Removing wax from Imron

[eze2bme]

The fellow in the slip next to me has an old Chris Craft that was painted with Imron 9 years ago. He has always used wax and now the shine is "dull" and he's wanting to know how best to remove the wax build-up as he thinks that is the cause. He looks at my Hatt and can't believe that it's a 1979 that still shines! Would 3M's Finesette It II work or should he use something a little more aggressive? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[Boatsb]

Floor stripper will do it best but dilute it as directed. Also use gloves as it will chap the hands.

 

[captddis]

Maybe it is me but I have never found a wax that lasts more than a few months. I never bought into the no wax thinking. The professional painters I know always say that the painted boats that are waxed are easier to touch up as they have not faded. I think that the CC owner needs to get the boat buffed. While not every will agree, Whenever I see a boat painted and then the painter has to buff out the paint it does not hold its gloss very long. The CC might have been compunded when it was new and now the paint is tired.
I wax my Hatt every few months as has been done since new in 1983 and it shines . People ask when it was repainted!
I will add that the Awlcraft is a different animal and follow the reccomendations for that. I have seen fairly new paint jobs where the wrong products were used and it killed the paint.

 

[jim rosenthal]

Awlgrip makes a product that will remove wax..he can also try enamel reducer and clean rags. Awlgrip's product is called Awlprep. As far as the sine goes, Imron will shine again if buffed- that's the difference with Awlgrip, which essentially can't be buffed to restore the gloss. I have seen thirty-year-old Imron on a vintage Hatteras which buffed up to a good gloss after decades on the boat- it was the original finish, I think. Imron was one of the first of these finishes and it is still very good indeed.

Finesse-It works fine for this, but it may not cut hard enough to restore the gloss. He needs to try a few different compounds to see what does the job. I don't think it's the wax that's dulled the paint- I think it needs to be compounded. And then waxed.

We had a long thread about this a while back. Most of the paint companies tell you not to wax these paints and say that they should just be washed and cleaned. I don't believe it.

 

[Maynard Rupp]

I use Finesseit II on our 20 year old Imron and "Unity" truly looks like a new boat. No wax ever because I don't like black streaks. Every wax that I have tried gives black streaks. I wheel most of the boat annualy and do the tough areas by hand. That stuff works great.

 

[MikeP]

"Original" Dawn dish soap will remove the wax and is commonly recommended for this purpose. There is no need to use abrasives or solvents. Just throw Dawn in a bucket of water just as if you were going to wash the boat/car. Get a good sudsy mix and have at it. Actually, any dishsoap will probably work but for some reason, Dawn is usually recommended, probably because Original Dawn doesn't have any scents or other cr@p added to it.

Here's a quote from the ZAINO folks re removing wax:

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] I would definitely recommend you remove the wax buildup on your paint. Just use Liquid Dawn (hand dishwashing liquid) as a car wash. It has a high alkaline content which cuts right thru carnauba wax, paraffin, silicone oils, etc. This will get your paint finish squeeky clean and wax free.


[/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The website is here: [/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] [/font]http://www.zainostore.com/Merchant2...&Store_Code=Z&Category_Code=APPLICATIONfinish
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[34Hatt]

Just use Wax and grease remover it is in all automotive paint stores. If he really want s too make sure it is off.
I found Gary's Royal satin cleaner wax to work even better then finesse-it and a lot less $$$.
I feel their really is not a build up so I would just go with Gary's but some people want to make sure it is all off before putting something else on.

 

[REBrueckner]

I agree: wax on LP paints keeps them shiny.

When I bought my YF in 1999, she was moderately dull. I decided to try Starbrite boat polish which is a real easy to use liquid. I had kept a 15 year old sunfish sparkling with it. Once in the spring and once in the fall keeps the hull really shiny. I did the salon roof, but it beaded up a huge amount of water...which attracted dirt because it stayed wet a lot longer.....and made it too slick..so I haven't done that flat surface for about five years...it's gotten a bit chalky, but at least I don't ice skate on it. A coat of Starbrite and I'm sure it would shine again.

 

[NAN-PO 41]

I too wax my Imron. I don't compound it because I feel that compound is too abrasive. You can get polishing compound at any Auto Body supply and that is much less abrasive. Commercial wax and tar remover is nothing more than cheap paint thinner. A wipe down with thinner will definitely remove the wax. I do like the sound of the dishwashing detergent wash though and will try that this coming Spring.
Fred

 

[captddis]

Ditto on the Royal Satin. It gives the best shine and is easy to use. I had my hull professionally done this year and it was not as shiney as when I use the Royal Satin.

 

[Capt.Erich]

Having cared for several Hatt's with imron I've found that many cleaners will remove the wax to include "Grease Lightning". However, if you are wanting to restore a chalky surface I have found the best formula to be Finesse II (3M) with a variable speed buffer to get rid of the "chalk" which is actually an oxidized layer of paint. Immediately after the Finesse, wash the surface with a mild boat detergent and rinse thuroghly to be sure there is no soap residue. Then apply a good quality liquid wax such as McGuires with an orbital buffer or by hand. When using buffers you may notice the buffer streaks. They are caused by pads that have too much wax build up. As always, you get what you pay for. You will get the best results with real lambs wool pads or heavy nap synthetic pads. The cheap short nap terry pads will build up with wax and leave buffer streaks. Imron will continue to shine up for many many years longer than the newer softer Awlgrips.

Warning: The use of a variable speed buffer should be done only after some practice. When using this method start out with a slow speed and then ramp up the rpm's slowly. Be very careful around turns and edges as you will easily buff through the paint!