Gelcoat Buffing And Care

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In this video I cover the materials and techniques I use for restoring and maintaining the gelcoat finish on a boat. For more detailed information please visit my website for a full writeup!

[@TheCommo81]

I've faithfully adopted BoatworksToday. I've searched videos on boat repairs and I love this channel. He doesn't brag about certifications he has and explains everything in fine detail. I'm restoring a 1987 Four Winns Freedom 160, previous owner let it sit uncovered for 2 years, we cleaned it up 5 years ago and 2 weeks ago I found the floor "sagging" so I removed it and found rotted stringers, etc. Currently replacing them. With the cost of some of this stuff I wanted professional advice. I've never fiberglassed before so I watch a video then tried it then came back to the channel to see what I did wrong! Been working on the boat 3 days and am getting good at the repairs and fiberglass work thanks to these videos. I subscribed to make it easier to watch. Thank you for the great videos.

[@jfgreen1959]

Andy is the best instructor on boat maintenance and repair.

[@johnfleming5678]

Everytime I have a question in my head regarding boat refinishing he is always the most well informed knowledgeable guy.every detail is covered.

[@stevebarrios5904]

Just found your channel about a week ago and subscribed right away. It doesn't take a genius to recognize a master at work and you sir are a master. I'm about to embark on my first boat makeover. Thanks for the videos, they're very informative.

[@ClihtYeastwood]

Whoever thumbs downs any boat works video needs an MRI. These videos are so beneficial if you want to do some of your own boat work/maintenance. Thorough information but not detailed to the point that it potentially discourages/disinterests. Great job as always Andy.

[@MusicWorld-zy6dl]

Thanks so much, you are a great instructor and presenter. I feel more confident about DIY now. I like many others take our hats off to you!

[@chrissnyder9091]

I've been watching for a few years and Boatworks today is my final word!

[@robkennis5993]

Thank you for the video and information.I just used the Aqua Buff 1000 and 2000 on my heavily oxidized boat. Results were better than expected, very pleased!

[@olmok]

Thanks for all the hard work you put into your videos - always informative and entertaining. Keep up the great work, I hope to be able to be one of your patreons one day!

[@jackneff179]

Olle Görling what about replacing the gelcoat?

[@jackneff179]

what about replacing the gelcoat?

[@tobuslieven]

It's really amazing how well that buffer worked on the faded blue sections. It goes from looking crummy to looking brand new. I bet the owners were happy.

[@timconrad63]

great advice i have been working with fiberglass for 25 years ( a Ticked tradesman)you have given The BEST explanation i have seen Well done I hope people that venture into Heavy buffing compound realize that water or even liquid detail wax is Very important ,other wise you Will Burn the fiberglass it's great to see someone that really knows fiberglass giving Good Advice.

[@edjcambridge]

Easily the best video on this topic! ...and I have looked at several... finally the info I needed to work on my boat! Thank you!

[@rx7dude2006]

Dark colors heat up more in the sun and thus fade quicker so usually needs a more aggressive compound.Ive been detailing yachts for almost 17 years now.Great video by the way!

[@markpirone2429]

Appreciate your down to earth solutions. Seems like everyone on the internet goes through an elaborate process where you just offer solutions that get it done.

[@IOMFishing]

You've given me the confidence to have a crack at this on our faded red warrior 150. Thanks.

[@raysaw]

What a great Video! Keep them coming. This sure helps with my old fiberglass boats.

[@nocoolname32]

after watching video after video after video on buffing, this was far and away the most informative!!

[@hkka72]

Great guy! Thanks a lot. These videos are big help to us. Regards from Finland!

[@dmcd7333]

Best video explaining how to bring the gelcoat back to life!

[@michaeltees6670]

The best boat repair videos on the web. Thanks

[@vicariousvalley6407]

Thanks for the great info! Really looking forward to doing this to my boat soon.

[@PapaSmurf918Detail]

Thank you.. this was very helpful as I'm looking to polish my friends boat. First time on a boat I normally do automotive paint correction. Thinking I can handle it! Appreciate you my friend!

[@Parkerized1]

High-speed sanders, grinders and polishers can put out an eye faster than running with sharp sticks. Safety glasses are a must. Great vid.

