Commercial Water Slide Buffing and Waxing DIY

In this video, I demonstrate the procedures we use to polish and wax out fiberglass slides. These are commercial slides that are exposed to direct sunlight. The UV damage occurs on a regular basis. We are always waxing our slides to keep up.
Items I used:
3M Buff Pad Adaptors, 05710, 5/8 in
3M Super Duty Rubbing Compound (05955)
DEWALT Buffer/Polisher, Variable Speed, Soft Start, 7-Inch/9-Inch (DWP849X)
3M Perfect-It Gelcoat Light Cutting Polish + Wax (36110) - For Boats and RVs - 1 Quart
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[@acecodemaster1337]

This was on my recommended after watching videos of people exploring abandoned water parks. After seeing slides that haven't been maintained in 15 years, it makes me appreciate this guys work even more.

[@thepoolguy]

Thanks, I do enjoy watching those videos also.

[@my_tea_too_cold1632]

Really? This got recommended after watching a bunch of supra fails

[@firemedic2572]

I have no idea how I got suggested to your page but you have good content. Really learned a lot on your wave pool video.

[@thepoolguy]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@ЖумабоевЛочинбек]

£#*@@**@#)#)?@!)@?@##,&€£69

[@ЖумабоевЛочинбек]

U87j,,ìuzzxaizs0¥#@9@×#¥*'dp

[@anthonykelley6999]

Same, I never put the thought of how much attention a Wave Pool requires as well as the other attractions.

[@PlancoandChill]

Whoever is doing your SEO and tagging etc tell them this is done right. Your videos just all started zooming in to my recommended.

[@thepoolguy]

LOL, thanks, its just me.

[@justinoppneheimer1020]

Thank u for this video. Im a car detailer that's been hired to start on slides for resorts and parks. This was great to get me started and on my way!

[@thepoolguy]

Awesome! Let me know if I could be of any further help. Maybe I can make a video out of it

[@Engineer9736]

KZbin suggestions cannot get more random 😂 Spending my sunday evening on a pool slide wax howto. For if i ever have to wax a pool slide in my life 😂

[@thepoolguy]

Perhaps you own a boat.... same process.

[@FannyLerouxTime]

I really am loving these videos! They're so interesting! I used to work in a theme park and laughed that the maintenance team never had a day off... It's true! Some of the biggest jobs are done when the public isn't around!

[@thepoolguy]

Day off? Whats that?

[@dm7097]

And to think, I hate waxing my cars! This guy is doing a thousand times the amount of work here.

[@lotuseater92]

The only difference he's doesn't have to worry about swirling

[@dm7097]

@Ben C nope I’ve got a truck, two SUV’s, and an ‘80’s Cadillac. You ain’t doing a decent wax job on any of them in “5 minutes” At least I’m not, cause if you don’t do it right, why bother?

[@StaYUTI420]

Why do I enjoy this guys water park videos so much? I've never even been to a water park.

[@pete_43299]

“We need a delivery driver” “Well...I know how to buff a water slide” “you’re in”

[@chris420x]

wow, thats an amazing amount of work.... just imagine the hundreds of feet that would have to be done this way

[@williamboyle8918]

Agreed! Has to be a better way.

[@ni_wink84]

That’s awesome, that’s literally how I cut and buff a fresh paint job on a car! I bet you could cut and buff a car very well, the technique you use is ideal! Awesome video

[@sannyp120963]

Perfect recommendation. Been watching car polish/wax videos and abandoned water park vids

[@pixiew93]

It was so satisfying seeing the glow up on that slide lol that shine is amazing

[@mikefisk1301]

I work in Casino Gaming IT but I love learning about other peoples jobs especially after being a competitive swimmer for 10 years. Makes me respect what you all do even more. Just wish I could do a walkthrough of all the systems one day. So interesting to me

[@thepoolguy]

More walkthroughs coming! Stick around

[@gaunerchen1729]

Very interesting video! Most of our trains in germany are painted in traffic red (RAL 3020) as well and the color is fading away really quick.

[@thepoolguy]

Nice pickup on this. This one is 3020 traffic red as well.

[@mikeschulte4271]

I like the vids so far very informative! I’m really interested in pool drains and the covers if u could do a vid about the lazy river pumps and circulation that would mean a lot to me. Thanks take care 😀

[@thepoolguy]

This would be a good video, I will be doing PM on the river very soon.

[@deephorizon1365]

@@thepoolguy awesome!!!

[@Tinman710]

I did this once for a public service job, not as easy as it looks!

[@thepoolguy]

For sure it is not. I tell you team members that this is not a difficult job, but you will use muscles that you typically don't use on a daily basis, and you will feel it for the first week of buffing.

