Heavy Oxidation question.

[Andy1972]

Hey guys, I have a 01' with a water line. I've tried wax, oxidation remover, polish compound, and reg. compound, and nothinng seems to work. I took the plastic end of a utility knife and scraped some of it off, but that's it. Any ideas on removing that ever so slight haze? I'm anal so I'm hoping to get it as shiny as the day I bought it. Is this possible?

Thanks,

[Andrew]

RE: Heavy Oxidation question.

wetsand

if ur not sure of what to do, do a quick search there are many threads on the process

[Rick]

RE: Heavy Oxidation question.

It sounds like you need to color sand it. Look on here or 3M's site for recommendations. You start with 600 grit then 800 then 1200 then rubbing compound then polishing compound then wax. Good luckc.

[MHayes]

RE: Heavy Oxidation question.

What about the Sno Bowl toilet cleaner or Lime-A-Way? I've heard good things about both in terms of removing tough stains. Just make sure that you wax afterwards, as these strip the wax right off.

[pez]

On a boat I just sold, I used oxi clean for laundry stains - the stuff in a blue spray bottle. Sounds hokey, I know. I just sprayed it on and left it a few minutes and the stains started to lighten. The surface had to remain wet for it to work and I let it soak for five-ish minutes. A little elbow grease helped too but it wasn't bad at all and it looked as good as new when I finished. Someone told me that vinegar may work as well if the stains are carbonate or salt based. Not sure if he knew what he was talking about and I didn't try it since the other stuff worked. It didn't seem to have any ill effects on the gel coat but I'd try it in an inconspicuos place first. These stains were on the boat for a couple of years and I was really surprised they came out. On a side note, has anyone tried clay bars on their boat? I have used this stuff to get out all kinds of tiny rust stains from industrial fallout that got on my white truck and it worked like pure magic. Other waxes and cleaners wouldn't touch that stuff but the clay bar removed it easily with no visible clearcoat scratching. Maybe it would work on waterline stains too. Good luck.

[clayk]

try muratic acid first. it will not hurt the gelcoat(i do it several times a year on a solid white san ). it gets everything off. but i would wax afterward to put on a protective coat for preventive measure. also , it will not hurt the stickers.

[Andy1972]

I've tried the acid wash, and it worked great, but on the dark colors of the boat, you can still see some fading. Not sure what to do.

[JAG]

Heavy Oxidation question

A product called On-Off available at West Marine or other marine hardware suppliers works great. It's similar to muratic acid. If that doesn't work, more then likley a deeper discoloration of the gel coat occured and you will need to wet sand the hull.
Gel Coat is thick so don't be afraid to sand.
You'll need to start with 600 or 800 grit sand paper. I prefer 800 since 600 is a little too agressive. Then proceed to 1000 then 1500 grit. Doing this by hand is a tedious job. I invested in a Hutchins random orbital wet sander WaterBug II which was the best thing I ever did. www.hutchinsmfg.com. You can find them through the Manuf., ebay, or automotive paint suppliers. Once the sanding is complete you'll need to polish with 3M Super Duty rubbing compound and then with 3M Perfect-it II Rubbing compound. You'll then need to apply a good wax. I prefer to use a 2 part non-wax called Dulon available at www.dulonus.com. See an earlier thread for other wax recommendations.
The only problem you may find is that the area you work on may look like new, making the rest of the boat look years older.

[MARK-S]

RE: Heavy Oxidation question

1/3 peroxide and 2/3 Lysol liquid biffy cleaner. It will take anything off. Do a big time wax job when you are finished.