More polish questions

[mbird]

Hi All

As we are having an unscheduled lift friday next week, and the boat is being held in the slings (on keel blocks) for us over the weekend so we can sort the depth transducer, I'm going to put Sharon and my Dad to work giving the hul la quick spruce up. It is fairly clean with only a bit of much around the water line and a few black streaks. I don't want to compound polish it, but wondered if anyone can recommend a good polish to use with an orbital polisher that does quite a quick job (as we only have 2 days before she's back in the water).

[Antares_9]

Wee bit of Oxalic acid to get rid of the staining without being abrasive would be a good place to start Mark. Then any good quality polish will do to give it a slight cut back. It's the wax coat that will protect the job so you need to do that after polishing with a good quality wax like 3M or similar. If you have time a couple of coats of Auto Gym sealant which is liquid and easy to wipe on and buff off, akin to A glaze.

[senator]

Really don't know and someone may have been pulling my leg but have been told that if you mix a bit of wallpaper paste in with the oxalic acid then it stays on the boat long enough to do its job.

Are you going to change the oil in the legs while you have her out Mark? it is a really good indicator that something is wrong if you have a load of metal on the drain plug or white stripes in the oil.

[Antares_9]

Really don't know and someone may have been pulling my leg but have been told that if you mix a bit of wallpaper paste in with the oxalic acid then it stays on the boat long enough to do its job.

I think you must have read one of my earlier posts Ian, I always make my own instead of buying Y10 or similar as you can decide on the strength yourself by increasing the ratio of crystals to water and then add the celoluse wallpaper paste to make it cover better.

[mbird]

Are you going to change the oil in the legs while you have her out Mark? it is a really good indicator that something is wrong if you have a load of metal on the drain plug or white stripes in the oil.

I don't think I'm going to have time Ian, as I only have 2 days in the slings and I'll probably need most of that trying to get the old transducer out before I seal in the new one. I do intend to at least check the oil and see if there is any emulsion on the dipstick though. I checked on the price of the outdrive oil on Keyparts website and nearly fell off my chair! £65 for 5 litres must be a blooy joke!!!!! No wonder Brundall Marine Centre don't use genuine Volvo oil!

Both outdrives were serviced last summer (according to the paperwork I got with the boat) so I would hope everything is okay as it hasn't really been anywhere since then.

[senator]

David, does Oxalic Acid get rid of oxidisation or do you still have to rely on the old G3 to get rid of it? have noticed quite a few dull patches on Clanny this year.

Mark it does not take long to change the oil and it is really the only glimpse you get inside the leg. On White Lady the bellows were perfect and the legs only had 50 hours from new but a seal had gone letting the water mix with the oil. No damage as spotted early but if it had been left another year it could have been another story. Also worth dropping off the props to check for fishing line, this will knacker your main water seal if left and there was plenty wrapped round Clanny's after realistically 10 months use out of the 18 months we have had her.

Clanny is on Mineral and not Synthetic so at least the oil is cheaper.

[Antares_9]

It just bleaches out and to an extent dissolves micro skeletal remains and lime scale that discolour the gelcoat Ian, it will not remove true oxidation or chalking, it may be worth a try as your discolouration may not be oxidation. Forgot to say in case somebody is daft enough not to follow the data sheet precautions here's a link, basically don’t drink it, don’t snort it, don’t poke your hands in it without gloves and don’t rub it in yer mince pies.

http://msds.chem.ox.ac.uk/OX/oxalic_acid_dihydrate.html

[Mowjo]

Don't know if anyone else has tried this, but all I use to remove limescale from the waterline is Harpic limescale remover, just leave it on for 20 minutes and wash it off, I actualy found it better than Y10,, and for the black streaks I use PVC cream cleaner that I get from my local double glazing shop, around £3 a ltr and it's the best stuff I've found for the job so far,,

Regards Frank,,

[mbird]

Careful Frank, David will be along to berate your use of household cleaners and migrating plasticisers. You should have seen the whoopin I got for using Cillit Bang a couple of weeks ago. I've still got the bruises!

[mbird]

David, I have purchased some Oxalic acid from eBay now (1kg £8.80) and they recommend 250g dissolved in 1.5 litres of warm water for GRP cleaning. WOuld you agree with this or go a bit stronger?

Also, with regard the wallpaper paste, is there not a danger of this drying onto the hull and being a git to remove?

[Antares_9]

I make it a bit stronger Mark, about double that at least, have been known to take it up to saturation with no paste for bad areas, the paste will dry out if you leave it too long but that depends on the weather, half an hour or forty five minutes is enough so it shouldn’t dry and will come off with plenty of water anyway.

Frank is safe, it's OK to do it on GRP, it’s only daft buggers that go lathering the stuff on inflatables that cop it.

[mbird]

it’s only daft buggers that go lathering the stuff on inflatables that cop it.

Ha ha

Thanks for the advice David. Next stop B&Q for a drop of Polycell then!

[w44nty]

I read a post on the Norman website last year, a chap who actully worked at Norman Boats said,they always used Brillo pads to clean the gel coat,the proper ones not cheapo's,they clean it without scatching,I done mine last year and it came up white as snow and shone like a good un,and they are only a couple of quid for a large pkt.

[jimbo]

To stop the paste drying out too quickly Mark, I would recommend coating the area with some woodchip wallpaper

[mbird]

To stop the paste drying out too quickly Mark, I would recommend coating the area with some woodchip wallpaper

Oh you silly, silly boy. Wood chip is so last century!

[Happy Jax 3]

I have to say, the most effective waterline grime & limescale remover I have found is the purple Cillit Bang, I have tried everything. Starbright hull cleaner was ok but at £15 a bottle it is not so cost effective. 2 bottles of Cillit Bang in most £1 shops is the way to go.

[Happy Jax 3]

Also, with regard the wallpaper paste, is there not a danger of this drying onto the hull and being a git to remove?

Only if you put wall paper on it Mark.

[mbird]

Only if you put wall paper on it Mark.

What, like this you mean? (Floral print you note, no woodchip on my ship James!)

[jimbo]

What muppetry You use woodchip, so you can paint it any colour you like, it's so obvious