wetsanding

It appears this link is a year old. I am considering doing this to my 95 sport, any suggestions based on the experience learned here??

You got it! You will need a plastic backing (sometimes sold seperately) for the buffing pad. And you have to take the guard off.

If you like no-compromise tools, the Milwaukee 6078 is fantastic, and should last a few generations.

Wool pads like David describes are also available at NAPA

I bought a rotary buffer from Sears a couple years ago to do my 336. Wetsanded the shadow where I peeled the vinyl name off and compounded the whole boat with the wool pad, then went over it again with the foam pad and 3m Finess-it II and then wax by hand. The CC should be a piece of cake after that...

Thank you to all your advice. Can all this be purchased at a automotive store? Prices on rotary buffers? Thank you.

I can tell you from first hand and current experience that if you use 2000 or 1500 grit paper, you will do nothing to gelcoat but take out the shine. Gelcoat is far to hard for 1500 grit paper to do much of anything. My advice:

If trying to remove oxidized gelcoat, start with 600 then compound with course compound or go one step higher, then compound. THis approach assume machine compounding. Do not even try to compound by hand.

If trying to remove a deep scratch, then start with 400 and work your way up. Grits higher than 600 and you start wasting your energy.

If you start with 400, you should use a rigid sanding block (NOT rubber). 600 can be used by hand since it cuts very little. Always start and finish with wet sanding using soapy water to help the paper glide and avoid chatter (my word).

Wet sanding and polishing can be labor intensive and you need the right tools and equip to get a deep shine back. The rule of thumb is that is you can feel a scratch with your nails you will have to wet sand it out. I would go with the 2000 grit paper to sand them out. Or if you want to speed up the process go with 1500 till the scratches are gone. Dry area with a towel and look to see if you can see the scratches. If no, then go over all sanded areas with 2000 grit to finish. This will make the polishing process much easier. To wet sand get a bucket with water, spray bottle with 3 pumps of dish soap in it for lubercation, and a garden hose. wash the scratched area so no dirt. Then spray with soap. Then fold the paper in half and sand with the palm of your hand not your finger tips. Or get a 3m wet sanding block about three bucks. Now you got the scratches out. Get a rotary buffer! Don't even try one of those orbital POS. please. Rotary buffer with a wool pad and Meguyers dimond cut compound. Spin it with your force directly in the center of the pad, use your palm if you need. Work a small area. 1x1 or so. This compound is clay based and the clay particles begin course and break down into a finer polish as you go. Work area to a near perfect shine. This is the most important step because no other compound strength will bring back the deep luster from sanding. You may be satisfied with this look. If your anything like me though, you'll go a little further. The wool pad will leave fine swirl marks and that ok. That's it's job. Now, a red foam Meguires pad with the cleaner polish compound. Use recomended rpms on bottles. This will thake out all the swirl marks left by the wool pad and leave the boat looking super. Go over the boat with this all over if ya like, I do. Then......ah yes, I use a teflon sealent with the yellow Meguyers pad all over. Absolute glass! Your stuff will look brand new. Or get the polymer sealent it's meguyers #20 and great on black also. Your gel coat is super thick so don't even worry about going through it. Stay off the stickers! Good luck. Sounds like a lot but it's really not. 3 pads, 2 compounds and some wax.