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Keeping the Toons Looking Great

Yes but I'm going backwards in the looks department right now.
 
Keith,

Did you remove your existing Sharkhide?
 
I got best starting results from the yellow treated pad with brown rouge, Then treated white pad with green rouge was still progressing but the untreated white with white rouge seemed to dull what had already been shined.. I stopped at that point and sealed it with sharkhide and decided to wait till this winter and go at it with the flannel pad and maybe the soft cotton. My toons were pretty rough so I'm happy that they aren't dull and nasty but I do want that shine that BigBlock has. I also didn't have access to this website when I bought my new Benny 3 years ago or it would have been done as soon as it got home.
 
I didn't know I was supposed to remove my Sharkhide. How do I do that? Lacquer thinner?
 
Yes. Put lacquer thinner in a spray bottle, spray it on heavy, let it sit for a minute, then start wiping it off with a rag. The white stuff that you experienced was the Sharkide heating up under the pressure of the buffing wheel. Sharkhide will not polish. You can only polish the bare metal surface.
 
Boy sure wish I would have knows this before right now. I would have had that all done already before taking today off from work to do all of this. Ok...off to the store to buy more lacquer thinner and a spray bottle. I'll keep everyone posted.
 
I was using a green wheel and rouge. Should I use a new wheel now since I was running it through my Sharkhide?
 
Yes. Consider that wheel contaminated.
 
Can I use lacquer thinner instead of the pro 50 in between steps? I am still using the green wheel but I have found that going over it three times now is bringing more of a shiny each time. Is it okay to use just the lacquer thinner in between using the same wheel over instead of the pro 50? I'm liking the results so far now.
 
Glad you are liking the results so far. You only need to clean the aluminum when switching to a different grade of rouge. Lacquer thinner, in place of Pro 50, will work well for cleaning in between rouge grades.
 
Holy crap I'm getting tired....and I'm just now getting done with the 1st step (green wheel).
 
Hang in there you can do it!!!! :D
 
As some of us sit back and drink a beer .....  lol   :D
 
I can hardly move or stand but I'm gonna finish this thing after dinner. I've only been doing the outside of the pontoons though. Not worth the effort to do anything else.
 
Glad I am not as anal as you guys with shinny toons :p
 
No need for name calling.
 
Keith, man, it's good to have some company.  I know what you are going through.  Sorry, but I almost laughed when you said you can hardly move or stand.  Okay, I did laugh.  But I know EXACTLY what you're talking about.  Hang in there! 

I just couldn't stand having a brand new boat look like it was 10 years old already, which was my reason for the polishing.  That, and the fact that this was something I hadn't done it before.  Always love to try new things, especially when it comes to fixing something or using tools.  I sit in a box (office) all day at work, so its nice when you can build/fix something and get dirty.  Easy Derrick.

Like two nights ago, I changed the oil in our tailgating bus.  3 gallons of oil, two oil filters, fixed the parking brake, ahhhhhhhhh. I rolled around under the bus, just to get extra dirty.

I'm sick, I know.

So tomorrow we take the boat out for the first time this season!!!

See you guys October 1st...
 
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Oh....my....God.....I can not even believe how sore I am.  Finally finished at 9:45pm tonight....Sharkhide and everything.  Hats off to my lovely wife who hopped on the John Deere, turned on the lights and mowed the lawn that was stupid long.  I looked in the mirror right before I got int he shower just now and I'm not at all kidding when I say my face, neck and hair looked like that of a West Virginia coal miner who just finished a 12 hour shift.  I went through 3 outfits of clothes today....all black.  My back hurts so bad right now....oh hell....who am I kidding...MY ENTIRE BODY hurts as bad as I imagine Christopher Reeves felt right after he fell off that horse...and that's pretty much how I'm getting around right now (I'm not).

All in all I'm pretty happy with the results of the toons.  I have to say that it was way better using the Zephyr products vs. what I used last year (Gord's) or any other liquid because you don't have any of that liquid flinging all over the place.  I can't believe how much more oxidation I got off of the toons today since I polished with Gord's last year and got a ton off then.  I spent a lot of time cleaning the oxidation off in between applications with the wheels and rouge.....even in between applications with the same wheel.  Speaking of that, I used the first wheels (green....and I went through 4 of them) probably 6 times/coats before going to the next step because I was getting so much of a shine and oxidation off with them.  I then did 2 passes with the white and 2 with the flannel.  Just like last year, I have some marks from the wheel but obviously that's my inexperience.  Not really worried though...it's an older boat and I'm happy.  I didn't even do the lower part where the lifting strakes are.  No one sees them.

I'll send pics tomorrow but my toons are as good as I can possibly get them.  Unfortunately the guy who owned it before me allowed the toons to get very marred...I just don't have great looking toons to begin with but I am very happy with the shine I got today (despite that I'm walking around so bad right now I imagine my wife will get me an electric scooter for Father's Day).  Cannot believe I'm finally putting the boat in the water tomorrow for the first time this year.  This is the latest by far I have ever waited to do that. 

Man oh man am I gonna sleep like a log tonight.
 
Well good for you Keith!! I'm waiting till probably next year to polish. Toons are still clean and I frankly don't have the money to buy the sharkhide and Zephyr to do it all anyway! This bathroom just keeps adding up. Can't wait to see pics! 
 
Nice job Keith!!! Let your post be a warning for the feint of heart. I can feel the price of factory applied shark hide going up as I type...
 
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