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Step sanding the fiberglass hull

Repair, or reconstruction. Gelocat or structural fiberglass. If it's hull related, you'll find it here

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R_Maclay
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Location: Suisun City, California
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Step sanding the fiberglass hull

Post by R_Maclay » Sun Mar 29, 2009 11:20 am

Hello all,

I'm considering step sanding the hull on my 1965 Chris Craft XL-175 Sunlounger boat. It is Navy Blue hull and heard Bill's "Blue Bomb" was sanded, but never heard the result and would like to consider sanding my hull to get to the Navy Blue and I guess seal it with something?

Any ideas, since I do not have the $$$ resources to re-gel coat at this time, but would like to somewhat restore the glow of my boat.

Thanks, Mac
1965 Chris Craft XL-175 SunLounger
Suisun City, California
1965 Chris-Craft Corsair
17.5 Ft. XL-175 SunLounger
225v6 OMC-Buick I/O

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57 chris
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Location: Churchville, NY
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Post by 57 chris » Sun Mar 29, 2009 5:00 pm

Hi Mac,
My first question is; what are you hoping to accomplish by sanding. Is there significant fading, scratches, cracks etc?

Craig
1957 18' SeaSkiff #SK 18675 "Knot Sure!"
1958 18' SeaSkiff #SK18722 "Wreckreation"

Past projects: 1972 19' Lancer with 307 Volvo drive-Great Blue, 1968 23' Lancer Offshore with 283 Volvo drive-Narwahl
1988 FourWinns 245 Vista - Blue Ayes.

It's good to have wood!

R_Maclay
Posts: 34
Joined: Fri May 02, 2008 1:21 pm
Location: Suisun City, California
Contact:

Post by R_Maclay » Mon Mar 30, 2009 12:26 am

Does step wet sanding the hull help to get rid of the extensive fading on the hull? Start with a low grit and work up to finer sandpaper?

Then polish and buff it out and put sealer on.

Thats the idea, but asking questions is alot cheaper than starting it without the knowledge.

Thanks for any help,
Mac
1965 Chris-Craft Corsair
17.5 Ft. XL-175 SunLounger
225v6 OMC-Buick I/O

Wood Commander
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Post by Wood Commander » Mon Mar 30, 2009 1:02 am

Are you saying that there is paint over your gel coat? If not, just try rubbing it out. It won't fix gouges and nicks or damaged areas, but it might give you a pretty nice finish.

I did this to a 1968 19' Chris Craft Lancer that had faded somewhat. These old gel coats were pretty good. When I got done rubbing, buffing and waxing this old girl, you couldn't set a McDonalds soft drink cup on the rounded side decks, it would slide right off.

Even if it's painted over, I'd try maybe a citrus stripper or something to get the old paint off and see how well I could work the old gel coat after that.
MEK works really well for taking paint off of gel coat without damaging it, with a bit of elbow grease. But it does evaporate quickly and definately needs to have precautions used when handling and (not) breathing it's fumes.
But you might be suprised at what you can do with the old original finish.
Bret

1953 35' Commander "Adonis III"

1970 23' lancer project

R_Maclay
Posts: 34
Joined: Fri May 02, 2008 1:21 pm
Location: Suisun City, California
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Post by R_Maclay » Mon Mar 30, 2009 7:51 am

Hello Bret and Craig,

There are some spot repairs on the hull, but its not been painted over, just faded Navy Blue Gel-coating.

I buffed the hull, when I first got it and got more oxidation streaks than I wanted and didn't consult anyone properly, so now I have these vertical streaks that I have tried to some blend out but when the hull is dry looks really bad, I guess that I should have rubbed horizontally with the hull, to flow better with hull lines.

Maybe I need to try a different approach and talk to a restoration specialist out here in California who knows that the hull can be saved with more elbow grease.

Thanks, Mac
1965 Chris-Craft Corsair
17.5 Ft. XL-175 SunLounger
225v6 OMC-Buick I/O

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57 chris
Posts: 861
Joined: Sat Jan 05, 2008 2:43 pm
Location: Churchville, NY
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Post by 57 chris » Mon Mar 30, 2009 3:54 pm

Mac,
My '72 Lancer was blue and suffering from the same fate as your boat. It got to the point that rubbing compound, then polishing compound wouldn't bring the gloss back. At that point I painted the hull. I know it was a cardinal sin but it looked great when it was done and unless you were two feet away you couldn't tell that it wasn't gel coat.

Craig
1957 18' SeaSkiff #SK 18675 "Knot Sure!"
1958 18' SeaSkiff #SK18722 "Wreckreation"

Past projects: 1972 19' Lancer with 307 Volvo drive-Great Blue, 1968 23' Lancer Offshore with 283 Volvo drive-Narwahl
1988 FourWinns 245 Vista - Blue Ayes.

It's good to have wood!

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