Page 1 of 1

Wet Sanding, Compounding, Sore Arms and a Custom Catamaran

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2018 7:51 pm
by zedtwentyate
Well folks, here's the latest from beautiful Syracuse, NY.

1. My stripes are gone and my hull shines. I paid a local guy to wet sand the stripes off and buff out below the rub rail. While he was doing it, i managed to get some lessons in wet sanding.

2. I wet sanded just about every inch above the rub rail to remove YEARS of crappy oxidation due to neglect and poor care of the glass. My process was very simple. Most of the boat i did with 1000 and even 2000. In a few spots where it was bad, i started with 600 or 800 and worked my way up. I compounded with my rotary buffer and then polished a product from a local company called Reliable Products. The product is called "rejuvenator" and its made for gel coat. I followed that up with a nice carnauba wax. I'm super pleased with the results. Here's a few shots that kinda show how it looks now:

Image

Image

Image

The last one really doesnt do it justice.

3. I've watched a guy at my buddies marina build himself a custom catamaran from scratch for the last 3 years. Today it set sail for the first time. I really didnt think he was ever going to get off the hard. He actually built EVERYTHING himself from scratch. It's a marvel of engineering. The finish work isnt quite there, but its majestic to see it float. For the Whovians out there, he calls it The Time Lord. Here it is at the marina and floating down Chittanango Creek in Bridgeport, NY. Look for it in the canals! He claims hes headed to "New England" for the summer and then down the coast. This thing is powered by two Kohler Motors. They dont even have covers on them. I'm clueless as to what they really are. I cant wait to see his updates on facebook. Just figured I'd share!

Image

Image

Image

Re: Wet Sanding, Compounding, Sore Arms and a Custom Catamaran

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2018 8:37 pm
by prowlersfish
Your boat looks great , the other is interesting to say the least . Kohler engine ?? Never seen one on a boat .

Re: Wet Sanding, Compounding, Sore Arms and a Custom Catamaran

Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2018 11:12 am
by WayWeGo
Nice job on the gelcoat!

Re: Wet Sanding, Compounding, Sore Arms and a Custom Catamaran

Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2018 9:18 am
by Lance F28
Nice Job! I've had those wet sanding sore arms before. Very satisfying when you get finished though.

Re: Wet Sanding, Compounding, Sore Arms and a Custom Catamaran

Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2018 1:09 pm
by mikeandanne
prowlersfish wrote: Fri Jun 08, 2018 8:37 pm Your boat looks great , the other is interesting to say the least . Kohler engine ?? Never seen one on a boat .
Nice job on the gelcoat. Now can you be hired out :)

Kohler engines, may just be those flat head four tractor engines Kohler used on their gens for years, possibly.

Re: Wet Sanding, Compounding, Sore Arms and a Custom Catamaran

Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2018 1:49 pm
by oil&water
I thought about wet sanding mine and decided to leave it for another year.

Yours turned out amazing!

Re: Wet Sanding, Compounding, Sore Arms and a Custom Catamaran

Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2018 5:50 am
by zedtwentyate
Thanks for all the positive feedback. I'm pleased with the results. There are a few spots I'd like to hit again, but overall she's looking great. I know the general opinion is that you should try everything else before wet sanding, but it became really clear that she needed the sanding. Now I have to decide my method for cleaning the oxidation off the non-skid. I've tried the Maguire's product you use with a brush, but that didnt quite cut it. Anyone have any tips?