My first experience with "Smoove" and a Dewalt cordless rotary

Stee6043

Well-Known Member
Jun 1, 2015
6,706
West Michigan
Boat Info
1997 Sundancer 400
Engines
7.4L Gassers
Based on the threads I read from @Blueone last year I went ahead and bought the Smoove lineup of products for my 2022 waxing season. I also invested in a couple new tools for the job - a Dewalt 20V cordless rotary for the bulk of the work and a cheapo SPTA 3" rotary for the hard to reach areas. If I cant' get it right this year, I'm never doing it again!

My hull sides were not in bad shape so I used the Smoove "bubble gum" yesterday. 3 pads, 2 batteries and 1 beer got me through one side of the boat. Overall I like the entire setup. The Dewalt is slick. Though I don't think it's substantially lighter than the corded model I have, it's worlds easier to maneuver for a novice like me. As for the Smoove, it might be confirmation bias but I do believe it "cleaned up" a bit easier than the Presta I used two years ago. But I also believe I was using way too much polish the last time.

Another tool I picked up that I think made a big difference this year - a new light! You can see it in the photo below. Set to "illuminate your soul" @5000k and that thing kicks out some light. It was nice to see how playing with the speed of the rotary impacted the finish. When I started to see a bit of the "holographing" I pushed the speed a little higher for the final run and the marks went away.

I'm going to finish polishing both sides with the Bubble Gum and then finish with the White Cloud. Then I'm going to tackle the top side with all three products. My topside really needs a hardcore compounding. I look forward to seeing how it comes out...or if I royally mess it up :)

51852536315_75d7bee903_h.jpg
 
So you just used polish? Confused by the blue polish pads vs white or black compounding pads?
 
So you just used polish? Confused by the blue polish pads vs white or black compounding pads?

Those look like green pads to me.

I jumped on the Smoove bandwagon last year and so far, so good. Pro-Cut as needed, but mainly just Bubble Gum. Very easy on and off. I bought the White Cloud and haven't used it yet. They released Ceramic Ice, so I picked that up and used it instead.

Very happy with the results thus far, I'd be even happier if my wash crew didn't use a soap that stripped it off! Needless to say, I'll be providing them Purpleicious in the spring or doing it myself.... it's just too easy to walk up to a freshly washed boat....so I already know the answer to that one!
 
Those look like green pads to me.

I jumped on the Smoove bandwagon last year and so far, so good. Pro-Cut as needed, but mainly just Bubble Gum. Very easy on and off. I bought the White Cloud and haven't used it yet. They released Ceramic Ice, so I picked that up and used it instead.

Very happy with the results thus far, I'd be even happier if my wash crew didn't use a soap that stripped it off! Needless to say, I'll be providing them Purpleicious in the spring or doing it myself.... it's just too easy to walk up to a freshly washed boat....so I already know the answer to that one!

Purpleicious? I want to add that to my cart on amazon but this is the best I could do: :):)
upload_2022-1-30_10-12-19.png
 
What compound are you thinking of using for the topside? My topside needs help as well. It isn’t bad but not great either. I’ve used Meguiars cleaner wax and put a coat of Woody’s Wax on it, however it’s not doing the trick.
 
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What compound are you thinking of using for the topside? My topside needs help as well. They aren’t bad but not great either. I’ve used Meguiars cleaner wax and put a coat of Woody’s Wax on it, however it’s not doing the trick.

Smoove has 3 products. A compound, a polish and a polymer wax. So I’m using their compound “pro cut”.
 
Those look like green pads to me.

I jumped on the Smoove bandwagon last year and so far, so good. Pro-Cut as needed, but mainly just Bubble Gum. Very easy on and off. I bought the White Cloud and haven't used it yet. They released Ceramic Ice, so I picked that up and used it instead.

Very happy with the results thus far, I'd be even happier if my wash crew didn't use a soap that stripped it off! Needless to say, I'll be providing them Purpleicious in the spring or doing it myself.... it's just too easy to walk up to a freshly washed boat....so I already know the answer to that one!
Ceramic ice as the final top coat (wax) over the Bubble Gum? I’m still trying to figure this out myself.
 
Ceramic ice as the final top coat (wax) over the Bubble Gum? I’m still trying to figure this out myself.

If it's oxidized do the Pro Cut, then Bubble Gum. BG had a polymer protectant in it, so there really isn't a need for the WC if you use BG. BG will take out light oxidation, PC for heavy stuff.

I topped with Ceramic Ice instead of WC, but it was a few months after I did the BG.

All the above is based on some back and forth I had with Smoove in early 2021.
 
@OllieC, my stern gets the afternoon and evening sun and I never was happy with its gloss. I peeled off the name and hit it with Pro Cut one afternoon...

Screenshot_20220130-130734_Chrome.jpg


Funny story on the above picture. My slip neighbor has figured out I can't sit still and chill. I was touching up a small nick and the buffer hit the name, discoloring a small spot. Next thing you know I pulled it off and buffed the whole stern.

A quick hit of BG before launch last year...

20220130_131256.jpg


And after she was pulled out this past fall, I got a full coat of BG on by hand before covering her up with plastic...
 
@OllieC, my stern gets the afternoon and evening sun and I never was happy with its gloss. I peeled off the name and hit it with Pro Cut one afternoon...

View attachment 119604

Funny story on the above picture. My slip neighbor has figured out I can't sit still and chill. I was touching up a small nick and the buffer hit the name, discoloring a small spot. Next thing you know I pulled it off and buffed the whole stern.

A quick hit of BG before launch last year...

View attachment 119612

And after she was pulled out this past fall, I got a full coat of BG on by hand before covering her up with plastic...
Looks great! I’m ordering. My stern is a little scuffed and dull too. Thanks for the info.
 
Ah yes green. Sometimes I think I’m half color blind. By the looks of those pads I cant figure out if you are using way too much product or I am not using enough lol
I will say that I finally broke down and bought a corded Dewalt. Man what a difference compared to the HF I used for so many years. I mean they all do the trick but the torque was way consistent and the thing didn’t vibrate the hell out of me.
 
If it's oxidized do the Pro Cut, then Bubble Gum. BG had a polymer protectant in it, so there really isn't a need for the WC if you use BG. BG will take out light oxidation, PC for heavy stuff.

I topped with Ceramic Ice instead of WC, but it was a few months after I did the BG.

All the above is based on some back and forth I had with Smoove in early 2021.
This is exactly right, based on my experience with these products.

The Smoove’s yellow pad for the polish works great. If you don’t have much oxidation a good DA works well with less fatigue. I used a Griots one with some foam pads to excellent results.
 
Im trying to figure out why you guys go balls to the wall with a rotary when you polish/wax every year. My .02c. The rotarys are for neglected boats. I smoove BG and WC with a 6” porter cable orbital every year and it turns out like glass. After todays work
View attachment 119623
Blue hull and port sun :(
 
Im trying to figure out why you guys go balls to the wall with a rotary when you polish/wax every year. My .02c. The rotarys are for neglected boats. I smoove BG and WC with a 6” porter cable orbital every year and it turns out like glass. After todays work
View attachment 119623

Is an orbital easier to use than a rotary? When I looked at the Dewalt cordless offering they look to be nearly the same size, if not the orbital might actually be a bit beefier?
 

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