Polishing Fiver

Helipilot · August 17, 2015

Anybody have a favorite tool to remove oxidation and then wax/polish the paint? Looking at the DeWalt 7424XP random orbit waxer and polisher. My unit had sat outside in Florida and Texas for the last four years before we bought it and the paint has oxidized quiet a bit, however. the decals are in excellent condition and I worked them over today with 303. I have a fully enclosed shop where it will reside for as long as we own it.

rynosback · August 17, 2015

Get a product called miracle cloth. It works best in the hot sun. I would use it once a year when I cleaned up the boat.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Miracle-Cloth-All-Purpose-Polishing-Cleaning-Towel-6x9-Real-Coconut-Oil-/230973979721?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35c71f3c49

I have only used the one with coconut oil not the lemon oil one.

chirakawa · August 17, 2015

Anybody have a favorite tool to remove oxidation and then wax/polish the paint? Looking at the DeWalt 7424XP random orbit waxer and polisher. My unit had sat outside in Florida and Texas for the last four years before we bought it and the paint has oxidized quiet a bit, however. the decals are in excellent condition and I worked them over today with 303. I have a fully enclosed shop where it will reside for as long as we own it.

Are you sure it's not gelcoat, instead of paint? I doubt it is painted, if it also has decals. On painted units, they typically have painted striping.

Oxidized gelcoat requires different approach than paint.

Helipilot · August 18, 2015

Thanks for the correction, it is gelcoat that has oxidized.

rdickinson · August 18, 2015

I have a Simonize 2 D handle unit that doesn't cut the mustard.

http://reviews.canadiantire.ca/9045/0399055P/simoniz-simoniz-orbital-polisher-10-in-reviews/reviews.htm?sort=reviewTextLength

This seems to be what the pros use at body shops. Having a longer handle gives better control rather than 2 "D" handles. The one I tried had variable control with the trigger.

http://www.amazon.com/Makita-9227CX3-Electronic-Polisher-Sander-Polishing/dp/B0001GUE8Q

As far as cleaners go

http://www.eastwood.com/liquid-ice-polishing-compound-quart.html

This product is used by the same buffer but with different pads.

There is another product which seemed to work on my severely oxidized nose cone but it's 228 am and it will have to wait till dawn for me to get it out. But it did work to a degree, even with the Simonize buffer the roughness was reduced. With a better buffer the roughness would have been removed. This is used on severely oxidized boats but needs to be followed up with a wax.

The guy who does mechanical on my stuff will be over later today. Send me a regular e-mail and I will send pics of buffer and product he uses for polishing.

I've been told another option is to have it painted, using some bullet proof pain....Imron for instance. In looking at the rear of my trailer at the moment, I'd try waxing it once and only once. If it needed anything more, out come the windows and on goes the paint. The windows come out in half an hour each. You probably have screws inside the trailer around the window inside. Those come out, slit the butyl tape outside, applying pressure to pry the window out with a stiff putty knife or slim jim. Same with lights. Then paint it.

0246.

More later when able.

You could use a 3 M graphic material. They are able to go around compound corners. Best to remove moldings to get a better finished appearance....less caulking. I damaged a panel after being guided into a spot by a professional driver. Hit a power post on my blind side. Anyway we removed the moldings, window, scare light, small hatch and clearance light completely. Put on the replacement vinyl and re installed the components. What a difference.

Also added gutter spout extenders, but in white.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C88B8J4/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_3?pf_rd_p=1944687462&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B009IGEM06&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=01HN8JQRKHCHE3XT7N5H

0301

Enough for now.

Roger

Helipilot · August 19, 2015

Thanks for the replies guys. I wound up on this forum late last night http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/content.php and found the answers I needed and a confirmation that the DeWalt 7424XP was a good tool to polish with. Meguiars M44 Color Restorer using the W8207 Foam Polishing Pad followed with M45 Polish to fill the pores in the Gelcoat. All this is capped off with Meguiars Flagship Premium Marine Wax.

I think it will be a three day job with lots of snacks and naps involved.

reed and elaine · August 19, 2015

We had our travel trailer washed once. We had gone up the Alcan and it got covered with a red clay where they were doing road work. Six months later we were at the county park in Miami and a guy came by with a high pressure water system. He said that he had never seen stuff like that clay. Heck it had hermetically sealed our paint.

Reed and Elaine

CRRPastor · August 19, 2015

http://www.rvforum.net/SMF_forum/index.php/topic,52608.0.html

I personally used this method on very badly oxidized 95 Newmar and have had wonderful results.

Headenout II · August 20, 2015

x2

Helipilot · August 22, 2015

Thanks for the info on the method you used. Does it yellow with age or exposure to UV?

RBH · August 22, 2015

Thanks for the info on the method you used. Does it yellow with age or exposure to UV?

Nope, won't yellow, although it will go duller over 2-3 years. Did my faded front cap 3 years ago and it did start to go dull. The Zep floor stripper takes it off very easily, about one hour or less to strip the front cap, rinse and dry. Another couple of hours to re-coat including waiting time to dry between 4-5 coats. Looks absolutely new again for very little elbow grease. Since my shoulders are both questionable the little elbow grease aspect is all important. Did the rest of the 5er last spring. Both my wife and I are in awe at the results.

Rich