Protective Coating on Boat Graphics??

[Brandon708]

Hi everyone,

I did some boat graphics (not a wrap, just cut vinyl) for a buddy of mine. I used Avery A9 and A high performance 3M Silver.

He had a guy off the old graphics also he brought it down to the paint by taking off the part of the gel coat or clear what ever its called on a boat.

My question is it safe to put a wax or 3M Hand Polish or glaze coat over the vinyl. He needs to do this to the whole boat.
I really want this vinyl to be protected and last on his boat. Is there any advice you can give me on protecting the vinyl.

Thanks,
Brandon

 

[J Hill Designs]

not supposed to wax vinyl AFAIK

maybe just apply a laminate to it (like lam for 3m 180c etc)

 

[Brandon708]

not supposed to wax vinyl AFAIK

maybe just apply a laminate to it (like lam for 3m 180c etc)

Its not a printed job. Its cut vinyl.

 

[J Hill Designs]

I figured. but if you want to protect it, you can still overlay laminate...

 

[John Butto]

gel coat

If it is a fiberglass boat the gelcoat is the top layer over the fiberglass and there will be no paint involved. The gelcoat is the color, gelcoat is a polyester two part mixture of hardener and gel with color mixed in. If you want to do the whole boat with a clear you use use a paint like AwlGrip which can either be sprayed (best method) or they make an additive to be brushed on. It can be sprayed over vinyl letters.

 

[Billct2]

It is fine to wax over the graphics. I recommend it on all signs & vehicle lettering.
The problem arise if they use a buffing machine too aggresively or a polish compound to clean the hull. You can do a real premium job by cutting a clear vinyl overlay slightly larger than the letters.

 

[Shovelhead]

There's no need to if using cast vinyl.

 

[Brandon708]

okay.

What i mean is that the boat needs something like wax or a polish because it was stripped of its shine. So would it be okay to use Polish or Wax over the letter. I guess this is a Yes.

 

[Billct2]

Yes, it's a yes.

 

[rob6894]

Yes I do a good amount of boats and not all with cast actually I have a fair amount I have done with iter and never use lam unless it is a printed job. As billct2 said you can wax over it without a problem, I just tell my customers to just wax over the lettering by hand .