[@-HANDY-ANDY-]

Interesting that this is in my recommendations

[@MrPantss]

Omg that would take forever polishing to that level and area at one time!

[@thepoolguy]

But it looks amazing when its done.

[@MrPantss]

@@thepoolguy yes I bet! 👍👍

[@ChadAmI80]

Oh the KZbin algorithm strikes again. Hey you! Me? Yeah you! The guy who was watching how to lay tile in your basement. How about you watch this video just in case you want to go out back and wax your waterpark slide, LOL. Great tips for someone I'm sure, but I think KZbin is smoking something today.

[@thepoolguy]

Lol, i know that feeling. KZbin acting weird lately.

[@louismickels526]

I couldn't imagine spending that much time sitting in those slides! You will always have a backup career in car detailing! I do have an idea to make it a little less miserable for you. Maybe take the foam out of a couch cushion to sit on. It will provide a softer surface to kneel on, and they also keep you from sliding!

[@Natsumidragneelkim]

Buffing and wax helps reduce friction for the rider and equipment, plus it speed up water flow.

[@ksrams21]

3M now owns Maguires products!

[@StretchGamesHD]

Got recommended to your channel after watching a video on a abandoned water park. Been watching for like 4 days now Can't stop watching. Are you the pool guy for this company or is it your company? I've subbed with notis on.

[@PaLoHQ]

How much do charge per foot? Or slide? I have a opportunity to work on one, just don’t know what to charge

[@omarramirez2335]

Paint mixing sticks at Lowe’s and Home Depot work great for cleaning the pads plus last longer

[@thepoolguy]

I can stick of few popsicle sticks in my pocket and bend over without being uncomfortable in an enclosed slide.

[@Michael-pp8lz]

this is pretty cool

[@justgonnagetbetter1037]

Now I just have to figure out if this will work on the hotel slide that I've started caring for. It's never had any maintenance and they are having trouble with people using baby oil to make it slipperier

[@nickjeffrey8050]

I work for a fibreglass water tank company in the UK. I would advise looking into mould cleaner. Alot easier and faster.

[@GKMac]

How long on average does it take to clean something? Like a body or a tube slide for example.

[@maincoasters]

this is so interesting, what do you call your job! i want to do this

[@WetlandsWaterpark]

The 3M Super Duty Rubbing Compound (05955) vs 3M Perfect-It Gelcoat Heavy Cutting Compound, 36103 is it the same thing? Or do you use the 05955 cause its cheaper or better?

[@thepoolguy]

@@WetlandsWaterpark 5955 is superior in my mind. I only tried it on one test patch of slide. Decided it was not worth the cost. Take a look at Matco heavy duty. We use that when we can't get the 3m products.

[@robertpenczar8930]

right on

[@mitchell5220]

Is it intentional to have the stuff that flys off the pad when you clean it with the stick, land on the yet to be worked on surfaces? Or maybe its so little it just doesn't matter.

[@thepoolguy]

When at this point in the process, which we call the "cut" debris is not a huge issue. When we go back for waxing, all surfaces are cleaned well and debris is removed as much as possible.

[@jeroen126126]

Hello there i have some question? i don't understand that you are not using a foam pad after the sheep pad the scratches of the sheep pad are deep and and the oxide shrinks not enough to me with only wiht the sheep pad, I use a polishing machine of the brand Fein WPO 14-25 E, this is very a strong and runs at max 1500 rpm and has lasted for 10 years' 3m is good stuff and I know from many tests that the results remain good on boots. Even with cheap gelcoat "I really like to see you video I hope you can show more videos from slide polishing 👍😁

[@aflea8272]

@ThePoolGuy have yall done sealants vs wax's? from the car world the sealants has a better durability then waxes. also wonder if ceramic coating would be worth the extra money for the high traffic areas of the slide.

[@dumbcow1]

That mirror finish. phwew.

[@mike0566]

Can't you flame polish that, CLR for the deposit of minerals, then flame polish.

[@Guillotines_For_Globalists]

I can't imagine the man hours needed to wax every single one of your slides from top to bottom. Jesus! Do you wax the exterior too or only the inside?

[@thepoolguy]

Typically just the rider path. But occasionally, like this year, we are polishing majority of the slide bodies.

[@marqueso320]

So I'm currently trying to develop a waterpark and I want the slides to look clean and smooth everyday! How could I wax or polish slides quick and easy almost everyday! Do they have comersial size machines? or ext.

[@DeeloGoodquest]

Do I have to change my pad when I move to a different color?

[@thepoolguy]

No, it won't bleed over or anything like that

[@LogiForce86]

Darn, that's one hell of a pain in the butt job. They should make a polishing machine for that which you can simply guide along the slide and it does the entire curvature in one go. Maybe only having to polish the edges by hand.

