Restore the original color of the fiberglass

H

HARIB

New Member
Nov 30, 2007
25
State of Qatar (Middle East)

Guys, my boat is an old boat and due to the sun exposure the color of the fiberglass turned little yellow. The boat is not painted, it is the original color.
I really don’t like the idea of painting it. Do you think there is any way I can restore the original color or even close too? I have seen some product such as rubbing component waxes etc, and as far as you know it is a commercial advertises where they say it will restore the original color and become just like new. To be honest with you I really don’t think so.
Anyone here have experience on this stuff ?:smt100
 
Yes, it's true, but it comes with hard work. Results may vary. Search this forum for "Makita" and "Porter Cable." Be careful not to burn the Gelcoat with high speed buffers and rubbing compound. Work in small areas. Start in an inconspicuous area. It takes several steps. Start with an agressive compound, then a light compound, then a polish, then wax. Change buffing pads with each different compound.

There's the basics. It's well worth the effort when you stand back and look at the results.
 
Sounds scary when you saied (not to burn the Gelcoat) I will do my best if this is going to work cuz my boat looks great except the color problem I have mentioned hope it worth the efforts.
Thanks for the tips body
 
Harib,

I've posted some about my experience buffing gelcoat, as well as photos. To see the photos, go to the 'gallery', search under 'J', and click on any photo I've posted. Then next to my screen name, click on [gallery] to see them all. There is one that shows a before and after of the starboard side aft. My boat's gel was terribly faded, and I thought I might paint it, but it came back nicely.

Successfully buffing anything is a lot like sanding wood; you need to start with a coarse compound, such as 3M Heavy Duty, and then go to a finer grit material, such as one of their polishing compounds.

As suggested, search for threads on buffiing machines, and I described what I did in a thead titled "340EC project".

It is a lot of work, but you can definitely make your boat shine again.

Good luck!
 
HARIB said:
Guys, my boat is an old boat and due to the sun exposure the color of the fiberglass turned little yellow. The boat is not painted, it is the original color.
I really don’t like the idea of painting it. Do you think there is any way I can restore the original color or even close too? I have seen some product such as rubbing component waxes etc, and as far as you know it is a commercial advertises where they say it will restore the original color and become just like new. To be honest with you I really don’t think so.
Anyone here have experience on this stuff ?:smt100
Click to expand...


Do you have any pictures of your boat yet? I would love to see them.

:grin:
 
John,
you have done an amazing job :smt038 I saw the gallery and what you have done is encouraged me to do the same. well done man and thanks for the advice
I will post pics of my boat just like you’ve done (before and after).

TXVR6, I will post pics of my boat and the work I am planning to carry out to bring my boat as shine as John boat. I really get jealous :smt013
 
If your boat is badly oxidized, I would sand an old boat. Follow that will a regular rubbing compound and finish it with 3M Finesse. Compound it with a wool wheel on a buffing machine set to 1500 RPMs. Keep the shine with a high quality wax.
 
Harib,

Hey, thanks for the nice words.

Sbw1 mentioned sanding the gel first. That's what I ended up doing, and it really is the best way to get through the oxidized gelcoat. You might look up another thread where I think I described in detail the stages I took. It had to do with 'stripes', or 'striping' for an older Sea Ray. If you can't find it, let me know and I'll go into it again.

Good luck and have fun.
 
Harib,
A nice shine is always satisfying, especially when you did it.
Just a couple of thoughts first. Many Searays of that era had hulls that were not bright white, in fact many were yellow. These have turned white with years of sun. So yours may be turning white rather than turning yellow. The oxidation is white and will show more yellow when you remove it.
As you are new to boating be aware that fiberglass hulls have a very thin surface coat of gel coat over the fiberglass. It is probably thicker on your boat than on modern boats, but still thin. So, anything more than compounding can be risky.
Find a section of fiberglass - maybe inside the cockpit and verticle that may not have been exposed to direct sunlight too much. That should let you see the original fiberglass color, or close to it.
 
From my experience on an older boat, you need to wet sand first before compounding. It is best to experiment on a small area first. Try 1200 grit but you may need to go down to 600 if the finish is very oxidized. Then work back up (600, 800, 1200). Once that is done get some 3M Super Duty Marine Rubbing Compound and buff with a 3M lambswool buffing pad. Then, if you really want to go the extra mile after compounding and before waxing, use 3M "Finesse It" Finishing Compound on a 3M foam pad.

The best wax I've found is also 3M. It is called Ultra Performance Marine paste wax. Before anyone asks...no I don't work for 3M but I've found their products, although pricey, work very well.

And a reminder...do not use automotive products. Gelcoat is a porous material (polyester resin). IT IS NOT PAINT and therefore requires special marine compounds and waxes.

Be forewarned! The above process is very labor intensive but the results are worth it.

Good Luck!

Jack
 
Didn't Sea Ray make a Desert Sand hull color in the 80's? Don't know if that's true. I own an '81 and it has a slight yellow tent as well. Let me know how it turns out and what you did.
 
go to your local boat shop and ask about FLEET WAX expensive I think like 50 bucks a quart but well worth it,it a compound and wax mix swear by the stuff good luck:thumbsup:
 
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