[@royawatchmenonthewall3091]

Thank you as someone just getting into boats I thank you for your good tottering God bless, thank you

[@robby5329]

i really love the help you give me on anything boats....thank you

[@hungle55901]

Thank you. I love your great instructions. You are a good instructor.

[@JohnSmith-cd7cr]

Been following your shop for the last 5 years your awesome my dude

[@amosholloway]

Very very nice job on the video! Thank you sir for taking the time to help everyone.

[@joemamo1]

Thanks a lot. Your recommendations work well and very practical

[@gregellis5435]

Very Helpful - Best I have seen - This will help me clean up the RV - Thanks so much

[@franciscosprott2433]

Great video...I'm starting a boat cleaning and detailing business. Very useful information.

[@darf8475]

I’ve watched loads of these videos and this is just about the best I’ve seen. Thank you 👍

[@miketomas8564]

I will agree with this statement! I purchased my first coach almost two years ago, and I'm trying to keep my head above water with all these How-to videos. But NONE of them explained what Gel Coat is or how it differs from other automobile paint. Thank you for taking the time to explain these usually overlooked tips in your video. I would not have found it if it wasn't suggested by KZbin.

[@chrismccartney8668]

Great clear video which explain grit buffer and speeds to use..... Many others are not clear this one is....

[@MrFlyingFSX]

Great video, I have this issue to solve in my boat, and you helped me a lot! thank you!!

[@SailingMoneypenny]

Excellent Chanel. Very informative and well explained. Very thorough. Thank you, this was a very good and detailed video.

[@MidniteClubII]

Nicely explained and broken down. Im a newbie Boat Owner of a nice Old SKIPJACK that needs some TLC. Thanks From Huntington Beach!...

[@adamflight1]

excellent video. I am about to start this on my boat. great vid.

[@hughvr1573]

Thanks! I feel much more confident approaching this now.

[@damianpeace7400]

Great video full of good information. Im off to pull the boat out now and get it looking like new again. Cheers!

[@boatworkstoday]

+Damian Peace Have a safe season!

[@lew9215]

Another great Video Andy. Very well explained.

[@davethewelder1]

One of the best Videos on taking care of gel coat and paint I've seen. To many attack it with sandpaper then there videos get lost. Why would I want to use sand paper on paint or gelcoat. I like your process much better. Sometime this year hope to conduct this process on my speedboat. Thanks.

[@porkchop659]

Great video Andy, thanks for the tips! Just in time as I am getting ready to restore the finish on my Sea Ray. Also, you have to love all the "fuzzy bunny fur" of a new pad!

[@boatworkstoday]

+PorkChop659 At one point during the edit I had the initial spraying of fuzz in slow motion; thought it would look cool. It ended up looking weird so I changed it :-/ New pads always make a mess!!!

[@porkchop659]

+BoatworksToday Haha yes they do. I was polishing an aluminum wheel with a flat buffing wheel. After about a minute or so I looked down and I had "strings" everywhere. Later my wife asked what was all the black fuzzy stuff all over her white car, yep I have to clean it next...

[@tannerb4143]

good video. my recommendation is to always test a SMALL area when using compound. use a lower speed and dont apply pressure to the buffer. If the gelcoat isn't too bad, use a one step polish or wax.

[@WreckDiver99]

Another great video. Our poor Welcraft was very neglected. I did my best to clean it up, but I think I may have done damage to her as well. It seems that nobody really wants to tell people how to do it themselves...instead they always say "oh, I can do that...for $x". UGH. Thanks Andy!

[@canyonhaverfield2201]

very well put.. so great to have instructions given clearly . Your suggestions I feel I can trust .. good film job too ! Best to you ! I'd think it wise to suggest about lighting and temp. during application.. and regarding working outdoors,concerning amount of sun,moisture etc...

[@Mimer6]

Thank you. I will use that knowledge for my motorhome in Sweden.

[@starwarsfanforlife]

I have used a DA polisher on our 2011 Tahoe boat to maintain the gelcoat with a foam pad. If you are not used to using a high speed buffer with a wool pad you can easily burn the gelcoat. There is no way you will burn the gelcoat with a DA polisher especially if you are new to polishing. When I use the foam pads 5 pea sized drops on the pad are enough to do a 2x2 section. I am not a professional detailer just an enthusiast of doing my own buffing and polishing which I learned from junkman2000 on KZbin. I would have liked to see the completed result of this boat but I could see that it was coming along nicely.

