Using a rotary polisher is not easy....first(ish) time through on my boat

I have found that if you have a lot of oxidation to remove, the pads REALLY load up quickly. It is the gell coat oxidation that builds up on the pads.

I have a great million dollar+ invention for someone to make. My fee for the idea is just to get one for free once you build them. If you have ever seen a car manufacturing assembly line, some of the heavy tools are suspended from above by a cord that is weighted/tensioned to balance the tools weight. Then the operator can move around all day without holding the full weight of the tool. Invent such a thing for boaters to use to hold their polishers and you will have a financial winner!
 
Machristo said:
Could simply attach to the rail and be moved along as needed! Love it! I’ll take 2
Click to expand...

Except you still need to move the tool up/down and side/side to do the polishing. Unless we get us some robots involved I fear the amount of arm strength required would be almost the same.

We really just need those trailers like they use to haul racing catamaran boats. If we could just tilt the boat 45 +/- degrees from center I could just lean on over with my Dewalt, problem solved, shoulders saved. :)
 
Stee6043 said:
Yesterday I finished a polish+wax on the hull sides on my boat. I used a Presta "ultra polish" (a very light compound) followed by a polymer wax (hand applied). I have a Dewalt rotary w/ Presta wool buffing pads.

As I was waxing I could definitely see where I was doing a less than perfect job with the polish/rotary. Three things occurred to me - 1.) Lighting can add to the challenge of polishing, 2.) the pads definitely load up about half way through a side on a 40' boat, using a spur helps...a little and 3.) a Dewalt rotary is insanely heavy as you get toward the front of the boat (assuming you start at the stern).

The lighting topic was more challenging than I thought it would be, even when using a bright work light. Based on my online education on polishing :))) if you're doing it right you work the polish until it's basically gone which happens pretty quickly if you don't overdo the polish. But depending on lighting and angle its hard to see where you've hit the sides with polish before it starts to work into a shine.

It's also quite an art trying to find the right angle for using a rotary on vertical(ish) surfaces. Keeping consistent contact without it jumping around...not super easy.

I'm going to move on to the deck now. It should be easier in terms of the weight of the polisher but there are a lot of things to work around up there. I plan to compound, polish and then wax the deck surfaces. My deck is quite a bit more chaulky than the hullsides.

Just thought I'd share since we've been a little light on portable generator threads this winter!

Until I return...she's still all tucked in.
49547567731_085d155fdd_c.jpg
Click to expand...

Nice work!
I’ve been working with polishers for about 50 years and although my Makita 9227 is much lighter than the machines I used years ago, it still gets real heavy after a few hours.
Couple of quick tips:
Clean the surface with some sort of cleaner or chemical before going at it with a machine. Don’t use your pads to clean the surface.
I prefer wool pads on gel coat (boats) and foam on paint (cars).
Name brand modern polish and compound products are all pretty good, so that’s a personal preference.
The Presta Products you used are good ones and it is easy to clean them out of your wool pads with plain water at the end of the day. I started using them the last couple of years for that reason.
If using Presta: Spray the crap out of the wool pads with water from a garden hose with a nozzle, reinstall, spin them on the machine for a minute, remove again, lay them flat to dry and they’re ready to go the next day.
Watch your speed. Lots of name brand polish/compound has recommended rotary speed on the label. Follow that recommendation.
Keep a spur handy and use it frequently.
Caking up excessively can usually be attributed to using too much product. A small amount on the pad, spread it out over a workable surface area with short bursts on the trigger while moving the machine around and then go to town.
Letting the machine, pad and product do the job will reduce fatigue a bit. The more you lean in to it, the faster that machine will get heavy.
Cover vinyl boot stripes, lettering and graphics with painters tape. While you might get them to shine a bit if you hit them with the polisher, you’ll also prematurely diminish their longevity.
Doing the topsides with the machine works in theory but, other than on wide open non skid surfaces, there are a lot of objects like cleats, grab rails, graphic, emblems, etc. that get in the way and you’re probably better off tackling those tight areas by hand.
In addition to my Makita, I have a mini rotary that uses 3 inch (or smaller) pads that can be used in tight spaces, but it’s still a PIA.
Lots of guys like to apply their last step products (wax or sealer) with a machine. Some with a rotary, others with a random orbital. While I have both types of machines, I prefer to put mine on by hand.
As others have pointed out, every time you use a compound or polish you are removing something from the surface. Once you have your surface in good shape there should be little reason to go at it again with an aggressive compound. Stick to the polish and reserve more aggressive compound for touch up of problem areas like dock rash, etc..
 
