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Old 10-11-2020, 10:12 AM   #1
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Stains on 5.0 Nose Upon Delivery

Hello all! I need help! We took delivery of our new 5.0 the end of July. It traveled from ETI to central Minnesota. The blue plastic sticky wrap on the nose had mostly come off. There are what I think are diesel exhaust (?) stains on the nose. I have used FSR several times trying to remove them but they are still there. What other products or methods can I try? I want to wax soon but want the stains gone before I do. Thank you in advance for any suggestions!
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Old 10-11-2020, 10:29 AM   #2
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Diesel exhaust will leave stains in gelcoat as many who tow with diesel vehicles are aware
3M restorer will remove the stains but it may take a lot of elbow grease
The 3M product worked for a friend of ours who tows with a diesel truck
It got 99% of the stains out but if you look really hard in just the right light you can still see a slight , faint discoloration.
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Old 10-11-2020, 10:33 AM   #3
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Originally Posted by Sgustaf0318 View Post
Hello all! I need help! We took delivery of our new 5.0 the end of July. It traveled from ETI to central Minnesota. The blue plastic sticky wrap on the nose had mostly come off. There are what I think are diesel exhaust (?) stains on the nose. I have used FSR several times trying to remove them but they are still there. What other products or methods can I try? I want to wax soon but want the stains gone before I do. Thank you in advance for any suggestions!
Hi: Sgustaf0318... I have used Barkeepers Friend on purple goose grease stains in the wine region. Use it on a wet sponge as it may scratch. Meguiar's 50 Marine/RV wax has some slight abrasive effect to remove stains and re wax the nose too. Alf
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Old 10-11-2020, 12:21 PM   #4
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Don't know if it will work on diesel exhaust stains but Meguiars flagship cleaner wax cleans the black streaks under the windows extremely easily. I had tried scrubbing with soap and water with little luck. I imagine any cleaner wax would perform similar.
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Old 10-11-2020, 04:00 PM   #5
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Don't forget to check the boating forums too, lots of folks there dealing with stains.
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Old 10-11-2020, 04:24 PM   #6
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I have used FSR several times trying to remove them but they are still there.
I'm a little surprised by that. I've used Davis FSR for many years on boats and trailers and always considered it very good. I agree with you about waxing over stains in that if you don't get it out now it'll always be there unless a very aggressive treatment is used.

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Old 10-11-2020, 04:28 PM   #7
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Originally Posted by Sgustaf0318 View Post
Hello all! I need help! We took delivery of our new 5.0 the end of July. It traveled from ETI to central Minnesota. The blue plastic sticky wrap on the nose had mostly come off. There are what I think are diesel exhaust (?) stains on the nose. I have used FSR several times trying to remove them but they are still there. What other products or methods can I try? I want to wax soon but want the stains gone before I do. Thank you in advance for any suggestions!
The first thing I would do is take a towel lightly dampened with acetone and wipe the stained area. It's oil that you are trying to remove from the gelcoat pores and acetone is the best oil remover that can be used on gelcoat. Don't get carried away using lots of acetone on the towel as the acetone can remove the gelcoat too.
https://www.hunker.com/13421952/how-...s-with-acetone

Then I would use a "Mr. Clean magic eraser" to get the rest off. I'm always amazed at what the little sponge can remove.

If any stain is left, it's time for 3M Marine Rubbing Compound.

Be sure to put on a good coat of fiberglass wax when you are happy with the stain removal - the gelcoat pores will be open and will need to be sealed.
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Old 10-11-2020, 04:36 PM   #8
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The first thing I would do is take a towel lightly dampened with acetone

Make it a white towel.
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Old 10-11-2020, 04:38 PM   #9
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Make it a white towel.
Thanks, Glenn - sounds like you have done this before! A colored towel could add a new stain that matches the towel color.

I added a link for the steps to use and also to use a white towel.
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Old 10-12-2020, 08:12 AM   #10
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Don't forget to check the boating forums too, lots of folks there dealing with stains.
the boat peeps use oxylic acid in some form or another. The toilet bowl cleaner sold at dollar store is one brand. It is used for removing "brown moustache" from hulls . The brown is tanin from intercoastal waterways.

I'm not sure I would use this on a brand new fiberglass trailer.
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Old 10-12-2020, 08:23 AM   #11
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I would not worry about the delivery stains but instead add my own user stains by taking the new Escape out on the road. Then at the end of the year or beginning of next clean what you can and then you can date which remaining stain belongs to what.....
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Old 10-12-2020, 08:32 AM   #12
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the boat peeps use oxylic acid in some form or another. The toilet bowl cleaner sold at dollar store is one brand. It is used for removing "brown moustache" from hulls . The brown is tanin from intercoastal waterways.

I'm not sure I would use this on a brand new fiberglass trailer.
Hi: softmerc... I thought Barkeepers friend was made with oxalic acid. You really need to use it wet and softly. Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie
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Old 10-12-2020, 08:44 AM   #13
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Yes Barkeepers and a lot of water, like Alf stated......
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Old 10-12-2020, 08:55 AM   #14
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The first thing I would do is take a towel lightly dampened with acetone and wipe the stained area.
Always my first go to with gelcoat as well, as it pretty much always works. This is what Escape uses to clean up little bits of mess on the shell that happened in the production process.

On paint, acetone does a good job of cleaning some of that off too.
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Old 10-12-2020, 09:16 AM   #15
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I approach stains on fiberglass gelcoat in three progressive steps. First - LA Totally Awesome Orange Cleaner, available in spray bottles at Dollar Tree stores, Second - Barkeeper's Friend Powdered Cleaner, using, as others have noted, lots of water & gentle rubbing. Third - Acetone. Be careful with acetone. It is extremely flammable, and will soften gelcoat if left on the surface too long.
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Old 10-12-2020, 11:41 AM   #16
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It is used for removing "brown moustache" from hulls . The brown is tanin from intercoastal waterways.

I'm not sure I would use this on a brand new fiberglass trailer.
I took my boat up the Rhone, across to the high Rhine and down to Holland. The "brown moustache" was about 18" wide at the bow tapering to about 6" at the stern. It may have been caused by tanin but a lot of it was petrochemicals in the rivers.

I was resigned to spraying it with polyurethane when I got it back to Vancouver. But mostly acetone and FRS with judicious use of Jiff got it right back to white. Oh, there was a bit of elbow grease involved, quite a bit.

Gelcoat cures over time and is very resistant to acetone. Some of the information is a bit too cautious about the use of acetone. The only thing that I'd say to never, that's never ever use is oven cleaner. Did that once on my first boat. Wasn't a good outcome.

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Old 10-12-2020, 12:01 PM   #17
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Gelcoat cures over time and is very resistant to acetone. Some of the information is a bit too cautious about the use of acetone.
Ron
Having owned fiberglass fishing boats for over 40 years, I've "scratched" the gelcoat more than a few times fishing over oyster beds and crab traps and done my fair share of gelcoat / fiberglass repairs for myself and others.

If you soak gelcoat with acetone, it will take it off layer by layer. I have a 1982 Chris Craft that I can still get dissolved gelcoat on my towel if I use way too much acetone to clean it. When I say too much, I mean a towel that is so saturated that it is dripping acetone.

A towel that slightly damp with acetone will remove the wax and oils from gelcoat without damaging it as the acetone will flash off almost as soon as the towel is removed.

The reason the caution is warranted is to keep someone from going overboard with a still green gelcoat and causing more damage than a simple stain.
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