Polishing Linear Polyurethane Imperfections

[minaret]

Originally Posted by CharlieCobra

and then there's metallic......

indeed. Hate the metal flake. But trailerboat owners will insist.

[freefly]

Barcelona, Just painted this dark blue line on a sail boat in port Vell in AWLGRIP flag blue with a brush and roller...

Don't always have to spray everything to get good results

[brankin]

Originally Posted by freefly

Barcelona, Just painted this dark blue line on a sail boat in port Vell in AWLGRIP flag blue with a brush and roller...

Don't always have to spray everything to get good results

Higher gloss through better chemistry. Great job!!!!!

[tamicatana]

I've got a 10-year or so old Awlgrip paint job on my trimaran, and this is some stuff I've figured out.


Awlgrip surface absolutely has to be prepped carefully. Wipe, wipe, and then wipe again.

You can get good results with a brush, they have a 'brushing additive' you use for that.

In these last few years, I've been using StarBrite's marine wax with teflon on my boat, mostly on the bottom. I don't have bottom paint, and the high tannins in my water yellow the Awlgrip. Once a year I bleach the hulls with oxalic, wipe with acetone, and then apply the Starbrite. It's working fine for me.

You don't have to take my word for it, here she is

[minaret]

Originally Posted by tamif27

I've got a 10-year or so old Awlgrip paint job on my trimaran, and this is some stuff I've figured out.


Awlgrip surface absolutely has to be prepped carefully. Wipe, wipe, and then wipe again.

You can get good results with a brush, they have a 'brushing additive' you use for that.

In these last few years, I've been using StarBrite's marine wax with teflon on my boat, mostly on the bottom. I don't have bottom paint, and the high tannins in my water yellow the Awlgrip. Once a year I bleach the hulls with oxalic, wipe with acetone, and then apply the Starbrite. It's working fine for me.

You don't have to take my word for it, here she is

There is not a "brushing additive" per se. When brushing Awlgrip you need to use both a brushing converter (Awlcat #3) and a brushing reducer (T0031). This means only the base is the same, and even the ratio of converter to base changes with brushing converter. It is essentially a whole different product than sprayed Awlgrip if done right. A good tip is that T0031 can also be used to reduce 545, meaning you can get a much nicer brushed finish in the primer, resulting in less sanding to remove brushstrokes.

[freefly]

Originally Posted by brankin

Higher gloss through better chemistry. Great job!!!!!

Thank you

[tamicatana]

Originally Posted by minaret

There is not a "brushing additive" per se.

tough crowd. I was giving a general outline, not details. Personally, I refer the source

Support and Advice

[CharlieCobra]

Roll and tip just kicks my butt and I'm too anal to release a boat with my name on it looking like they usually do when I try that method...

[minaret]

Originally Posted by CharlieCobra

Roll and tip just kicks my butt and I'm too anal to release a boat with my name on it looking like they usually do when I try that method...

Surprising. With all those old woodies I would think you would be master of enamel tipping. Do you enamel old wood boats, and do you spray them? It's been a long time for me since I got to enamel a woodie. I spray enameled a Dragon Super Jet Black a few years ago, none since then. Just not so many wooden boats here as there used to be. We gave the Dragon what we call the Lamborghini finish-longboarded to 220 grit in fairing. Needs to be dead fair for Super Jet Black. It looked incredible. One of my friends here in town runs a small crew which specializes in enameling wooden boats, seems like they get all of these jobs now.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by tamif27

In these last few years, I've been using StarBrite's marine wax with teflon on my boat, mostly on the bottom.

Hi Tamif,

I used that same wax for a long time and found it lasted twice as long as other wax. I still use it on stainless steel !

But for the hull I have now switched to a product called RejeX. It is a non-silicone polymer coating. I understand Awlgrip has a similar product, isn't it called AwlProtect or something?

I still have gelcoat so different situation, but I'd suggest that you try a bit of RejeX and/or AwlProtect too. It outlasts regular wax 6 times and the Starbrite teflon wax about 3 times on my gelcoat.

ciao!
Nick.

[malbert73]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Hi Tamif,

I used that same wax for a long time and found it lasted twice as long as other wax. I still use it on stainless steel !

But for the hull I have now switched to a product called RejeX. It is a non-silicone polymer coating. I understand Awlgrip has a similar product, isn't it called AwlProtect or something?

I still have gelcoat so different situation, but I'd suggest that you try a bit of RejeX and/or AwlProtect too. It outlasts regular wax 6 times and the Starbrite teflon wax about 3 times on my gelcoat.

ciao!
Nick.

+1
i also use the awlprotect every spring and finds it lasts quite well. Also very easy to apply and buff with minimal effort

[minaret]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Hi Tamif,

I used that same wax for a long time and found it lasted twice as long as other wax. I still use it on stainless steel !

But for the hull I have now switched to a product called RejeX. It is a non-silicone polymer coating. I understand Awlgrip has a similar product, isn't it called AwlProtect or something?

I still have gelcoat so different situation, but I'd suggest that you try a bit of RejeX and/or AwlProtect too. It outlasts regular wax 6 times and the Starbrite teflon wax about 3 times on my gelcoat.

ciao!
Nick.

Not familiar with any wax/protectants from Awlgrip. They specifically recommend never coating with wax or anything else. There are no benefits to waxing Awlgrip. Here is the section from the Awlgrip maintenance guide on this-

Topcoat Maintenance

Notice waxing is #1 on the DO NOT list.

[tamicatana]

Minaret,

if the paint were brand new, no, I wouldn't wax it. But as I said, it's 10 years old, and at least on the bottom, I have to bleach it with something or it yellows horribly. Oxalic acid isn't good for awlgrip either BTW. Once bleached, the paint is, for lack of a better expression, porous, so it must be protected with something.

The AwlProducts(tm) would be of course best but they're rather unobtainium in my neck, and the StarBrite is easily obtainable. It's been doing fine keeping the old paint going for a while longer.

Personally, I'm impressed with the durability of the AwlGrip and I'd recommend it highly.

btw, quote from the site:
"Awlgrip Only:
Waxing with a wax which contains no abrasives or cleaners will probably not hurt the surface, but at the same time offers no benefit. Regular waxing will not increase the life of an Awlgrip Finish. Wax can temporarily restore the gloss to small scuffs, scrapes, scratches. Sometimes allowing the postponement of repairs or repairing until a convenient time."

See, I'm postponing.

[minaret]

Originally Posted by tamif27

Minaret,

if the paint were brand new, no, I wouldn't wax it. But as I said, it's 10 years old, and at least on the bottom, I have to bleach it with something or it yellows horribly. Oxalic acid isn't good for awlgrip either BTW. Once bleached, the paint is, for lack of a better expression, porous, so it must be protected with something.

The AwlProducts(tm) would be of course best but they're rather unobtainium in my neck, and the StarBrite is easily obtainable. It's been doing fine keeping the old paint going for a while longer.

Personally, I'm impressed with the durability of the AwlGrip and I'd recommend it highly.

Oh, I hear you. I wax old paint after polishing it all the time, despite what it says in the manual. I've just never heard of or seen "Awlprotect", or any other wax product from US Paints. And since they seem very firm on not waxing their product, it would seem strange for them to make a product like that. But I thought I would ask, as you guys seem pretty firm on their being such a product. When I google Awlprotect all I get is this thread.

[tamicatana]

I guess they changed the name or discontinued the AwlProtect. I don't think it was a wax product, per se. I bet the 'awlcare' is the same thing.

http://www.awlgrip.com/products/main...e/awlcare.aspx
http://www.awlgrip.com/products/main...e/awlwash.aspx