JVM225 said:
Nice work!
I’ve been working with polishers for about 50 years and although my Makita 9227 is much lighter than the machines I used years ago, it still gets real heavy after a few hours.
Couple of quick tips:
Clean the surface with some sort of cleaner or chemical before going at it with a machine. Don’t use your pads to clean the surface.
I prefer wool pads on gel coat (boats) and foam on paint (cars).
Name brand modern polish and compound products are all pretty good, so that’s a personal preference.
The Presta Products you used are good ones and it is easy to clean them out of your wool pads with plain water at the end of the day. I started using them the last couple of years for that reason.
If using Presta: Spray the crap out of the wool pads with water from a garden hose with a nozzle, reinstall, spin them on the machine for a minute, remove again, lay them flat to dry and they’re ready to go the next day.
Watch your speed. Lots of name brand polish/compound has recommended rotary speed on the label. Follow that recommendation.
Keep a spur handy and use it frequently.
Caking up excessively can usually be attributed to using too much product. A small amount on the pad, spread it out over a workable surface area with short bursts on the trigger while moving the machine around and then go to town.
Letting the machine, pad and product do the job will reduce fatigue a bit. The more you lean in to it, the faster that machine will get heavy.
Cover vinyl boot stripes, lettering and graphics with painters tape. While you might get them to shine a bit if you hit them with the polisher, you’ll also prematurely diminish their longevity.
Doing the topsides with the machine works in theory but, other than on wide open non skid surfaces, there are a lot of objects like cleats, grab rails, graphic, emblems, etc. that get in the way and you’re probably better off tackling those tight areas by hand.
In addition to my Makita, I have a mini rotary that uses 3 inch (or smaller) pads that can be used in tight spaces, but it’s still a PIA.
Lots of guys like to apply their last step products (wax or sealer) with a machine. Some with a rotary, others with a random orbital. While I have both types of machines, I prefer to put mine on by hand.
As others have pointed out, every time you use a compound or polish you are removing something from the surface. Once you have your surface in good shape there should be little reason to go at it again with an aggressive compound. Stick to the polish and reserve more aggressive compound for touch up of problem areas like dock rash, etc..
Click to expand...

Very helpful! Thank you. I never would have thought to cover the stripes. Fortunately, I plan to replace those next year. ha.

I plan to use the rotary on the non-skid but do plan on hand working the rest topside. I'm hopeful I can fit the rotary into the non-skid walkway going along both sides of the boat. That'll be a lot of ground to cover by hand if not :) My shoulders may be better off but now I'll be complaining about knees and a back...
 
Great post, Thank You!


JVM225 said:
Nice work!
I’ve been working with polishers for about 50 years and although my Makita 9227 is much lighter than the machines I used years ago, it still gets real heavy after a few hours.
Couple of quick tips:
Clean the surface with some sort of cleaner or chemical before going at it with a machine. Don’t use your pads to clean the surface.
I prefer wool pads on gel coat (boats) and foam on paint (cars).
Name brand modern polish and compound products are all pretty good, so that’s a personal preference.
The Presta Products you used are good ones and it is easy to clean them out of your wool pads with plain water at the end of the day. I started using them the last couple of years for that reason.
If using Presta: Spray the crap out of the wool pads with water from a garden hose with a nozzle, reinstall, spin them on the machine for a minute, remove again, lay them flat to dry and they’re ready to go the next day.
Watch your speed. Lots of name brand polish/compound has recommended rotary speed on the label. Follow that recommendation.
Keep a spur handy and use it frequently.
Caking up excessively can usually be attributed to using too much product. A small amount on the pad, spread it out over a workable surface area with short bursts on the trigger while moving the machine around and then go to town.
Letting the machine, pad and product do the job will reduce fatigue a bit. The more you lean in to it, the faster that machine will get heavy.
Cover vinyl boot stripes, lettering and graphics with painters tape. While you might get them to shine a bit if you hit them with the polisher, you’ll also prematurely diminish their longevity.
Doing the topsides with the machine works in theory but, other than on wide open non skid surfaces, there are a lot of objects like cleats, grab rails, graphic, emblems, etc. that get in the way and you’re probably better off tackling those tight areas by hand.
In addition to my Makita, I have a mini rotary that uses 3 inch (or smaller) pads that can be used in tight spaces, but it’s still a PIA.
Lots of guys like to apply their last step products (wax or sealer) with a machine. Some with a rotary, others with a random orbital. While I have both types of machines, I prefer to put mine on by hand.
As others have pointed out, every time you use a compound or polish you are removing something from the surface. Once you have your surface in good shape there should be little reason to go at it again with an aggressive compound. Stick to the polish and reserve more aggressive compound for touch up of problem areas like dock rash, etc..
Click to expand...
 
Stee6043 said:
Except you still need to move the tool up/down and side/side to do the polishing. Unless we get us some robots involved I fear the amount of arm strength required would be almost the same.

We really just need those trailers like they use to haul racing catamaran boats. If we could just tilt the boat 45 +/- degrees from center I could just lean on over with my Dewalt, problem solved, shoulders saved. :)
Click to expand...

There has got to be a Youtube Video about what I am talking about. There is almost no arm strength needed. It just needs to be designed right for light use.
Update. Something like this, but redesigned.
 
