Today, almost every pleasure boat on the water is made from fiberglass and gelcoat. This is not a coincidence. The fiberglass boats are much easier to make in comparison to the metal boats and the wooden boats. They also weigh less and are long-lasting. With all this said, you cannot buy one until you know how to restore faded fiberglass. This is the main maintenance procedure.
A fiber-reinforced plastic is what is widely referred to as fiberglass. In this case, the fiber cloth is used to give a plastic material extra strength. The strengthened plastic is used to make boats, bathtubs, motorhomes, and pickup truck caps. It is the gelcoat (special resin) normally applied to the fiberglass surface that gives it the smooth and shiny surface. When polishing, it is this gelcoat that is targeted. It is the one prone to fading as a result of oxidation effects of the sun and light.
The second step it to clear gelcoat or the glass surface of any oil or grease. Given that the gelcoat may be porous, the detergent often fails to clear all grease and oil. The ideal solutions to use include acetone or MEK. Just soak a rag in the chosen solution and use it to clear any grease. When doing this, it is advisable to always protect yourself using skin rubber gloves.
In order to completely remove grease and oil, the solutions like acetone and MEK offers good result. All that is required is to wipe the greasy surface using a rag soaked with the chosen solution.
This is followed with polishing and waxing comes as the last step. The two steps are likely to restore the shine, but this may not last for two or more months, in fact, it may be difficult to get the same finish as the new one in the showroom. The gelcoat surface normally has several microscopic pits, and these trap air, therefore, enabling oxidation to continue underneath even after polishing and waxing.
After waxing, the next step is polishing. A polish is simply an abrasive, but not a coating. Rather than coating, it removes the pitted surface. The procedure involves using a soft cloth to apply the polish to small areas at a time. This is done by circular motion rubbing to get a glassy appearance. This is then followed by a wax application to protect the new coat.
However, sometimes, the fiberglass is so faded that the normal polishing and waxing may not restore its shiny look. In this case, a stronger abrasive rubbing compound is required. The rubbing compounds are available in many varieties, from mild compounds to heavy-duty.
Unlike the wax, the polish products have a small amount of abrasive to help rub off the oxidation giving a brighter shine. As such, they offer a good solution to boats that have a high degree of fading. They do not offer any protection afterward and wax should be applied soon after polishing.
A fiber-reinforced plastic is what is widely referred to as fiberglass. In this case, the fiber cloth is used to give a plastic material extra strength. The strengthened plastic is used to make boats, bathtubs, motorhomes, and pickup truck caps. It is the gelcoat (special resin) normally applied to the fiberglass surface that gives it the smooth and shiny surface. When polishing, it is this gelcoat that is targeted. It is the one prone to fading as a result of oxidation effects of the sun and light.
The second step it to clear gelcoat or the glass surface of any oil or grease. Given that the gelcoat may be porous, the detergent often fails to clear all grease and oil. The ideal solutions to use include acetone or MEK. Just soak a rag in the chosen solution and use it to clear any grease. When doing this, it is advisable to always protect yourself using skin rubber gloves.
In order to completely remove grease and oil, the solutions like acetone and MEK offers good result. All that is required is to wipe the greasy surface using a rag soaked with the chosen solution.
This is followed with polishing and waxing comes as the last step. The two steps are likely to restore the shine, but this may not last for two or more months, in fact, it may be difficult to get the same finish as the new one in the showroom. The gelcoat surface normally has several microscopic pits, and these trap air, therefore, enabling oxidation to continue underneath even after polishing and waxing.
After waxing, the next step is polishing. A polish is simply an abrasive, but not a coating. Rather than coating, it removes the pitted surface. The procedure involves using a soft cloth to apply the polish to small areas at a time. This is done by circular motion rubbing to get a glassy appearance. This is then followed by a wax application to protect the new coat.
However, sometimes, the fiberglass is so faded that the normal polishing and waxing may not restore its shiny look. In this case, a stronger abrasive rubbing compound is required. The rubbing compounds are available in many varieties, from mild compounds to heavy-duty.
Unlike the wax, the polish products have a small amount of abrasive to help rub off the oxidation giving a brighter shine. As such, they offer a good solution to boats that have a high degree of fading. They do not offer any protection afterward and wax should be applied soon after polishing.
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