Confused on waxing...

Grit dog wrote:

Terryallan wrote:

Grit dog wrote:
Never heard of clear coat on gel. Maybe it's a RV thing not a boat thing.
Be careful about the 400 grit advice. It's not that simple.
Yes for verrrry bad oxidation one would possibly start with 4-600 grit and then work up thru several stages to polish but 400 grit alone will just leave the surface dull AND scratched.
Most oxidation will come off with a med/heavy cut compound then polish.

Oh, someone be specific please on the differences between a "gel coat specific" wax and non gel wax.
I can say for certainty that after years of fiberglass boat ownership that there is no wax that messes up gel coat. Some last longer , some get a deeper shine out of dark colors. None of them are detrimental to gel coat.

FYI. In the early 80s. Gel coats began to be covered with clear coat. At first only on metal flake, then as the technology progressed, on all gel coats, and paints. As the repair Fiberglass "doctor" for new boats. It was my job to make sure every boat's finish was perfect. I assure you. Gel Coat was covered with Clear Coat. We had to learn a whole new way of polishing boats.

Before clear coat, You could in fact bring back a badly faded boat with 400 grit water paper, WATER paper being the key. then just buff it, and wax it. What you did was just take off the top layer of the gel coat. Now with the gel coat being covered with clear coat. You can't sand it any more, and can't wax it with an abrasive wax. As it does scratch it.

Now, any Clear Coat safe wax will work on a fiberglass Gel Coated finish.

Fact is. the FIRST ting that happens to a boat during the building process, IS that it gets waxed. Yep you wax the Mold, which is made of Gel coat covered glass. IF there is to be a special design, it is put on backwards at this time. Then you spray the mold with Clear coat, then Gel coat, and then you start laying up the fiberglass. When finished. It is popped out of the mold, already Waxed, clear coated. Ready to go to the trim shop.

In todays world of vacume bonding. It's a little different.

Getting off topic for the OP, but his question is prolly sufficiently answered by now anyway....
What types of fiberglass boats receive clearcoat?
I only have experience with smaller boats, ski and wakeboard boats primarily. Is this something done on larger boats that are typically moored to negate the need for anti-fouling paint to prevent gel blisters?
I've sanded/polished/'glass and gel repaired quite a few different boats , 90's and 2000's models and none of them are clearcoated. I'm sure of it. First swipe with a buffer or wetsanding comes up color.

I don't buy the fact that wax "builds up" in gel coat pores either, rendering a dull finish over time, unless someone waxes their boat a whole lot more than my OCD buddy who prolly waxes twice a month and his still shines like he bought it in 06.

All of the metal flake colors no matter what size. Metal flake tends to leave the finish rough if not covered by Clearcoat. It's not real thick. I would say you would start getting caught on the metal, after a few passes with sand paper. When I repaired a cler coat boat. I filled the holes with glass, and gel coat. Sanded it smooth, and then had to spray clear back onto it. Then ever so gently. Feather the clear spray out to cover all sanding marks. Then after buffing. I wiped it with a CLEAN acetone rag to get the overspray off. Buffed it again, waxed, and was done. Clear coat was hard to fix, and get it right. So there is a chance they stopped clear coating normal colors.
All of the metal flake, and metallic boats were clear coated. Fishing boats, and ski boats.