Waxing

[jklangen99]

So I got the bright idea to wax my boat while it was on the trailer coming back from my fuel system issue service. I used McGuires marine wax on the hull and for the life of me could not buff it out. I even used a buffing pad on the end of my cordless drill! I could see a cloudiness when looking at the hull surface at almost 180 degrees. It buffed out nicely above the decal running along a few inches below the gunwale. Any thoughts? I have a 2002 Tournament 223.

 

[seasick]

Lots of possibilities: Did you wash the hull first? If so, was it dry before applying the wax? Did you follow the directions? Some waxes like to dry to a haze before buffing and some like to be buffed wet.There may have been an incompatible wax or other finish on the hull.
If the finish was oxidized, you would need to use a polishing or rubbing compound first to remove the oxidation. For light cleaning, I like the Collonite(?) fiberglass cleaner.

You might also want to try a cleaner/polish product if the hull isn't very dirty and/or oxidized.

Note that some drills might spin too fast for a buffing pad and that can lead to finish burn.

 

[jbrinch88]

We use 3M Heavy Duty Rubbing Compound followed by 3m Cleaner Wax for gel coat on a wool pad with a polishing machine. Never had an unhappy customer in our yard. I get a kick out of people using those vibrating machines or doing it by hand, the results never even come close.