Fiberglass friendly paint stripper

[Danny]

I guess this is kind of self-explanatory.
Looking something to strip epoxy paint but leave the gel intact. Anyone got a brand name stripper that I can purchase.
Danny

[Blewbyu]

Oven cleaner.

[Hotboat]

Try PEEL AWAY. It works great and can be left on for extended periods. You can order it from most marine supply houses.

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Hotboat

[This message has been edited by Hotboat (edited 02-21-2001).]

[Richard]

Interlux 299E interstrip worked good for us.

[Ralph Savarese]

I have been using Rock-Miracle it is what body shops use on Corvettes It really works great it can be neutralised with water if you see it is going to far. It stripps Imron powerful stuff. You can find it any ACE hardware store
Ralph

[Danny]

Thanks for the input folks.
I know I can get the Interlux stripper up here so that may the way I go.
I am going to see if Rock-Miracle is available up here, no Ace Hardwares north of the border.
Blewbyu, I have heard of oven cleaner being used before, what kind of paint did y0u use it on? My fiberglass guy said it would work on softer antifouling paints but he wasn't sure it would on harder paints. Did you use a spray on type ovencleaner?
I have heard about peel away burt I hve never seen it used.
Lots of options now just to see what I can get up here and decide which best meets my needs.
Thanks Danny

[Forrest]

. . and just remember, any and all of it can and will damage the gelcoat. The trouble with Peel Away is that if you leave it on too long, it will eat in to the gelcoat. If you don't leave it on long enough, it doesn't do anything except waste money and make a mess. I stripped the ugly gold and white Imron off of my Hornet II with Peel Away. It did the job and it wasn't easy or cheap, but unfortunitly at least 50% gelcoat was damaged to the point that it needed to faired with filler prior painting. Peel Away is nice in that it produces no toxic fumes and doesn't burn your skin. I'll tell you though, the next time I need to remove paint from a boat, I'm going to pay someone to do it who does paint removal for a living.

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Forrest

[This message has been edited by Forrest (edited 02-26-2001).]

[joseph m. hahnl]

This needs updating:yes:

What have we learned 9 years later?

With solvents and solvent-less paints . Is there something better now:crossfing:

[MOP]

Good move Joe it is that time of year!!!!

[mrfixxall]

This needs updating:yes:

What have we learned 9 years later?

With solvents and solvent-less paints . Is there something better now:crossfing:


If you really don't want to damage the gel coat the only way i found was a DA and sand paper or have it media blasted..

[Conquistador_del_mar]

I personally like to sand everything back. I use a fairly aggresive grit on inline air sanders on the flats followed by finishing sanders with round rubber pads. Bill

[silverghost]

Ecklers Corvette Supply makes a great low VOC fiberglass paint remover.
They also sell corvette fiberglass panels & fillers etc.
Do a web search for them.
They mail order ship this stripper.

I have also used Kleen-Strip formula "A" gell with great success There is also as Kleen Strip Aircraft stripper that works well..
Most hardware stores can order this for you.
$30./gallon last time I used it.
West Marine on pg. 196 of the 09 master catlaog also sells Redi-Strip Environmentally safe stripper.
AND~
Aqua Strip Environmentally safe stripper.
Also Interlux 299E fiberglass Paint Stipper
I have never used the tree above strippers.
Many boatyards have an outside contractor that can media blast your bottom with baking soda which does very little damage to the gell. Tell them to keep the pressure down to avoid damage. It will take longer & cost more for labor~ But it is worth the extra money for more labor time. The slower the blasting-the less damage. Also they can use walnut shells etc.for tougher jobs like epoxy paint.
Bottom antifouling paint should be considered very toxic with old TBTIF ,now outlawed, & copper cuprous oxide and other highly toxic stuff used over the years. Highly toxic biological toxins.
To show you how toxic some bottom paint is Dad remembers using some Woolsey paint in the old days with Mercury Oxide in it. He is 92 so I guess he safely used it.
Don't get the sanding dust all over you or your work place.
The EPA frowns on this.
Wear proper breathing filters.
I used to spray this stuff many years ago in the 70s~ with a pressure feed gun.
Not a very smart idea!
I'm still alive !

[gcarter]

Depends on the paint too.
Some of the high end stuff doesn't respond at all to strippers.
Sand, sand, sand!:nilly:

[silverghost]

George is correct~ as usual !
Some of this paint is very tough stuff.
Sanding always works well~
If you have the time and energy!

