Restore Gel-coat on deck

[bfrank]

To restore the gel-coat on my boat I used 420 grit 3M sandpaper and wet sanded the surface gently to remove the fine scratches. Then I'm using 3M Rubbing Compound and 3M wax the surface is coming back nicely.

With that said I am unsure on what to do with the deck of the boat...? :hmm I'm thinking that if I use the rubbing compound and wax it could make it slippery when wet. Thoughts?

 

[Fishtales]

You could try the rubbing compound, but before you do maybe try Dupont #7 and cut it with water so it is the consistency of milk. Then work this in and see if it works for you. It is not as aggressive as compound and if it doesn't work, you could use straight compound. A friend said he did this on old gelcoat and it worked great. I don't think you want to finish with wax, it would be very slippery. Maybe try woody wax. I've used this in the past on decking and it works well. It doesn't last all that long though in the hot sun. Let us know how you make out.

 

[bfrank]

bump

Does anyone else have any other solutions...?

 

[seasick]

bump

Does anyone else have any other solutions...?

I second the Woody Wax. It is not slippery in everyday use ( when first applied hang onto your parts!).
It sheds dirt and fish slime well. It does not last as long as wax and needs to be re-applied every now and then. On the bright side, application is easy. Read and follow the directions.

Be careful with the 420 paper. That is a bit coarse in my opinion and it is fairly east to sand through the gel coat.

 

[Grog]

There isn't much else that's easy to do except Woody's Wax. The Gelcoat is worn down and whatever you do will lessen it's ability to stop you from slipping all over the place. To restore the finish you have to put down new gell or paint with non-skid additive.

 

[bfrank]

bumpBe careful with the 420 paper. That is a bit coarse in my opinion and it is fairly east to sand through the gel coat.

Yea the 400 grit (I had to go double check) was a bit too aggressive. :doh I have really light scratches that we were not able to get out with the compound like I thought we would have. :noob Ohh well it still looks way better!

 

[bfrank]

I went to the local boat store and ended up buying Star brite Non-Skid Deck Cleaner. I'm hoping to use that next week so I'll put up some feedback.