat up the gelcoat and damage it.
Clean pad with spur often. On my boat..I had to do as Tail-gunner said...every 2-3 feet...clean pad..re-apply bar.
Repeat above with white bar (finer cutting).
By now the scratches should be gone...if not..repeat all.
I then used McGuire's Marine polish to "condition" the gelcoat. I applied with a clean cloth...and buffed with a different cloth.

I finished the whole process with 3M Marine wax...apply with sponge pad/applicator by hand...let dry...then buff off with orbital buffer.

*I bought my bars online but I just recently saw them at a Travel America Truck stop.

**You may not need the RED bar for fine scratches. Try just using the white bar first...if it isn't cutting enough..then go back and use red..then white again.

-JMW