I bought a small spot style sandblaster from Harbor Freight.
This has a small bag attached to a pistol shaped gun. It has a round brush that surrounds the nozzel.
It re-cycles it's own blast media. sooner or later you must change-out the media~
BUT this works very cleanly compared to other blasters.
Get some baking soda or other blast media & do a small spot at a time.

[silverghost]

If you are luckey enough to have Ablative style bottom paint like Micron CSC that sheds easily you might try agressive wet sanding with 3M wet-or-Dry paper & water with a drop of liquid dish washing soap in it.
This type of paint sands very easily when wet.
I use Micron CSC Ablative on my 24'ski-boat.
When I pressure wash my bottom I get a trail of blue bottom paint in the water.
I use only up to 2500 PSI.
A 4000-6000 PSI pressure washer may in fact completely remove some soft shedding ablative style bottom paints.

[BUIZILLA]

what have we learned??

that the stuff we used back *then* is a prime cause of later on leukemia..

[silverghost]

When I first bought my big Ski-Boat new the bottom was very slick indeed.
There were traces of mold release still on the hull.
My friends told me I was crazy to paint the bottom.
"Bottom paint will lower the boat's resale valve & make it much slower"
BUT~ The boat sits in salt water for five months so I had no choice but to use bottom paint.
The bottom paint's instructions stated to rough-up the bottom with #60 grit sandpaper.
I did not want to scuff-up the bottom this much in the event I ever wanted to remove this paint.
Thought I would risk the paint not sticking.
I used a blue ScotchBrite & floor wax remover..
Then Interlux AL 200 aluminum bottom paint primer.
Finally the Micron CSC .
So far no problem.
It is still sticking well.
If I ever decide to strip the bottom to the gell it sould be in good condition.

It might be better & easier to just re-coat with racing-style bottom paint for low drag high speed use.
You can also use Interlux VC offshore with Teflon and burnish it for a super slick bottom for minimum speed loss.
OR~
or Interlux VC 17M Extra with Teflon which dries to a very slick smooh finish.
Both come in Black , Red, Blue.
There are also white racing paints like Interlux VC Performance Epoxy with Teflon and Graphite racing style paints with minimum drag..

[joseph m. hahnl]

http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/woeimages/00002044.jpg
APPLICATION AND USE
Preparation Protect floor or work area with a plastic tarp to catch run-off.
Method With a natural bristle brush, apply a liberal coat of Interstrip Semi-Paste over paint in an area no larger than 10 square feet at one time. Allow the Interstrip Semi-Paste to stand until all layers of existing paint are penetrated. This will vary from as little as 15 minutes for one layer to as long as 2 hours for several coats depending on temperature. Begin scraping. If the paint does not come off easily, reapply and increase the waiting time. After the surface is thoroughly scraped clean, apply Interstrip Liquid Stripper 399 to remove any residual paint or wipe the surface with a rag or pad soaked with Fiberglass Solvent Wash 202.
Hints
Ventilation and Humidity Control Apply in a well ventilated area.
Brush Use a natural bristle brush.
Other Enamels removed from fiberglass will reveal gelcoat that has not been exposed to the same level of UV light as the surrounding area. Color variations in the gelcoat are likely.
Some Important Points Caution! To avoid damage to Fiberglass, do not leave Interstrip Semi-Paste on for more than 8 hours. Avoid painting in direct sunlight. Use ideally at room temperature (60-80 F/16-27 C).
Compatibility/Substrates No compatibility issues.
Number of Coats As required Application Methods Brush


Color Y299E-None
Specific Gravity 0.814
Typical Shelf Life 2 yrs

TRANSPORTATION,STORAGE AND SAFETY INFORMATION
TRANSPORTATION: Interstrip Semi-Paste should be kept in securely closed containers during transport and storage.
STORAGE: Exposure to air and extremes of temperature should be avoided. For the full shelf life of Interstrip Semi-Paste to be realised ensure that between use the container is firmly closed and the temperature is between 5 C/40 F and 35 C/95 F. Keep out of direct sunlight. DISPOSAL: Do not discard tins or pour paint into water courses, use the facilities provided. It is best to allow paints to harden before disposal. Remainders of Interstrip Semi-Paste cannot be disposed of through the municipal waste route or dumped without permit. Disposal of remainders must be arranged for in consultation with the authorities.