[@sagardeswal6465]

Hi, I live in India and operate a couple water parks here. We have never done this procedure in years (especially after the pandemic) and we have thick calcium buildup, thicker than a sheet of paper. Your video was very informative and I'll do the procedure as soon as possible now. It would be really helpful if you could tell us if we should sand it down first, if if yes, what grit should I use. Also how often should this process be repeated? We have a 4 month season here annually. And how often should I just wax (without the heavy cutting)?

[@thepoolguy]

Sagar. I would suggest that you try cutting with auper duty compound first. If it doesn't cut well, you might try 400 grit. You have got to take the process slow. As, you only want to remove calcium and not dig into the gel. Once you get the slides polished, try and maintain by waxing twice a year.

[@yukonrott]

So do you buff the whole slide top to bottom? Or are there just bad spots here and there? I'm curious if you do the whole thing how do you do the very steep ones?? This is ridiculously interesting to me..

[@joshp3994]

Well since youtube is like "watch this video because it doesn't apply to your life but it's entertaining" can I ask a question: Is this buffing maintenance merely cosmetic? What other effects to equipment/customer experience does the uv damage to the gelcoat have?

[@theodorecarbajal2975]

Nice I wish you could do this to my rv face, it's faded badly

[@tinytownstudios1530]

How many feet per day can you guys do in a day?

[@Studio23Media]

Do you have to do every slide each off season?? Not that I've ever put much thought into it, but I never would've imagined how much physical labor goes into maintaining these slides! That's certainly not easy work.

[@thepoolguy]

Yes. Every individual flume is thoroughly inspected. Most likely my next video

[@peterg.8245]

Now I know why people build robots to do this stuff

[@blakebeyett6471]

Ok it’s been over a year now and was wondering if you’re still buffing and waxing those slides

[@wenthecowscomehome]

If I ever for who knows what reason come into ownership of a water slide, I’ll be prepared lol

[@thepoolguy]

Lets hope you get one for your mansion....

[@twiggy2cents2]

I know this is an old video but have you ever tried pretreating heavy calcified areas with muriatic acid? I used it on my boat bottom and it dissolved all the embedded minerals. It’s less you would have to burn through then.

[@thepoolguy]

Hey, yes, we have used muriatic in the past, but with the porous nature of gel coat, its helps minimally. This process seems to be much faster for us.

[@jacobrocc5331]

So you just buff until the compounds gone no wiping off?

[@thepoolguy]

Pretty much. Just got to be careful not to get the pad and surface to hot.

[@sage8648]

Do you care about smudges throughout the slide?

[@PhillyFail]

Entertaining

[@thepoolguy]

I try to be.

[@Firealarm102]

How much did you charge for the job? Just curious since waterslides are huge and you took a while in one spot

[@nenawise4994]

I’m wanting to build a few 10’ play sides for children at my event center, what is this material the slide is built from

[@thepoolguy]

Fiberglass and Gelcoat

[@5000go2]

God you must be glad they make those battery now

[@thepoolguy]

For as long as we do this, corded is the best way. Otherwise we would be changing batteries every 40 minutes.

[@mondo9.2.5]

ceramic coat the slides

[@thomaskirby6706]

How long does it take to do the entire slide?

[@bigchungus7720]

I wonder how long it took to finish?🥴

[@Justthemow]

ThePoolGuy I have a question I built a slide for my kids out of concrete going into my pool but what ever I coat it with never last longer then a few months to a year could you suggest to me a solution like a permanent slide material that I could just cut and buff like you did hear with this slide

[@SMD-si7fm]

Use epoxy paint. It will last 3-5 years There really is nothing that will home up long term to chlorine. I clean pools for a living, and that's the only thing I've seen that even lasts remotely long enough for it to be worth it.

[@detailpeoria]

How much do you get paid for a whole slide?

[@Mitsuolevel]

You said your manager are you thr owner or a employee

[@brad9529]

Can we see after you have done the whole slide?

[@thepoolguy]

Absolutely, were working on that one now.

[@brad9529]

@@thepoolguy awesome :-)

[@ShoxMG]

Don't you leave marks with your shoes?

[@thepoolguy]

No, not really

[@BILBO_SHGGINGS_1]

Hi I’ve painted my child’s slide with spray paint and now it’s not very slidey do you have any recommendations??

[@outlawdiesel5221]

It depends what type of paint you used. If you used a latex based paint, it’s not possible. Cover it 4-6 coats of a automotive enamel paint. Acrylic enamel works good to get a nice shine and slippery surface. After you get a nice coat of paint and it’s dry, buff and polish to make it shiney and slippery.

