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Newport Beach, Ca
(714)328-4405

For Heavily oxidized gelcoat or LP we like 3M Imperial Compound and Finishing Material. It cuts quickly through heavy oxidation but is still safe for painted surfaces. It's a compound and glaze in one, eliminating the need for multiple steps and resulting in a very high shine with no swirls.

Medium/ light oxidation - we recommend 3M Perfect-It III which is more gentle and faster to use than the 3M Imperial compound, but still gives a very shiny result. It also creates less dust.

Wash or wipe your surface clean before you begin. Dust or dirt can be much more abrasive than compound and may result in swirl marks or permanent scratches.

Use a Long-Nozzle Squirt Bottle to apply compound. T he long tip allows you to tilt the bottle enough to apply the compound to vertical surfaces. Spread the compound a little before you start buffing, either with a large disposable paint brush or by smearing it with the buffer without power.

A rotary buffer at 2000 rpm with a Wool Pad works great for compounding.. Start with the buffer pad at a slight angle to the surface and finish flat as the compound smooths out.

Apply less pressure when buffing corners or curved surfaces vs. flat ones. The force of the buffer is greatly magnified on curved surfaces.

Clean your buffer pad periodically with a Pad Cleaning Tool . The rotating spur end of the tool digs into the nap of the buffing pad as it turns and pulls out the dust and polish buildup. With light pressure run the spur in a line back and forth from the middle of the pad out to the edge.

Wear a protective dust mask when using an electric buffer. The dust that is generated during buffing and particularly when spurring (cleaning) the buffer is harmful to the lungs.

Work in small sections, stopping periodically to wipe the compound dust off the surrounding area before continuing. Rubbing compound is formulated to go on wet and buff off dry. Mixing dry compounding dust with wet compound can negatively affect your results.

For waxing the the exterior parts of the bridge, cabin, and bulwarks, we recommend 3M Ultra Performance paste wax. It has the highest shine of any wax we've tried so far and has excellent resilience to sun and weather. For the transom of power boats this is also our wax of choice because unlike other waxes, soot from diesel exhaust won't stick to it and washes off easily. To get maximum protection, apply two coats to any surface that is not vertical and gets direct sun exposure. As with all paste waxes, apply and remove in small sections. Particularly with hard-drying waxes remove it before it dries completely. This makes removal much easier and also helps to avoid swirl marks.

For waxing white or light-colored gelcoat hulls, we recommend Starbrite Teflon Polish. It has good cleaning properties and is fast and easy to use. It also repels salt very well and lasts a long time – usually at least six months on vertical surfaces and horizontal surfaces that are not in constant sun. For that reason we also recommend it for the inside surfaces of the bridge and cockpit.

On painted boats or gelcoat that is in good condition we highly recommend System One Spray Polish . This liquid polish is very easy to use, creates minimum dust, and leaves a high-gloss finish. It is especially durable on linear polyurathane paints and semi-protected gelcoat areas such as inside bridges and cockpits. This is a very thin liquid so use a microfiber-covered or terry-covered sponge to apply.

A Terry-Covered Sponge applies wax faster and more evenly than a cloth. . If the surface has some dirt or stains, use terrycloth towels (folded in fourths) to apply the wax and change sides when the application side starts to get dirty. The wax can be removed and buffed by machine or by hand with Microfiber Towels or terrycloth towels. It's important to keep the terry flat against the waxed surface (not wrinkled or bunched underneath) to avoid swirl marks.

Waxing some areas can be hard on the knees. We like West Marine knee pads because they are very comfortable and have a soft surface on the outside that wont scuff gelcoat. Alternatively you can use carpet remnants folded in half so there's carpet on both sides.

Black plastic fittings can be restored to a nice luster with McGuiar's Conditioner. It's easy to apply and lasts for several washes.

Safely Using an Electric Buffer Near Water

Always use a portable inline GFCI (ground fault current interrupt) when using an electric buffer near water. This device connects inline with your extension cable and will shut off power instantly in the event of a short circuit. It could save you from electrocution!

Your buffer should have a grounded power cable. If not, change it and cut off the ground lead inside the handle near the power switch. This will help provide ground-fault protection in case the buffer falls in the water.

Use a 100' heavy gauge grounded extension cable. When you connect the buffer plug to the extension, tie a loose single-loop knot with the plugs in the middle. That way the plugs will stay connected as you move the buffer around.

Have a 20A/30A adaptor handy. Many docks have 30A outlets and this adaptor will let you plug directly into the dock power. Do not use this adaptor for 50A outlets!

Position the power cable over your opposite shoulder while buffing (if you're right-handed, left shoulder and vice versa). This will minimize the chance of the spinning buffer pad catching and damaging or breaking the power cable (trust me, it can happen in a microsecond!).