buffing boat-gctid825698

[lck]

I bought a 2013 185 that has some scratches on the sides. I am wondering how thick the color on the side is? I want to try and buff out the rubs and scratches but I am not sure how deep the color goes and I don't want to buff through the color on the sides.Any info on this would be great, I am new to boats, thanks

[green650]

It varies, but it is much thicker than car paint. You should be able to tell if the bottom of the scratch is the same color or not. It takes a lot of work to buff thru the gel coat.

[driz]

Get on utube. There's several good how tos that will help you out. Use a GOOD BUFF pad. Those tie ons are absolutely useless. Buy a case of good beer. Get on the horn and invite your buddies over.:whistle: :whistle:

Start down low and take your time. By the time you get up top where things show you will be pretty proficient. Don't run out of beer whatever you do or you risk losing your workers..

[Squiddy]

There are two good tests for scratches. The first is to squirt water and the scratch and see if it disappears. If it does, then it can usually be buffed out. Turtle Wax has a good scratch remover kit that has a clear coat applicator that has worked well for my gel coat scratches.

Second test is, "is the scratch deep enough to grab your fingernail?" If so, you will probably need to fill in the scratch before buffing. Spectrum has a gel coat repair kit in Bayliner colors that will be closer match than mixing colors yourself.

Fine grit sandpaper, 1500, is good starting point for smoothing the scratch after applying gel coat repair. Take longer with this fine of a grit, but you would have to be an ape to mess it up.

I recommend getting an electric buffer if you want to do a good job. It will save time and will blend the repair better than you can do by hand.