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I have a 1979 22' Revenge that I bought back in 2013 and I'm taking a couple days off at the end of this week to do some work on it. The main thing I want to do is wax it and remove the name that was painted on both sides with red paint. Looks like they used red barn paint and maybe a kid painted it on there. From what I understand Easy-Off oven cleaner will strip off paint from both boats and cars. Has anyone ever used it for that purpose on a boat? If so, how long do you leave it on there and what did you use to clean it off or neutralize the oven cleaner?

I have no idea when the boat was detailed last. I'd have to guess 10-15 years and the sides have some pretty heavy oxidation. At the advice of someone who details boats for a living I bought a Makita 10 amp 7" polisher, dual sided 3M buffing pad and 3M Restorer and Wax so I'm hoping I have all the tools I need. What I lack is experience. After messing around with boats nearly all of my 40 some years, I hate to admit it but I have never used a polisher to detail a boat. I will wash down the boat after I get the name off but in most cases do you wash the exterior of the boat (even if it is relatively clean) prior to compound & waxing and how long do you let it dry after washing it down? (Does it need to be bone dry)

What do you like to use to wash the exterior? I used Simple Green for both the inside and out and it seems to do a pretty good job but just want to get the opinion from those who have years of experience with boat detailing and make sure I'm not doing anything that might be counter productive.

Thanks!

John

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John,
Good to see a post from you. Years ago, I found out from a prank (my amends are a different story), shaving cream from the canisters will break up a hand painted surface. It did not damage the undercoat. If possible.....apply in the shade and let it sit for a while. Runs a little bit. Lots of rags. After my "discovery" I have used the method quite a bit for painted slogans on vehicles/equipment from auctions.

Side bar from topic....my 1979 22' Revenge back in my yard. hard top mounted. Now put all the pieces back together. Unfortunately, guests for a wedding has/had me working on the house for last couple of months as part of a remodel. The boat sits and I pine....marriage intact. Salvation is reading club posts between saw dust and concrete.
Garris

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My 1979 Mopntauk came with a red and black painted name on both sides also, although the surrounding hull was not oxidized at all. I expected some ghositng, but found very little since the boat was stored indoors all it's life and only had 250 hours of total use on it when I bought it four years ago.

I STONGLY recommend you not use any paint removers, but instead wet sand the paint off. That is what I had to do, and the final result was a like new hull.

http://smg.photobucket.com/user/lgolt...9907954993

In your case, with a heavily oxidized hull, you will DEFINITELY have shadowing, and it may be so bad you are unable to totally sand through it.

Here is the process:

1. Using a small block, use #400 wet sanding to get the paint off. If it's really tough, you may have to go down to #220, but no more than that. Don't use you fingers or palm as you may gouge out the flat gelcoat surface with the #400 or 220. Once you have that done, you can look at the surrounding areas and see what you have. It is entirely possible you may have to wet sand the entire hull side in order to get a uniform color and eliminate ghositng, which will also require a new Whaler decal and hull #'s.

2. Then, work you way up though the wet sanding grades, and for this you can use a broad surface from hand sanding. Just don't "dig in" with your fingers. From #400, go to 600, 1000, 1500, and 2000.
It's really not as much work as it sounds.

3. Then, you are ready for 3 grades of polishing if you really want a factory high gloss finish. Wool or artifical wool pads are required. Using your buffer, begin with 3M Imperial Compound and Finishing Material. It comes in a black and purple bottle (about $40/qt) and may now be called Marine Polishing compound. It is really an amazing product and the best I have ever used. Do not use the 3M Marine heavy duty compound they also sell - too-much cut and not needed after the wet sanding.

4. Next is 3M Finessit-II, also at least $40/qt, but you get what you pay for. It really starts to bring up the high gloss, if directions on bottle are followed to buff until the pad is dry.

5. Finally, you can do the "glaze" step. I use KIT Scratch Remover in the yellow bottle from Pep Boys.
This is an automotive clear coat micro-fine scratch remover and leaves an incredible high gloss surface, on either a car or a boat. (I also use it the Mercury Phantom Black outboard paint).

I guarantee if you follow this process, and do it correctly, you boat will look likes it's out of the factory.
but I can't guarantee name ghosting will be totally eliminated with out seeing the hull. Some Whaler gelcoat is so badly damaged by UV that the ghosting can't be elliminated without sanding thru the gelcoat. In that case, new gelcoat is required.

Good luck, and have fun. The end results provide great satisfaction of a job well done.

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For those who have not wet sanded, it is not difficult but care and caution is needed. If you sand in one area too long, you can get to gelcoat.

Wet sanding is always done by hand, never by a machine.

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For an example of how wet sanding, followed by compounding and and buffing, can bring back a Whaler hull, see the 10th photo down in this Personal Page.

http://www.whalercentral.com/infusion...ser_id=291

Beautiful work, Chris.

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Please post some pictures. Both Garris and I have the same 1979 Revenge, and I could definitely use the inspiration of seeing one look pretty.