Hand Polish
 

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Hand polishing has never been a particularly enjoyable experience. Polishing is producing the final finish before waxing. Polishing is the process of removing a small amount material to increase luster. Some polish contains conditioners that will “feed” the gel coat on your boat replacing oils that are removed from exposure to the atmosphere. Polishing can take place by hand or machine. Hand polishing is used for the best results but also takes the longest.

Hand polishing benefits:

• No need to purchase a polisher
• Very rewarding
• Builds muscles
• Gets you a tan

Drawbacks to hand Polishing:

• Takes a very long time
• Kills your arms
• If there is oxidation it will remove the oxidation very well and all that time you spent polishing will all be in vain.

Hand polishing is very simple and almost mindless. When starting with a clean surface with little or no oxidation procedure is as follows:

1. Apply polish to clean 100% cotton cloth (usually less is better than more, dime size)
2. Polish small area at a time about 1-2 square feet.
3. Rub in short brisk strokes forward and back until the polish get pulled into the pad. Eventually there will be little polish left on the surface.
4. Get a new soft 100% cotton cloth or micro fiber cloth to buff off any remaining polish off the surface.

The reason for the short brisk strokes is to minimize the chance of putting swirl marks in the boats finish. Polishing is a process of removing material from the finish of your boat. This makes it an abrasive no matter how mild it may be. If an abrasive is rubbed in a circular motion it will put small scratches in the shape of a circle where as by going forward and back you put small scratches in a forward and back ling. Now imagine drawing a circle on the street with chalk and a line. Walk around the two simple shapes and you will see the whole circle 360 degrees of the circle. When you walk around a line you will see the line when you are standing perpendicular to it as you move around it the amount you see it reduces until you are looking right down the line (90 from perpendicular). You can not see a scratch that small looking along the axis with it so instead of being able to see he circular marks all the time the straight marks you only see from limited angles.

This is a brief overview of how I like to apply polish by hand. I like to use hand polishing as a way to unwind but do not find it a any fun doing it for an entire boat. Small specialized areas work out well. I would save the hand polishing for your 1985 Alfa Romeo GTV6 or 1973 Plymouth Barracuda because they will appreciate it more. Remember, gel coat is pretty hard stuff and takes more effort than does any paint. Polish well!

Send mail to dini@cleaniedini.com with your questions and comments
Copyright © 2006 Cleanie Dini Testing and Reports
Last modified: 01/20/2007

This website and product reports are opinions only, they are not intended to rate products for use on all boats and all information on the site should be used at your own risk. Cleanie Dini Testing and Reports as well as Constantine Macris and all associates disclaim any and all responsibility for the accuracy, timeliness, and completeness of the information on this site. Cleanie Dini Testing and Reports as well as Constantine Macris and all associates are not responsible for any loss or damage suffered by you or anyone else in connection with this web site or the information contained in it.