[@cooperwilkes7219]

I would love to work at a park like this are y’all hiring lol how could one get into this

[@thepoolguy]

Hey there, yes, we are hiring but for seasonal only at this point. Let me know if your interested.

[@cooperwilkes7219]

@@thepoolguy yeah man how much an hour and where at

[@thepoolguy]

Let's talk via email poolguy84 @ Gmail

[@MrGuvEuroman]

I bet you’ll fly out the end of the slide now! 😀

[@davidwilson7217]

Could I do this k on n a boat ?

[@thepoolguy]

I think you could, might try a small inconspicuous part and see how it does.

[@davidwilson7217]

@@thepoolguy thank you!

[@gmanwhite76]

Do you do the grouting on the slide as well? If so what grout do you recommend?

[@thepoolguy]

Are you referring to the caulking between the slide joints?

[@gmanwhite76]

ThePoolGuy my bad, yes the caulking between those joints

[@thepoolguy]

@@gmanwhite76 yes, we like to use 3m fastcure 4200. Sets up in a couple hours, and has medium flexibility, so it's easy to remove when needed, but doesnt crack during expansion on hot days.

[@gmanwhite76]

ThePoolGuy thank you so much!

[@gen2mediainc.577]

DeWalt? (**I just ifnished watching The Expanse it wont get out of my head)

[@geraldcollier5849]

I have a question what water park do yall have?

[@thepoolguy]

Typhoon Texas

[@vinc2394]

Go try ceramic coat

[@thepoolguy]

Not usable on a water slide. Or at least not approved yet.

[@andrewsober529]

Yes of course everyone has a water slide to wax and buff :)

[@lunasaii8]

cool video. but, was that joe rogan narrating? lol

[@thepoolguy]

Lol, I don't hear Joe Rogan at all. It's crazy.

[@tiredofsacred]

Are you in dfw? I have some residential slides that maybe I could sub out to you for this process. If you’re at all interested please reply back

[@thepoolguy]

Sorry, I'm in Houston. Check out safeslides. They are usually in that area alot.

[@tiredofsacred]

@@thepoolguy Thanks!

[@toxicbandit]

Face reveal?

[@geebee7529]

All this for just ONE small section of a long large slide. What a pain in the ass. Someone needs to invent a machine that crawls up and down the slide and does this. You know, like one of those automated bowling alley waxers.

[@thepoolguy]

Yup Yup, lots of work, but so worth it.

[@fugelkusch3722]

1:44 American Pie.

[@thepoolguy]

Oof.... why would you do that too me?

[@fugelkusch3722]

@@thepoolguy SCNR

[@romandewys2076]

That shit would take forever, I thought it was bad enough on cars. Sheesh

[@jazzyboydc]

These guys must have a lot of pain after being in uncomfortable positions all day long

[@thepoolguy]

nah, knee pads are super helpful. once you are comfortable with the wheel, you can adjust how you work it with out bending over so much.

[@dirtylaundry00.]

4:19

[@danielbronsema9253]

Dont wrap your cable so tight where it goes in the machine it will destroy your cable and it will not work anymore

[@jefflundquist1386]

You Kinda sound like Joe Rogan haha

[@kens6164]

I have been polishing high end cars for over 20 years daily. The makita is way better and has no load speed.

[@thepoolguy]

We started with Makita. I myself am a Makita guy, but since I needed numerous units, I went with a cheaper version. Hell, the Harbour Freight equivalent is actually pretty good. However the brushes seem to wear down quickly. But they provide extras in the box.

[@kens6164]

@@thepoolguy I'm not sure where u live but I live in Canada and know a place that is cheaper then everyone else for the makita. I have bought a few of them as have my friends over the last 20 years from the same place. It works out to around 250 Canadian and I'm sure shipping wouldn't be to much

[@thepoolguy]

@@kens6164 that's good price. I can get the Dewalt for like $170 American. And those Harbor Freights were only $100. Unfortunately we use then so long and hard that burn them up, so cheaper is better. We burned up Makitas year 1, after about 100 hours of work, so I had to come up with a cheaper option. So far I have 3 of the Dewalt that are running still, rough of course, but they have lasted for a couple of years.

[@Reubachi]

Looks like it takes dozens of hours to do 1 slide....

[@OneAdam12Adam]

DeWalt cheap poorly made Chinesium. You should have picked the Makita.

[@thepoolguy]

OKay, so I typically use Makita tools, however, we have had much better luck with value over cost when it comes to the DeWalt buffers over the Makita's. Believe me, we have used a few.

[@n0vares]

Lol you sound like Joe Rogan

[@thepoolguy]

Been told that many many times. And I still don't hear it... lol