Last edited:
I agree with everything JVM225 said. Most professional products are good (I use Presta), use wool pads, etc. There's just one additional tip I'll add that helps with pad build-up and overall results. Use a spray water bottle when applying. You need to do a 2x2 section at a time, so give it a LIGHT spraying of water, apply a SMALL amount of compound, and buff it out. The water will help spread the compound and allow it slowly work into the gelcoat without heating up too quickly. It also keeps the pads from building up - but it takes a few times to get used to the water to compound ratio. You can always add more, so start slow. You don't HAVE to use water, but it really helps to get more consistent results.
 
I use a dewalt buffer, and only do one side per day on my 270 Sundeck. I can't feel my arms for a while after I am done.
 
Would it help to start with a light wet sand with an 800 or 1000? Thats what some folks recommend.
 
Harmon said:
Would it help to start with a light wet sand with an 800 or 1000? Thats what some folks recommend.
Click to expand...

Sure. It might. However, different strength compounds are equivalent to various sand paper grit. So a light compound might be 1500 to 2000 grit. A medium compound might be 800-1000 grit, and a heavy rubbing compound might be 500-600 grit. It depends on many things, but if you're asking if you should use wet sand paper for the first time, it's likely better that you try compounding with a heavy compound and a coarse pad first (then move to something more fine). If you can get the results you're looking for with compound - it's a little friendlier than learning wet sanding.
 
Last edited:
Harmon said:
Would it help to start with a light wet sand with an 800 or 1000? Thats what some folks recommend.
Click to expand...

Those grits are a bit too aggressive.
You really need to know what you’re doing if you want to start wet sanding.
I don’t recommend learning on your gel coat. You might cause expensive damage that will need to be fixed by a pro.
 
Captn TJ said:
I've used different brands of pads including 3M which I bought at our local NAPA store. I actually settled on 2 different "courseness" or types from Harbor Freight - one for polish and one for was for wax (2 different pad colors making it easy to identify). They seemed to do the job as well as the 3M at a fraction of the cost.
Click to expand...
Were these 2 different types of wool pads or foam pads?
 
JVM225 said:
Nice work!
I’ve been working with polishers for about 50 years and although my Makita 9227 is much lighter than the machines I used years ago, it still gets real heavy after a few hours.
Couple of quick tips:
Clean the surface with some sort of cleaner or chemical before going at it with a machine. Don’t use your pads to clean the surface.
I prefer wool pads on gel coat (boats) and foam on paint (cars).
Name brand modern polish and compound products are all pretty good, so that’s a personal preference.
The Presta Products you used are good ones and it is easy to clean them out of your wool pads with plain water at the end of the day. I started using them the last couple of years for that reason.
If using Presta: Spray the crap out of the wool pads with water from a garden hose with a nozzle, reinstall, spin them on the machine for a minute, remove again, lay them flat to dry and they’re ready to go the next day.
Watch your speed. Lots of name brand polish/compound has recommended rotary speed on the label. Follow that recommendation.
Keep a spur handy and use it frequently.
Caking up excessively can usually be attributed to using too much product. A small amount on the pad, spread it out over a workable surface area with short bursts on the trigger while moving the machine around and then go to town.
Letting the machine, pad and product do the job will reduce fatigue a bit. The more you lean in to it, the faster that machine will get heavy.
Cover vinyl boot stripes, lettering and graphics with painters tape. While you might get them to shine a bit if you hit them with the polisher, you’ll also prematurely diminish their longevity.
Doing the topsides with the machine works in theory but, other than on wide open non skid surfaces, there are a lot of objects like cleats, grab rails, graphic, emblems, etc. that get in the way and you’re probably better off tackling those tight areas by hand.
In addition to my Makita, I have a mini rotary that uses 3 inch (or smaller) pads that can be used in tight spaces, but it’s still a PIA.
Lots of guys like to apply their last step products (wax or sealer) with a machine. Some with a rotary, others with a random orbital. While I have both types of machines, I prefer to put mine on by hand.
As others have pointed out, every time you use a compound or polish you are removing something from the surface. Once you have your surface in good shape there should be little reason to go at it again with an aggressive compound. Stick to the polish and reserve more aggressive compound for touch up of problem areas like dock rash, etc..
Click to expand...
Thanks for all the info. Looking to purchase some wool pads for a rotary. Reading a lot of good things about presta pads. There a lot of choices, the wool pad for heavy compounding, yellow blended wool for medium cutting, green wool for light cutting and blue blended wool for soft polishing. I'd like to narrow to 2 pads, probably white for cutting and then? I'm looking for something for polishing to bring out a nice smooth shine to finish with a final wax. Are there 2 you might recommend? What are you using? Thanks
 
Geowh said:
Thanks for all the info. Looking to purchase some wool pads for a rotary. Reading a lot of good things about presta pads. There a lot of choices, the wool pad for heavy compounding, yellow blended wool for medium cutting, green wool for light cutting and blue blended wool for soft polishing. I'd like to narrow to 2 pads, probably white for cutting and then? I'm looking for something for polishing to bring out a nice smooth shine to finish with a final wax. Are there 2 you might recommend? What are you using? Thanks
Click to expand...

After cutting (heavy, medium, or light) you can go straight to polishing with the blue.
 
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