Sanding in My Future
Printed From: CorrectCraftFan.com
Category: Repairs and Maintenance
Forum Name: Boat Maintenance
Forum Discription: Discuss maintenance of your Correct Craft
URL: http://www.CorrectCraftFan.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=10203
Printed Date: January-19-2025 at 4:04am
Topic: Sanding in My Future
Posted By: azeus17
Subject: Sanding in My Future
Date Posted: April-19-2008 at 9:40pm
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I have finally started to clean up the outside of the boat. i ordered new decals and they just came in. The old decals came off pretty easy with the heat gun. Saying it is faded is an understatement!
Check out the before and after. With Decals: 
Without: 
After first round with 3M Super Duty Compound: (This is the other side, but same amount of fading) 
On the second to last pic, I had buffed out to the end of Sport. I guess I am going to have to wet sand. I hope I do not have to go down to too rough of a grit, but we will see. You guys have any guesses how low of a grit I will need? Should I go strait to the 300 and work my way back up? Man I was hoping to not have to do this! 
------------- Boats: Current: 02 SANTE Sold: 89 Sport Nautique |
Replies:
Posted By: TRBenj
Date Posted: April-19-2008 at 10:49pm
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Youre right- youll have to sand. As great as the SD compound is, Ive found that it isnt aggressive enough to remove fading or oxidation from gelcoat. Try 1000 grit and see how it goes. If you dont get results quickly, work towards the more aggressive grits until you do (1000-800-600-400-320). Work back up to 1000 and compound again.
The good news is that sanding is pretty mindless and the results are worth it! ------------- |
Posted By: 65 'cuda
Date Posted: April-20-2008 at 12:39pm
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My brother in law just got one of these, I'm going to give it a try, I'll post results.
http://www.hutchinsmfg.com/content/7544.html - waterbug sander Gary ------------- Gary http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=941" rel="nofollow - 1965 Barracuda SS |
Posted By: azeus17
Date Posted: April-20-2008 at 12:47pm
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Definitely do post results! Do you know how much that set him back?
TRBenj- You do not wet sand all the way down to 320, do you? At what point do you dry sand and wet sand? I guess the packaging would say. Also, I remember your post about you wet sanding. Did you go down to 320 on your deck and hull? I didn't really think my deck was that bad until I saw how white yours is! ------------- Boats: Current: 02 SANTE Sold: 89 Sport Nautique |
Posted By: 65 'cuda
Date Posted: April-20-2008 at 12:52pm
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About $ 300.00. He does enough car, bike, hydroplane, work to justify it.
------------- Gary http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=941" rel="nofollow - 1965 Barracuda SS |
Posted By: bkhallpass
Date Posted: April-20-2008 at 1:48pm
You're not really going down to 320. The idea is to use the least abrasive grit to get the job done. If you start with 1000, and it doesn't work, you go to 800, if that doesn't work, you go to 600 and so on. If you knew what it would take to remove your oxidation issue you would start with that and work your way up. Might be 320, might be 600. The coarser the paper, the wider and deaper the scratches it leaves behind. You use 600 to remove the 400 scratches, use 800 to remove the 600 scratches and so on. Once you get to 1000 grit you move on to a buffing wheel and compounds. You really don't want to dry sand the gel coat. BKH ------------- Livin' the Dream |
azeus17 wrote:Posted By: TRBenj
Date Posted: April-20-2008 at 3:09pm
Yes, wetsand all the way. I believe it keeps the scratches more consistent than doing it dry. I did have to sand all the way down to 320 on my deck- I didnt do much with the hull (yet) as it doesnt really need it. I removed some old warning stickers that revealed white gel underneath- similar to what you found when you removed your decals. ------------- |
Posted By: bsucics
Date Posted: April-20-2008 at 4:35pm
I'm a little surprised you didn't get further with the 3m SD. I'm using it right now, and it's done very well with the oxidation and fading. I get pretty agressive with the polisher. It looks like my gel was pretty comparable to yours...
