Best Cleaner/Wax For Imron

[Sparky1]

Yeah, I know you're not supposed to buff/wax Imron (I assume my 58 is Imron), but it's time to put a shine on both my boats, especially the 58. I had the transom buffed shortly after I bought the boat, and it looked great... lots of depth and gloss. It just never worked out to have the rest of the boat done.

I've got a few orbital buffers of different sizes, but I'm not sure what type of cleaner/wax to use. I'm assuming the orbitals will provide enough power to get the job done as I'm a bit leary of higher speed units which can get a novice into trouble.

Temps are still relatively mild now, so I need to get this done before it gets too hot to mess with. Anybody have any suggestions/tips on what to use and how to use it?

[MikeP]

Don't use any wax at all. Use 3M Finesse-It II. A coat of polymer sealant like Awl Care afterwards will provide a "slicker" finish that will help keep dirt from adhering. But it won't make it any glossier than Finesse-it. Great stuff! It is recommended for machine polishing but works fine by hand but it's a lot of work, especially on a big boat!

[SKYCHENEY]

I had my boat polished with Yacht Brite Pro Polish this year and it looks great. I don't know much about this finish, but the results look good so far.

http://www.shurhold.com/chemicals_proPolish.asp

[Sparky1]

Don't use any wax at all. Use 3M Finesse-It II. A coat of polymer sealant like Awl Care afterwards will provide a "slicker" finish that will help keep dirt from adhering. But it won't make it any glossier than Finesse-it. Great stuff! It is recommended for machine polishing but works fine by hand but it's a lot of work, especially on a big boat!

Finesse-It was what was used to shine up the transom after removing that goofy name. I couldn't remember what it was called until you made this post. Sounds like double the work if it has to be followed with a sealant, then again I guess it doesn't "have" to be unless you want the extra added protection. I assume you think the extra effort is worth it over a single stage application which is what I assume Sky is talking about. I'll check into that as well.

I've had good luck on gelcoat using the Starbrite Teflon products, anybody use that on Imron before?

[egaito]

You know, you have to wash that thing before you start on polishing!

Just don't use the old compound and wax routine....too much grit followed by too much of a seal.

Granted, shes under cover, but Misty's shine will still come out with a good washing 5 years after she was hit with Finesse It.

[Sparky1]

I may be dumb, but I ain't stoopid. Of course I'll wash it before I do anything else. I'll even mop it down good, otherwise I'll be grinding crap into the paint. No way would I use anything as harsh as compound as it's not chalky or anything.

From the description, that stuff Sky linked to sounds pretty good. Where's the best place to buy Finesse-It and this other stuff? I'm pretty much limited to WM around here, but I've still got several hundred dollars worth of freebie coupons that I need to use anyway.

One last thing, will these products work OK with an orbital buffer and foam pad?

[MikeP]

Any auto parts store should have Finnesse-it. There is no real need for the sealant it just tends to keep the dirt from adhering for a longer period - it's not a required step in the process and doesn't add any protection per se.

[egaito]

I may be dumb, but I ain't stoopid. Of course I'll wash it before I do anything else. I'll even mop it down good, otherwise I'll be grinding crap into the paint. No way would I use anything as harsh as compound as it's not chalky or anything.

From the description, that stuff Sky linked to sounds pretty good. Where's the best place to buy Finesse-It and this other stuff? I'm pretty much limited to WM around here, but I've still got several hundred dollars worth of freebie coupons that I need to use anyway.

One last thing, will these products work OK with an orbital buffer and foam pad?

West has Finesse-it on the shelf in small bottles. They might even be able to special order the gallon size that pros tend to buy, so you can use your coupons and have enough for the whole boat.