I finally finished buffing out and cleaning up the new Jubilee.
Of course _after_ I bought the highly touted aqua-buff 1000 and 2000, I talked to a friend (runs his own auto shop and does some body work with it) who says, don't waste your time with all that garbage, just use this! 3m Marine Restorer and Wax.
At this point, I've already run the AB 1000 over the entire boat and have just about finished one side with AB 2000. I had not touched the top deck by the pooper or sink with any AB, so I did a quick test of the 3m there. With all of about a minute of running the buffer, attached are pics that quick test.
After that, I decided to finish the one side of the boat the way I originally planned with AB followed by Meguiars wax and finish the other side with 3m all in one. In the end, I think the AB gets a bit better finish, but with about 5 times the work and 10 times the mess. I'm planning to monitor which side does better through the summer.
Differences in usability:
The AB 1000 starts out feeling reasonably abrasive. I kept the polish wet with mist from garden hose which kept thinning the slurry until I was pretty much running the buffer on just water. The 2000 is very creamy smooth. I did the same thing as with the 1000, keeping the polish wet until I was down to clean water. I rarely had to clean the pad with AB.
The 3m starts out feeling VERY abrasive, but quickly breaks down to smooth, then chalky, then dry and gone. Wipe up with a clean dry cloth and done. I ran the buffer at a much lower speed than with the AB. The pad collected the polish and gelcoat, so I had to constantly clean the pad.
If I were to do it all over again:
If I am looking to get a show quality finish that's absolutely perfect, I'd use the AB. If I am looking for a very good usable finish that cuts through the chalk and gives a great shine, 3m.
Which finish will last longer:
I won't know until later this summer
Next two replies have before/after pics.
Aqua-Buff vs. 3M Marine Restorer and Wax