 ------------- http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=1840" rel="nofollow - 1989 Ski Nautique |
Posted By: azeus17
Date Posted: April-20-2008 at 10:43pm
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It looks like you have your decals taped off. That is my problem, they were all really bad as you can see. The new decals I had to get reproduced and although they are very good, they are not the exact dimensions and spacing. You would still see the shadows behind them.
Otherwise, yes I am impressed with the Super Duty as well. I used it in other areas and have been happy with the results. BKH/TRBenj- Thanks for the advice. Now, if I had more self control, I would start sanding instead of heading out, but when it is 83 and sunny, it is hard!  ------------- Boats: Current: 02 SANTE Sold: 89 Sport Nautique |
Posted By: Bremsen
Date Posted: April-20-2008 at 10:43pm
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Azues, are you using a high speed polisher with that 3m SD? What rpm do you have it set at? IMO, it should do better than that. My results were more like bsucics above. ------------- http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=923&sort=&pagenum=3&yrstart=1986&yrend=1990 - Our 88 SN2001 |
Posted By: reidp
Date Posted: April-21-2008 at 12:13am
I certainly can't say that light blue is any different from any other color, but this hull of Marshall Morgan's Mustang wasn't about to come back w/o the wetsanding. And like Bremsen asked, if you're not already Azeus, you need to use a high speed buffer/polisher for the 3M and not an orbital or light duty buffer. And for the wet sanding, always go wet. It actually cuts better and the paper will last 10 times longer w/o ever clogging up.
 ------------- ReidP /diaries/details.asp?ID=231&yrstart=1971&yrend=1975 - 1973 Mustang |
Posted By: Barracuda
Date Posted: April-21-2008 at 12:18am
The only way to get out those shadows is to sand it out. I had to go to 320 grit to get the shadows out, but the blue might not be as bad as burgundy. Before: 
After: 
 ------------- Former: http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=759" rel="nofollow - '86 Nautique http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=507" rel="nofollow - '65 Barracuda |
Posted By: azeus17
Date Posted: April-21-2008 at 10:34am
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I am using a high speed buffer. It is not a great model, but it works. It does not tell you what RPM it is running. It only has a roller wheel with MIN, I, II, III, IV, and stated speed between 700 and 3000 RPM's so I an guestimating the setting based on that. With the SD I have been setting around III. My pad may be part of the problem too. It is a twisted wool pad, but it does not seem to get much cut, and gums up pretty quick. Should I be able to see any cut/swirl marks when using the wool pad and the SD? Currently I can't, it buffs to a shine. ------------- Boats: Current: 02 SANTE Sold: 89 Sport Nautique |
Posted By: Barracuda
Date Posted: April-21-2008 at 10:40am
Definitely. You should see swirl marks and your pad should start to turn the color of your gel coat. If not, then it's probably not cutting. ------------- Former: http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=759" rel="nofollow - '86 Nautique http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=507" rel="nofollow - '65 Barracuda |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: April-21-2008 at 10:48am
Get a decent bonnet/pad like a 3M 2+2 plus a bonnet cleaning tool. Both will improve the buffing experience!!  ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |
Posted By: azeus17
Date Posted: April-21-2008 at 10:53am
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OK, Thanks. I will definetly pick up another pad to compair. It did turn the color of the gel pretty quickly though. May have already been to gummed up. I had already gone around the whole deck before I tried on the hull. Either way, I am still going to be sanding to get those shadows out. Any tips for sanding? I read the post debating the DA or hand meathod, but I will be doing it by hand as I don't have access to a compressor or a DA. Is it best to use a foam or rubber sanding block of some sort? ------------- Boats: Current: 02 SANTE Sold: 89 Sport Nautique |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: April-21-2008 at 12:43pm
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Adam,
Good luck with the shadow. Some have had success others have not. It depends a lot on how deep it goes. As far as a block for sanding, I always use a hard block such as a piece of wood for flat to close to flat surfaces. This really is the only way to level it out. ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |
Posted By: TRBenj
Date Posted: April-21-2008 at 1:19pm
For grits 400 and below, go with a rigid sanding block. For 600 and finer, I did it by hand. I helped Brad (Barracuda) with his hull shown above with the same method and results as my own. ------------- |
Posted By: 79nautique
Date Posted: April-21-2008 at 1:22pm
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if your not using a DA your waisting your time regardless of what grit you start which I wouldn't go below 800 to start with, but if you like scratchs not your self out. ------------- http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=756&sort=&pagenum=1&yrstart=1979&yrend=1979 - 79 nautique |
Posted By: Bremsen
Date Posted: April-21-2008 at 2:07pm
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I prefer hard block sanding (stir sticks cut to length work pretty good)....but I come from autobody and we didn't dare use a DA on a 5-figure paint job. I know gel is a different animal, but I guess I'm stuck in my ways.