[@chrisao1987]

Best video I have come across yet.

[@MichaelandStar]

Outstanding video. Well thought out content, great presentation, and very informative. Thank you!

[@lesterdiamond6190]

I'm gonna give my Lavro Drifter some love after watching this.

[@SL1CK1307]

Thanx for the specifics! Very detailed and educational

[@JJ-333]

I have to say you have some of the best instructional videos out there. I am headed outside to start on my 1989 stratos. I have a question for you. A friend said I should try to wet sand using windex spray. Have you ever heard of this? I wet sanded yesterday and it did leave a very white haze on everything that did wipe up quickly. The rough gritty feeling is gone. Anyway, thanks for the videos, I am a retired disabled veteran that started watching your videos for knowledge, and you sir are excellent at teaching, thank you again. You helped me re floor my boat, and now restore my gel coat.

[@boatworkstoday]

Using a spray bottle with water and a tsp of dish soap (I use dawn, but any will work) is the best way to go. Have not heard of using a window cleaner. The soap adds a little lube and helps to keep the sandpaper from loading up.. Hope this helps! Thank you and good luck with your projects!!

[@JamesLenane]

We built boats for over 30 years..speedboats at first then R.I.B's for a long time so done too much compounding lol,repairs mostly as we had first class molds so when you pull a hull it was perfect,I always found the key to great compounding is water and a very good eye for color match on repairs as gel coat will fade,red is always a problem with age!Good channel great tips for peoples boats,so many dont look after them and want to blame somebody else for it,it was always sad to see a boat youd built that was perfect in every way come in 3 years later destroyed.Great channel and well done!

[@boatworkstoday]

+James Lenane Thank you James!

[@JamesLenane]

Your welcome,your enjoyable to watch,we always tried to pass on what we had learnt over the years so great to see a channel like this!

[@MrGarcon98]

i am getting tips for a dune buggy berrien , dragon red gel coat . thanks nice vid , thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[@davidlane6758]

Wonderfully informative video as usual. I'm wondering though, what is the best way to maintain gelcoat non-skid?

[@jasonharris1672]

speaking of pint stripes got tips on redoing them... and thanks for all the quality knowledge

[@705techno]

+Jason Harris You can usually just go over the old one with the new one, if its the same width. Only time its noticeable really is if you are covering an area that is chewed up; if thats the case clean up the "chewed up" part and then just go over it. Or you can get a ten dollar pinstripe eraser tool that goes on a drill. Watch you don't overheat the gel though it can yellow up pretty fugly like.

[@certblaster44]

Another great, thoughtfull, and hugely informative video by BoatworksToday. Thanks for doing these! I have a question: How much Aqua Buff 1000 should to cover the topsides of a 30' sailboat (Capri 30). If you had a formula for that, it would be awsome.

[@tonyl3020]

Excellent video ,thank you

[@daveroberts936]

It's a real talent to be able to pass on your knowledge so that others can understand it. It is insufficient that you understand yourself if you do not have the ability to impart that knowledge to other people!

[@Abi21mac]

Can you wash the buffing pads. And what you use to do it so. Thanks for all the knowledge that you share it been so helpful you got no idea.

[@MrDraftkid]

Great information, thank you !

[@eddiegiovanniello4346]

Thanks Andy, that was really informative see how I want my 1971 Chris Craft Lancer to be perfect I think I'll go with the awlcraft2000 unless you think I should use something different I could you really use your help because I'm ready to paint the boat is 100% fiberglass ready and faired off, thanks again buddy, love your videos keep them coming for the diu's just to let you know I had a boat guy come here to see how much it would cost to get my boat painted professionally he wanted $8,000 even after it was completely done and fared he asked me, who did the transom on the boat? I said I did, he said you told me you know nothing about boats, I said why do you ask anyway? he said that's the nicest job he's ever seen done on a transom, I told them KZbin, Andy taught me, thanks to you I did the job perfect thanks buddy for all your help if it wasn't for you I wouldn't have gone so far on this boat with confidence

[@boatworkstoday]

That's awesome! Will you be spraying or rolling the paint?

[@mrequi1]

Great video. World class yet down to earth. Why you don't have a show on PBS I don't know.

[@hugomiranda5424]

mrequi1 agreed

[@mattdelarede9673]

Great content and delivery.

