To wax or Polish?

island trek1 said:
Anyone ever use the Meguiars three step system that comes in thre blue bottles contained in a blue box. First Step : Oxidation removal Second Step: Polish Third Step: Pure Wax. I have used it the last three years and she really looks shiny most of the season.
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The pure wax is kind of outdated. Meguir's Flagship Premium (Black Bottle) seems to be the preferred product.
 
Poliglow, I know most guys here disdain the product, but that is what the previous owner of my boat was using, and it seemed like a lot of work to switch. I am very happy with the results, 5 years use. I only use on the hull, topsides I use my porter cable and wax.
 
jim_m5 said:
Does some one have the best procedure on applying Meguiars? I have the polish, the flaghsip wax, and the pure wax. Last year a member had like an 8 step process on how best to apply.
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I just applied Flagship to my boat on Saturday. After I rubbed it out to high shine with Finesse It, I applied the Flagship. I use the same procedure every year. I start at the bow and apply alot of product over a 3 by 5 foot area with a clean white towel that is loaded with Flagship. Then I rub it out with a rotary buffer set to 1500 rpms using a fresh wool pad until there is just a thin haze over a 5 by 8 foot area. I do the entire hull in this fashion. Following the waxing, I wipe the haze off with clean white towels. I'm into the 5th season following this procedure and the boat still looks brand new. I find that the Flagship lasts all season and is still beading water in mid October. How you wash your boat affects wax longevity. I use a mild Ivory Soap solution in fresh water and use a soft brush on a stainless steel pole. This soap and a soft brush are very wax sparing.
 
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Maybe i'm nuts but I purchased a new 2007 last year and MM waxed the whole boat before the season with Pro polish. I had zero oxidation last year with one coat of polymer wax. Last fall before wrapping I hit the boat with Meguires #50, (awesome shine) and when I uncovered it last week looked like I just waxed it. Just wondering how many "extra coats" are worth it...the boat looks awesome.
 
I have always had chronic issues with black streaks. After compounding to a shine, three coats of flagship then a week away with some rain, it would take a black streak remover to get them gone. A few weeks ago I did my stbd side but used the Starbrite per Sferguson. Black streaks now wash off without any scrubbing at all using my normal soap. Bird crap rinses away without scrubbing and even a small black dock rash rubbed off easily with a microfiber towel. This stuff just down right works, I'm sold on it.
Anybody want about a 1/2 gallon of Flagcrap?
 
Newbie said:
I have always had chronic issues with black streaks. After compounding to a shine, three coats of flagship then a week away with some rain, it would take a black streak remover to get them gone. A few weeks ago I did my stbd side but used the Starbrite per Sferguson. Black streaks now wash off without any scrubbing at all using my normal soap. Bird crap rinses away without scrubbing and even a small black dock rash rubbed off easily with a microfiber towel. This stuff just down right works, I'm sold on it.
Anybody want about a 1/2 gallon of Flagcrap?
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So, you're using starbrite wax? I'll take the flagcrap.
 
I used Mequiars Flagship wax last season and I was impressed. This year I switched to Starbrite with PTEF and was astounded with the finish. I won't go back to Flagship.
 
I haven't tried the Flagship stuff yet, but have always loved SeaPower for a good wax coating. This year, I'll be sealing after final finish polish with Starbrite Polish w/PTEF. I've always been a fan of Starbrite poly after the Seapower, but this year, I'm going to take Jeremy(280SeaRay) and John's(Hampton) advise and run over her with Meguiar's 67 and then Polish until acceptable shine, and then finish with the Starbrite Polish w/PTEF.
 
hack4alivin said:
Now that is funny Scott, I do the same thing and everyone thought I was crazy. I will not do the swim platform anymore; it is rather embarrassing when you are pulling up the dingy and all of the sudden you find yourself in the water under the dingy!!:wow:
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Bill - I am giving Surestep a try this year. Its a polish that is pressure sensitive . Its for the deck. When you step on it it gives a grip, when there is not pressure its a hard polish. I thought it would be better than falling off the boat. Its sold my Aurora Marine.
 
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What happens if I just used Wax this year to bring back my shine. I never used compound or polish. Should I go back and polish and then wax again?
 
mquiet said:
What happens if I just used Wax this year to bring back my shine. I never used compound or polish. Should I go back and polish and then wax again?
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It really depends on how you want your boat to look. Unless you’re seeing signs of oxidation, you can certainly skip the polish. A good coat of wax will protect your hull for the much-too-short boating season here in the Northeast. Our boats aren’t exposed to the elements quite as much as some of our southern friends. That being said, a good polish followed by a coat or two of wax will really make that boat shine. (Easy for me to say. My boat’s only 18’.)
 
Thanks for the answer, if I'm not oxidized, just polish and then wax correct? I thought that the wax had the ability to cut slightly and the polish just adds the essential oils. I thought that would be the last step, but I seem to be backwards.
 
mquiet said:
Thanks for the answer, if I'm not oxidized, just polish and then wax correct? I thought that the wax had the ability to cut slightly and the polish just adds the essential oils. I thought that would be the last step, but I seem to be backwards.
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If you have no oxidization then you can wax away. No need for anything else. Although if you have dull areas (Oxidization) you will need to polish those. But that is determined by what satisfies you.
I use meguirs 67 polish 1st as a mild oxidization remover. It does a fairly good job of removing oxidization and also it polishes. I follow with meguirs paste wax. This in of itself will protect the gelcoat. For how long is debatable.

Jack
 
OK, I see a lot of folks saying to polish and then wax. "Polish" sounds to me like it ought to go first but I was wrong!

I have been using the Star Brite products with PETF (a.k.a. teflon). I'm getting great results. Here's what I do...

Wash the boat with whatever boat wash you use. I follow that up with a spray cleaner because there is always hard to get off dirt the boat wash just does not get. No sense rubbing that dirt into the gel.

Below the rub line, the hull is in really good shape because the angle of the boat is inverted away from the sun. So almost anything will be ok. I use the "ceaner wax" first and that gets it really clean, protected and shinny. However, since I'm nuts, I followed the directions and followed up with the "polish with PETF". It definately gave the boat a glossier shine and a second layer of the PETF to protect. Yes, the polish goes second; read the directions.

For most of the rest of the boat, more attention is needed because the sun loves to eat gel coat. Here, there is no short cuts. If it is just not perfect, a color restorer will work. If it is chaulky or dull, you likely need some rubbing compound (heavy or light). I have found that in areas that are in bad shape, I must hand compaound because the buiild up of oxidation removed is so rapid on a buffer, it clogs up too fast to be productive.

Start with the product you think will do the trick but if you don't see the results you are looking for, you likely need to go to a stonger material.

Also, don't be surprised if you get uneven results. I have found that for bad areas it is impossible to get it right on one pass of a compound. Plan on going over it twise (maybe even three times) to gen an even result.

If you have done compound or color restorrer, finish off with the polish. This brings out the shine and protects.

PS Past wax is not worth the effort and does not shine as well anyway (my opinion). It also builds up and looks dull.
 
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