Compounding tight areas?

GJarrett

Member
Oct 3, 2006
649
Tampa, FL
Boat Info
'02 260 Sundancer
Engines
6.2 MPI
I'm using a rotary buffer to restore my gelcoat, and it is taking a high setting to effectively work the compound into the gelcoat and get the shine back, something that would be impossible - or take countless hours of exhausting labor - to attempt without the power rotary buffer.

I am at a loss to figure out how to effectively compound the small areas such as inside the cleats and around the stanchions that the buffer cannot access. Short of many tiresome hours of feverishly rubbing a pad by hand, is there a trick to get into those areas?
 
I run two pads - a normal 7.5 inch and a smaller 4 inch with a standoff to give more space for the buffer. Much tighter I need to do by hand.

-Kevin
 
can you remove the cleats then use the buffer?....

or use a drill polisher like this for the tight areas.....

cliff

 
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I have found a good way to shine the tight areas is with 3M Color/Gloss Restorer, by hand. It takes the least effort with best results of any of the 386,284 products I have tried.
 
I have found a good way to shine the tight areas is with 3M Color/Gloss Restorer, by hand. It takes the least effort with best results of any of the 386,284 products I have tried.

... great one more product I am going to have to try. LOL :D

-Kevin
 
I use 6" extensions for the rotary to get the stuff behind the rub rail. It still leaves some spots behind that I then hit with a DA polisher or just do by hand. The standoff works pretty well as long as you keep the RPM's low or it wants to wobble. It helps to use a smaller pad for the standoff too.
 
Get a 4 I inch variable speed grinder with buffing pads . In Canada I can get 1 for about 50 bucks at princess auto . I believe the Us has harbour freight that sells cheap tools like that or Chicago electric. For really small areas use an oscillating tool like a Rockwell and use a shamwow cut to the size of the triangular sanding attachment
 
I’ve got a Makita 9227 rotary that I use with full size pads, a Flex Kompact Rotary that I use with 3” pads in spots that are too tight for the Makita, and the few really tight spots that neither machine can get in to I do by hand.
If you’re trying to remove oxidation by hand and restore a shine you may be out of luck.
 
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Small rotary machines that you hold with one hand with small wool pads or other good cutting and polishing pads is what the experts around here use for tight spaces. Larger polishers are used for the larger areas that do not have nooks and crannies. Sea Rays can be hard to detail because of ridges by radar arches, logos that attract and hold compound, wax and dirt, trim tape that can be burned, narrow walkways, and lots of plastic that can be burned with a wheel. So it just takes longer to detail boats with these design elements.
 
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I'm using a rotary buffer to restore my gelcoat, and it is taking a high setting to effectively work the compound into the gelcoat and get the shine back, something that would be impossible - or take countless hours of exhausting labor - to attempt without the power rotary buffer.

I am at a loss to figure out how to effectively compound the small areas such as inside the cleats and around the stanchions that the buffer cannot access. Short of many tiresome hours of feverishly rubbing a pad by hand, is there a trick to get into those areas?
Use a rim polisher used on a drill .that's what I use for tight areas it works great for me
 

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