[@louiskile2645]

Thank you very much that was helpful

[@nwtraveler5266]

Thanks. I will now tackle our Winnebago motor home which has oxidized.

[@motorv8N]

Terrific overview - thanks for this! Question - my outboard's cowl is looking a little tired and flat too. Can that surface be buffed like the boat's hull ?

[@jasoncordier4267]

Very useful! Well explained!

[@rogermowery3048]

Great video, Thanks. lol loved the thumbs up in the reflection!

[@LuisLopez-mx3kr]

Thank you for a great video!

[@michaelwalsh6961]

Thank you. Wish I New about slinging earlier. Had to watch your video. What about the foam red blue and other colors. I’ll wait for your response

[@krispuglisi8482]

Love your video and purchased the Auqabuff 1000 as well. What did you use after the auqabuff 1000 on the blue gel coat to polish and finish the blue? Thanks

[@renevizoso1872]

he is a great instructor exelent explanetion breaking down everything beutifull

[@svardy2007]

Great, great videos Andy! What do you recommend to restore the non-slip on the topsides?

[@530eman]

very helpful, thank you...!

[@dancraggs422]

watching from western Australia mate.

[@RTD1947]

Very well done....thanks

[@LucasDiClaudio]

muy buen canal ! felicitaciones

[@joebob7344]

Great video

[@boardelia]

Great video, do you plan you apply a vernice over the blue and white surface to protect the gelcoat ? If not why, isn't a good idea ? Thanks and keep making great informative videos !

[@bjnr0]

Great, informative well demonstrated. Instant subscriber 🍀👍😊

[@jhonarmin4111]

i was wondering if i could use the heavier buffing compound to take out tiny dimples that have developed in the grey gel coat on the upper bow of my talon 21 speedboat? if its cool to ask questions, love your show man!

[@robertovergara4477]

Hi, I would like someone to recommend me what I can do regarding what I am going to ask. I am polishing a boat that took 2-3 years without maintenance is white and I made the small mistake of giving it marine compound with a rotary and white wool pad and with an orbital with a cutting sponge but it does not stay even a cloud is seen And the gel is not gloss.gracias.

[@geneduclos4003]

I did enjoy the video, and I enjoy all your videos. Thank you for taking the time to make it/them. Towards the end it sounded like one could use the Aqua Buff 1000 as polish as the the shards/particles break and slowing the speed of the buffer. Is that possible, or did I misunderstand? And, did you finish up by using the Aqua Buff 2000. Thanks.

[@BruceschultzAU]

Nice one mate Pretty much my style but I like my toolex red Foam cutting pad first Infact I run 4 or 5 of their different colours lately don't use my sheepskin much anymore. Cheers Bruce.

[@K03021817]

I'm the 90,000 subscriber lol. Good Info and videos

[@OrestisFikos]

you are the man! thank a lot

[@hudson8865]

Thank you very much.

[@tukaopaleye8582]

Thanks very much, this is very helpful. After your recommended treatments here, at what point would you go onto wax the gel coat or would you recommend some other procedure ? I'm thinking on the light to medium scenario.

[@reelcs]

Thank you for the tips & techniques and for showing what products work good, helps the DIY. Question- is this same process for painted surfaces? Thanks.

[@OutdoorsmanChannel]

I recently looked at a fiberglass boat on a trailer and the bottom had a chalky black material that came off when I touched it. Any thoughts what this is? Awesome video!

[@wessiderock]

Super helpful thanks

[@brandonjennings9941]

Good video, thank you

[@stefanieknight9628]

So after using the oxidation buffing , do I wash the area with soap , then wax the area ?

[@shotgunnar2586]

I recently removed factory decals and you guessed it: original unoxidized gelcoat. What would you suggest to blend the exposed gel to the gel that has been covered since '09?

[@allamericanjoekansas977]

Good info, just picked up a 1973 18 ft Cobalt 165 boat that is in dire need of cleaning. There are some cracks in the coating as well. Any thoughts on how to properly fix them?

[@richie2dicks468]

Will car polishes and compounds work the same? Also would it benefit clay baring first?

[@hugomiranda5424]

AWESOME CONTENT

[@fattie2550]

What kind of pad would you use for the number 50 wash and wax?

[@terrynies4717]

have you ever experimented with the buffpro drum polisher ?