[joseph m. hahnl]

This guy uses something different " Volcanic Rock":shocking:


After years of research and trial and error, I have perfected a system that uses very low pressure (30-35psi)mixed with very finely crushed up volcanic rock emitted with hot water as a slurry to achieve great results. Since I can operate at such low pressure, gel kote damage is not an issue. I have done over 200 boats and clients are still amazed at the results.
Before you hire a company to strip your boat or you do it yourself, do your homework and make sure of the process before hand. It can be very costly and time consuming to repair gel kote or wood as I am sure you already know. ----

http://www.stripersonline.com/surftalk/attachment.php?attachmentid=281503&d=1253828528

http://www.stripersonline.com/surftalk/attachment.php?attachmentid=281504&d=1253828528

http://www.stripersonline.com/surftalk/attachment.php?attachmentid=281505&d=1253828528

Last

[joseph m. hahnl]

The peel away stuff sounds like it is non toxic:drunk:. The paint appears to stick to the laminated cloth for easy disposal of the old paint :kingme:
"It can stay on for up to 48 hrs":shocking:

BOTTOM PAINT REMOVAL
Peel-Away is a two-component system that removes multiple coats of antifouling paint from fiber­glass, wood, steel, aluminum. Manufactured by Dumond Chemicals, (1501 Broadway, New York, NY 10036; Tel: (212) 869-6350), it contains no methyl­ene chloride and will not harm gelcoat. Itls available in two for­mulations: Peel-Away Marine Safety Strip for most applications and Peel-Away II for boats coated with an epoxy primer or barrier coat. The manufacturer recom­mends first doing a test patch when the coating type is unknown. It removes up to 10 coats, often in a single applica­tion.
Last spring we attended a demonstration conducted by Tom Pollock of Payne Distributors, the Canadian wholesaler. The test boat was an old steel hulk lay­ered with multiple coats of some unknown bottom paint. Applying Peel-Away is similar to wallpaper­ing. A non-sagging paste with a consistency like mayonnaise coats the bottom paint and then is cov­ered with strips of plastic-coated paper. The paper seals the paste and prevents evaporation.


Peel Away's only drawback is time. Depending on the thick­ness of paint and outside temper­ature, it takes 12 to 48 hours before you can remove the paper and scrape the surface. While it's more expensive than sandpaper or discs, it's a lot less strenuous and definitely less hazardous to your health. Albeit it's a relatively safe product (contains no sol­vents), you should wear protective clothing and gloves and work is a well-ventilated area. Optimum working temperature is 15.5 C (60 F); below 7 C (45 F) the product becomes dormant.Cost to strip a 7.5m (25') boat using the standard Peel­Away product averages $250. Coverage is 40 to 50 square feet per 3.785L (1 US gallon). The list price of CDN$80/ US$50 per gallon includes strips of laminated cloth.
1. Remove any flaking or peel­
ing paint with a wire brush.
Apply a thick coating of
paste, about .3cm to .5cm
(1/8" to 3/16"), with a
large brush. Work in .9 sq.m (3
sq. ft.) sections, covering all
traces of bottom paint. Protect
painted bootstripes with a sol­vent-
resistant striping tape. http://www.cncphotoalbum.com/doityourself/bottom_paint_removal_files/image002.jpg 2. Cut laminated cloth into
small strips (especially on a
windy day) and cover paste
with the printed side facing
out. Lightly press surface
with hand or a roller. Trim
edges, allowing about .6cm
(1/4") overhang. Wait 12 to 48
hours, depending on the thick­
ness of the coating. http://www.cncphotoalbum.com/doityourself/bottom_paint_removal_files/image004.jpg 3. Check a small area to test if
ready. Slide a large paint
scraper under the fabric and
ease paste, paint and cloth
away from the surface in
one piece. Scrape excess paste
with putty knife, being careful not
to scratch the hull. http://www.cncphotoalbum.com/doityourself/bottom_paint_removal_files/image006.jpg 4. Remove all remaining
residue with water and a 3M
Scotch Brite pad. Do not let
the paste dry as it hardens
and will require sanding. http://www.cncphotoalbum.com/doityourself/bottom_paint_removal_files/image008.jpg 5. A single application
removed all paint on our test
area. http://www.cncphotoalbum.com/doityourself/bottom_paint_removal_files/image010.jpg

[silverghost]

Yes~ But why was the demo done on a steel hull?
Almost nothing will hurt a steel hull.
Could it be they were afraid that the fiberglass gel would be hurt during this demo?
Not really a good test subject!
I'm not saying this would be the case~
But you have to wonder ?
Always the skeptic !

[joseph m. hahnl]

Yes~ But why was the demo done on a steel hull?
Almost nothing will hurt a steel hull.
Could it be they were afraid that the fiberglass gel would be hurt during this demo?
Not really a good test subject!
I'm not saying this would be the case~
But you have to wonder ?
Always the skeptic !

Yes, I know what you mean. I kind of like the volcanic rock slury:puke: