Blueone - I spoke with Smoove about the same thing. The 2500 is actually LESS aggressive than the 1000. A few other things they gave me tips on where - less is more for all of their products, apply cut 1000 at a low RPM and then switch to high RPM, apply white cloud and then wait 48 hrs to apply the subsequent coats. This will be my second year with the black hull. I was very impressed with the results and ease of use last year. I took a chalky hull and turned it into a mirror. However, I wish it lasted longer through the season but I only had 1 coat of white cloud. This year I am doing 3.
For me its the pads... I only have harbor freight and 3M to compare... harbor freight lasted half as long and gave an inferior result with alot more effort. The 3M pad for compounding gave a great result with little effort. This year I switched to a 3M polishing wool pad (yellow) and a rotary for the second step...instead of a traditional foam pad and an orbital...again great result with little effort.
Again ...their descriptions and instructions suck....where was this 48 hours ever written. But thinking back most polymers will tell you to wait a few hours before applying second coat.
Two years ago half way thru the season I hit a log and got pulled out. while out I put another two coats of cloud on the blue. Last year in the spring the blue looked really good still so I skipped the 1000 and just used bubble gum and Cloud.... This past summer went thru the season with two coats of cloud but this spring had to go back to 1000 to bring back the blue.
I saw your post about the 303 Graphene. Very curious how it holds up.
For sure there’s some technique with the buffer. But...the Smoove products are SO much easier to use. I’ve tried 3M and frankly found all of their products a bitch to use. I couldn’t get past the difficulty using them to get good results. Buff Magic was an unmitigated disaster for me. Clumped and clogged my pads.
Poor kid.... that is one boat I would not want to wax...yikes!
@barrinton That looks really good for sure but then again it is only two years old. It will be interesting to see how well it polishes out over the years. My blue hull 44 was 9 years old when I got it and it still buffed out well but I don't know if I would have ever got it to look like brand new. Hope you have many years of pretty blue gel coat. That Back Cove is a pretty boat. When I'm done with big boats I hope to move into something like that as a day boat.
His concrete is pretty darn pristine, I would be a little worried if he laid it down at a boat yard in poor repair with loose gravel about. He laid it down just to show the model and features of the buffer, later in the video when he laid it down while working, he laid it on its back. Some times don't we get a little nit picky guys?
Hell no.... you don’t touch a pad to the ground ever
I agree in general as a craftsman one does not lay the pad on the ground but its the surface you lay it on that is important. If the guy was using a bench with a bunch of debris from other projects on it that would be bad. I just pointed out that his exposed aggregate driveway that was probably recently rinsed down when he washed his boat. I will submit however that if one is posting a how to video, one should adhere to the highest of protocols. As a college instructor I do try to suppress my own bad habits and stick to the book when teaching a lab.
Alas, I won’t really know how it holds up. I sold that 34 last October and picked up a Back Cove 37. The new one has an Awlcraft paint job so I won’t have to worry about gel coat so much.
