what to use to remove.........
 

Hi everyone. I have a question for all of you. Im the one that just got the 25ft convincor boat. The guy I got it from said that he had a detailer person do the work on this boat last year and now it looks like he forgot to take wax off after he applied it. I guess he actually used a 3m rubbing compond that was mixed with some wax and now it looks like it is so faded and wont come out but it will with ALOT of rubbing, and I mean ALOT. Its like when the stuff heat up from rubbing it with your fingeres it starts to make these very little balls but then starts to smudg it all around. I have tried maguires 1st, 2nd, and 3rd step wax stuff with a buffer and it takes some of it off but smears the rest.It took me 2 1/2 hours just to do the top of one side of the deck, thats how bad it is. PLEASE tell me that I dont have to wet sand it. If anybody has ANY ideas on how to get this stuff off, PLEASE let me know. The small area that did come clean shows very good clearcoat still so im assuming that the rest of the boat is the same way. PLEASE help me with this one. THANKS for any input.
JOHN.

If all else fails - IN A WELL VENTILATED AREA, THAT IS, OUTDOORS - try a little gasoline on a rag. Seems to remove most waxes, compounds, road tar, bugs etc. Of course this will probably leave things a little dull so wash it good and try a good wax.

I have seen people wax and leave it on all winter. I don't know why and certainly don't agree with it. Is your boat red or black? Is it gelcoat or clearcote? I have had bad experiences with starbrite on faded red and black boats. It contains silicones and will leave what you are describing. Hope that is not the case. However on gelcoat the best thing I've found is Meguires fine cut cleaner #2. It works well in tight areas by hand and works great with a superbuff 2 Pad on a polisher. If you are good with a polisher try that and follow with wax by hand.
Jim

I beleave it is a clearcoat but im really not sure how to tell the difference. The boat is red and like a cream color.

Hey John,

Sorry to hear about your troubles. I can only imagine how the finish looks underneath the residue. Wetsanding is going to be your solution. It's not that hard to do, so please don't worry too much. Even if you can remove the left over wax with a chemical the finish is going to be hazy and oxidized. Wetsanding will save you from having to try alot of different chemicals and wasting your time. I noticed that you already have a buffer and some experience, so you're halfway there. :cool-smiley-011:
Here's a link to Wetsanding 101. Please let me know if you have any questions or need anything.

http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/s...d.php?t=161709

Donnie

1987? Gelcoat

If it has clearcoat on it you should be able to find an edge somewhere, Clear won't fade but you have to be careful not to buff or sand it off if it's there. Wet sanding isn't so bad and like marine clean said it shows your efforts. if its not caulky just covered with residue it's a toss up. Everybody has there own favorite I shared mine.
Jim

Thanks so much for your help. I will try them all if I have to but now I have somewhere to start insted of sitting there wondering what to do. John

I had a red 21` stryker. I would wax it and in two weeks it looked chalky and faded and you could see waxy looking swirls from early applications. Ended up wet sanding and clear coating. It turned out beautiful, like a new boat. It`s not as scary or difficult as it may seem.
good luck

had a boat come in with 3m rubbing compound left on from the year before, i used the same compound and wet buffing pad and removed it with no problem. my son wet the boat down in front of me as i buffed.

I was always told if you put more wax on it it will reactivate it and make it easier to come off. dont know if its true but will be worth a try.

I have seen that work before, but it's been within a shorter amount of time. From what I gathered, jdinvt's wax has been on for quite sometime and the fiberglass has some heavy oxidation. Am I correct in my info jdinvt?

Wet sand and buff with 3M triple cut. It goes a lot faster than you think and really comes out nice. Wax or glaze after and comes out really nice. I'm doing a Baja that way right now. Dark blue under the chalk and haze. Don't have any idea how long it's going to last, but the original test spots I tried have spent two months in the direct sun and look like the day I buffed them out. It looks almost white in some spots before I work on them, but the more the original color pops out, the easier it gets to keep going. The one I'm working on is a lot smaller than yours though.

You are right marineclean. I went to walmart over the weekend and found some 3m rubbing compond. It was the only store that was open around here and I cant believe they had it of all places but anyways, I used that and it seemed to have worked really good. With one 8oz bottle, I got to do one whole side and the deck. WOW, lol. It did take the oxidation out as well. It only took me sis and a half hours just to do that, thats how bad it was. I want to thank everyone that gave me some input on this, so, THANKS. John

Good deal JD! Glad to hear that you were able to remove the spot. Keep an eye on it and make sure the oxidation dosen't start to come back. You'll know within a few trips out. The best way to keep your boat looking like new is to keep it under cover and keep it clean with fresh water. Have fun and enjoy your new toy.

Donnie

Aquabuff 2000 Lots better than 3M and a whole lot cheaper!