Again, I'm just surprised those shadows don't come out...here is my results with just 3M SD  ------------- http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=923&sort=&pagenum=3&yrstart=1986&yrend=1990 - Our 88 SN2001 |
Posted By: azeus17
Date Posted: April-21-2008 at 9:48pm
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Pete-
Are you saying that I may not be able to get the shadows out? Based on the pictures posted, do you think I am at risk of that? Even if I am wasting my time, Chris, I can not leave it how it is. I have to work with what I have. How thick is the gel on these boats? ------------- Boats: Current: 02 SANTE Sold: 89 Sport Nautique |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: April-21-2008 at 10:42pm
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Adam, I'm one of the people who had a problem with the shadow which is really the virgin color of the gel under the vinyl. It was on my 77 Tique. I was down to 320. I didn't want to sand any farther for fear of going though the gel. The area around the decals will get "dirty" from all the years of being exposed. This in some cases will go deep. I ended up re gelling the transom and having the "since 1925" reproduced in the correct size to cover the shadow. (the since decals you find on line are smaller than the originals)
Why aren't your decals the same size as the originals? You mentioned that you had new decals made. How was this done? From a full size tracing? The gel thickness varies from say .030" to corners where it may be .10" The problem with sanding and not knowing the thickness is that you will not know until it's too late!! ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |
Posted By: azeus17
Date Posted: April-22-2008 at 10:57am
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Well, I guess I will have to see what happens when I start sanding. I hope I don't run into a situation where it has to be re coated.
The decals were not made from a tracing. I found a thread on here in the "Common Questions" forum about decals. The post on there had pictures of the decals that were made for another Sport Nautique and they looked great! I called the people up and asked them to make me a set. I sent them pictures of all the decals I needed (even though they are the same ones they had already made). Then they asked me a strange question, I thought. They asked what the dimensions of mine were. I had assumed that the same boats would have the same size graphics. Either way, I measured and sent them dimensions. When they came in, they are slightly different. It kind of sucks because if they were exact, I would just get it looking as good as I could with a light sanding and throw the decals back on and it would look fine. Oh well, like I said before, I just have to work with what I have. ------------- Boats: Current: 02 SANTE Sold: 89 Sport Nautique |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: April-22-2008 at 11:56am
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Adam, The issue has come up before regarding the decals being made from a digital picture. It obviously can be done but they will not be the same. The reason they asked you the width and height dimensions is they "stretched" the photo into the rough dimensions. A straight on photo shot assumes that the decal plane is perpendicular. It really isn't and the angle changes from bow to aft. A square will look square if this plane is perpendicular but will look like a rectangle when that plane is inclined. I don't think much about a decal shop that would give you the impression they could produce a exact duplicate from a digital photo. It is not the same as one of the graphics files they use. The only way is with a full size tracing to a full size scan. ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |