[ Home > Boat Polishers & Accessories > Polishers, Pads & Accessories > Professional Circular (High Speed) Polishers, Pads & Accessories > Gel Coat Labs Master
Marine Detailing Kit ]
Gel Coat Labs Master |
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| Our Master Marine
Detailing Kit is also available with a Makita BO6040 Two Mode
Polisher and 6 inch Backing Plate..
Select our specially priced BTS-6040MMD Kit listed below. |
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A gel coat primer. Gel coat, the smooth glassy outer finish on your boat is porous. Seen under a microscope, gel coat is millions of tiny holes or pores. As gel coat ages from exposure to salt water and sunlight, these pores fill with oxidized polymer molecules called "chalk". Waxing or sealing the gel coat will slow the oxidation process but not stop it. Oxidation is still continuing under the wax! This is why waxing alone is not enough. Eventually, even with routine waxing, the gel coat will oxidize so severely that it will require major refurbishing. |
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Compounding removes heavy oxidation, deeper scratches and severe chalk on painted and standard gel coat surfaces. Gel Coat Labs Gel Coat Heavy Cut Compound contains both a mechanical abrasive and a cutting solvent. It is designed to be applied with a wool, Gel Coat Compounding Pad on a circular machine polisher. We include a stainless steel brush for cleaning pads that become caked with chalk but it typically requires two wool pads to compound a 28 ft boat. |
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After compounding the finish is clean with a hazy finish. It does not have the gloss of new gel coat. Gloss is restored by polishing. Gel Coat Labs Gel Coat
Fine Cut Polish with a Gel Coat Wool Pad on a circular machine polisher
takes the gel coat to a glass-like finish. |
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After compounding, you must re-apply a sealant. Again, you can do this by hand but a dual-action machine polisher, with the proper pad, will allow you to accomplish this in a fraction of the time it would take to seal your boat by hand. One-step, Gel Coat Micro-polish & Sealant will take the already polished gel coat to the next level and seal the shine under a tough, acrylic shield. The actual procedure: |
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Compounding is started by wiping a small amount of compound over a 3 sq. ft. area using a dry, Microfiber Applicator Pad. Next, put a Gel Coat Wool Compounding Pad on your circular polisher and go over the area twice in a back-and-forth motion and once in an up-and-down motion. Stop when the surface has a thin, wet film. If pad becomes caked with residues, fluff the pad with a stainless steel brush. (See application guide). If pad becomes excessively dirty, switch to a fresh pad. Finish by wiping off residues by hand using a dry, Microfiber Wipe Cloth. Continue compounding in 3 sq. ft. sections until the entire vessel is done. After compounding, polish with Gel Coat Labs Gel Coat Fine Cut Polish to restore gloss. Wipe a small amount of polish over a 3 sq. ft. area using a dry, Microfiber Applicator Pad. Put a fresh Gel Coat Wool Compounding Pad on your circular polisher and go over the area twice in a back-and-forth motion and once in an up-and-down motion. Stop when gloss is restored. If pad becomes caked with residues, fluff the pad with a stainless steel brush. (See application guide). Finish by wiping off any remaining residues by hand using a dry, Microfiber Wipe Cloth. Continue polishing in 3 sq. ft. sections until the entire vessel is done. Applying the final sealant is even easier. Place an Orange, Gel Coat Foam Pad on your dual-action machine, mist the pad with Pad Lubricant and apply two lines of sealant to the pad. Work over 3 sq. ft. sections and wipe off residues by hand with a dry, Microfiber Wipe Cloth. If you want to review the complete step-by-step procedure in more detail, I've published Bow to Stern's Product Application Guide here: Gel Coat Labs Application Guide. |
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(Kit of products only for use with either a circular or dual-action machine polisher with a 6" backing plate.A $175 value if purchased separately.) |