Buffing question

[mhaaland]

I'm trying to get some scratches and swril marks out of my gel coat from sanding and i'm using Meguiars #49 for the buffing compound and i'm not happy with the turn out. Is there a better compound i could be using to help get rid of scratches and swirl marks? Would a 3M heavy duty compound be a better way to go instead of the Meguiars #49?

[core-rider]

I used 3M Perfect-It rubbing compound part # 06085 to get the scratches out and went back over with 3M Finesse-It finishing material part # 05928 when I had to do some gel coat work last year. I ran the buffer about 1800 RPM's. It took all the fine scratches out from sanding and I can barely tell where the patch was made. My gel is black so scratches show up easier. If your gel is lighter colored then you should have no problems. You will need to use a high speed buffer and not one of those random orbital buffers. They will not get the job done well.

[snowboardcorey]

I usually use Wizards Turbo Cut to remove fine scratches but pulling out scratches has to do with how deep they are in the first place. You may need to wet sand the scratches first, then follow up with a rotary buffer. A wool pad can help knock down the scratches too, follow up with a foam pad to get rid of the swirl marks and really get the shine on.

[mhaaland]

Has anyone ever used Aqua Buff before?

[hourglass]

i've never used a buffer and i don't want to burn my gel coat so i hand wax twice a season with the little white pads. i use the 3M restorer and wax b/c i have a black and grey boat who lives on the trailer. it works really well just by hand. she looks brand new bow to stern after that.