228 dark blue body trim

[wavetamer]

What product do you use to make the hard dark blue trim that goes bow to stern look new and shinny again

 

[wavetamer]

the blue rub rail

 

[Doc Stressor]

Wipe it down with acetone using a soft rag.

 

[Rumford Grady]

Like Doc Stressor stated.....wipe down with acetone and then go with 2 coast of Mop'n'Glo. I got this tip from a fellow Great Grady member and it works well.

 

[SmokyMtnGrady]

If you have ever seen My Big Fat Greek wedding, the dad of Tulla answer for most troubles in life was Windex. In my scuff mark thread and now this one, DocStressor has now suggested acetone or products with acetone in them twice as a magic cure all for boats. Lol. When I get home from my wedding trip here, I will try the acetone on my rub rail and the mol n glow too. Maybe acetone is the Miracle solvent and polish of the 21st century?
doc and I have met before in the mountains and I am just having fun.

 

[Doc Stressor]

No Bob, I didn't recommend acetone for removing your scuff marks. I recommended GoofOff, which is a mixture of toluene and xylene.

Here's a little organic chemistry lesson:

Acetone - a polar solvent that mixes readily with water and dries very quickly. It removes scuffs from vinyl/rubber rub rails by dissolving the surface layer, which fuses back as the solvent rapidly evaporates. It isn't very toxic because it is produced as a part of normal human metabolism.

Toluene/xylene - these are much less polar organic compounds that are related to benzene. Neither mixes with water. These are good solvents for many plastics, among other things like synthetic rubber. The xylene is much less volatile than acetone or toluene, so it can soak into a dark scuff mark, dissolve it, and let you wipe it away. This stuff is fairly toxic, so try not to inhale very much. Toluene is what glue sniffers get high from.

Isopropanol (rubbing alcohol) - another polar solvent that is useful on boats. Not toxic unless you drink it. It mixes readily with water. It will remove sap and spider crap from boat surfaces very well. It will also remove excess silicon sealant. But if the sealant is dry, you need to use something like a pot scrubber to loosen it up.

None of these solvents will harm hardened gelcoat, which is thickened epoxy or polyester resin.

Windex? I hate that stuff. It's a mixture of water and isopropanol with a little surfactant added. It's too dilute to do much except clean not too dirty glass and leave a bunch of streaks behind.

 

[SmokyMtnGrady]

Doc,
Thanks for the clarification and taking me back to my days in organic chemistry. Lol. I was just having some fun. The dad in that movie used Windex from cleaning Windows to treating acne. Lol. I did mean to imply you are a fan of it.

 

[Doc Stressor]

I remember the movie. Loved it!

 

[wavetamer]

Is that the mop and glow in a blue jug, are you just putting it on the rub rail or the whole boat

 

[SmokyMtnGrady]

The mop n glow is for the rub rail only. The boat itself I use collinites wax. The deck I use woody wax. If the topsides are oxidized I use a rubbing compound like Maguiers oxidation remover and then polish with 3M Finesse then wax.

 

[seasick]

What product do you use to make the hard dark blue trim that goes bow to stern look new and shinny again

If you can tell that the rub rail is blue, it's not that dirty!
Before I first cleaned mine, years back, I swore it was black. When cleaned, I said GEE, the rail is blue

 

[seasick]

No Bob, I didn't recommend acetone for removing your scuff marks. I recommended GoofOff, which is a mixture of toluene and xylene.

Here's a little organic chemistry lesson:

Acetone - a polar solvent that mixes readily with water and dries very quickly. It removes scuffs from vinyl/rubber rub rails by dissolving the surface layer, which fuses back as the solvent rapidly evaporates. It isn't very toxic because it is produced as a part of normal human metabolism.

Toluene/xylene - these are much less polar organic compounds that are related to benzene. Neither mixes with water. These are good solvents for many plastics, among other things like synthetic rubber. The xylene is much less volatile than acetone or toluene, so it can soak into a dark scuff mark, dissolve it, and let you wipe it away. This stuff is fairly toxic, so try not to inhale very much. Toluene is what glue sniffers get high from.

Isopropanol (rubbing alcohol) - another polar solvent that is useful on boats. Not toxic unless you drink it. It mixes readily with water. It will remove sap and spider crap from boat surfaces very well. It will also remove excess silicon sealant. But if the sealant is dry, you need to use something like a pot scrubber to loosen it up.

None of these solvents will harm hardened gelcoat, which is thickened epoxy or polyester resin.

Windex? I hate that stuff. It's a mixture of water and isopropanol with a little surfactant added. It's too dilute to do much except clean not too dirty glass and leave a bunch of streaks behind.

I don't know all the chemistry but I do know that if the rail is the least bit wet or damp, the acetone just doesn't work well . You also have to change the rag often since it will reapply the dirt you just removed