I apologize if this is addressed anywhere else, but I could not find it under any repair or glassing topics. I am trying to find out how best to clean up the gloss coat of several near-fifty year old classic longboards. I am not looking to restore or re-gloss these boards, but rather just brighten or polish the old gloss surface. These are both pigmented and clear in color.
My concern is that I really do not want any restoration done as my past experience with it has been spotty at best (a classic 9’10" G&S to be polished ended up reglossed, fin-boxed and ten pounds heavier!). I have thought I could buff the surface with first rubbing compound then polishing compound, though previous efforts done by hand did not have positive results. I question whether a power buffer might have a better outcome. Or is a fine sanding and polishing even possible, or is a thin gloss coat the only solution? And if the latter, can it be thin enough to just “brighten” the surface, or will it come out looking like a new old board? I prize a pristine original board, and won’t buy a restored board, and I think there must be some way to “refresh” the old gloss coat on these classic boards.
I look forward to reading your comments and suggestions, and to having these fine examples of surfing heritage returned to somewhere near the brightness of their youth. My intention is not to sell…these are all the cleanest examples of the same model boards which I grew up riding and my intention is to display them in my office and home because they bring back wonderful memories.
Most of those boards were finished by 800 sanding, which can be skipped, rubbing and then polishing compound, done with a 9" diameter pad and sander. You need to learn how to rub and buff.
Yes---------- You can rub-out and polish or wet’n’dry, rub-out and polish. Depending on the condition of the board’s gloss coat. And you will spend the rest of your life trying to get the kind of finish by hand that you will acheive in a few short hours with a sander/polisher and a buffing pad or bonnet. If you don’t own one and don’t want to spend a bundle for a Milwaukee or Makita; I would reccomend the Harbor Freight. I bought two of 'em last year for $29.95 ea. Lowel.
Any old board is going to have scratches in the gloss coat. Some deep, some not so deep. Polishing and buffing alone will shine the surface up, but will most likely make the scratches more evident. As already stated, trying to shine it by hand is a waste of time. Power tools are your friend. Deep scratches will require sanding, to some extent. Unless, you don’t mind those imperfections.
Sand the whole thing with 120 grit and watch out so you don’t hit a lot of weave. Use an orbital sander. Re-gloss and finish, probably 12 oz max weight gain. 50 year old glosscoats won’t polish evenly. If you gained 10 lbs on a previous glosscoat (and I can’t understand how), take it to a glassing shop.
There used to be this coarse orange colored rubbing compound called "tigercut’ that worked wonders with a milwaukee polisher and wool pad. i would buff it hard…add some water and hit it again. follow up with finber compound. Stuff was made for buffing gelcoat boat hulls.
" I am not looking to restore or re-gloss these boards, but rather just brighten or polish the old gloss surface."
You can buff out the boards just like you would buff out a car. Like McDing and others have discribed......or sand regloss ect.......I have the tools and the skills to do this.......or.....
think about this...." if you can't dazzle them with Brilliance....Baffle 'um with Bullshit".......
The floor at your local market or corprate office is really shinny. Wash the boards with soap and a scrub pad ......you know a scrub pad like you use to wash dishes. Dry it off and apply the magic product.....Floor finish!!!
BINGO !!! Hey...maybe your wife has some scrub pads and some floor finish sitting under the kitchen sink....
Maybe not 10 lbs, but it looked like one of those resin covered pieces of wood with about an eighth of an inch of clear depth to it…the board was encased forever in clear gelcoat.
Thanks all of you for your suggestions…I’ll try the simple first and go advanced as I progress. A G&S, two Hobies and a Hansen 5050 require treatment.