Refinishing paint

[ClayGlover]

Has anyone used a chemical paint stripper on a wood hull with luck? I'd like to refinish a hull using paint stripper, but my concern is getting all of the stripper back off before putting on the new paint. :huh: Any tips appreciated.

 

[MikeP]

I used a heat gun and had good success, I was warned to be careful of the epoxy glue in the joints and foam sheeting.

Mike

 

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You can use Jasco, but work fast it'll eat into the wood. Only draw back to chemicals is it leaves thing uneven and you have to do some akward sanding.

Another trick you can do is use Ammonia. Pour it all over and let it sit a few minutes. It'll usually wipe right off. You'll have to do it a few times but it works good. It's kinda trial and error how long or short to leave the ammonia on for. Just be in a well ventilated room, the stuff is toxic to the nose and eyes.

 

[bsmtboy2]

what is a good way to strip or remove paint from fiberglass hulls? :unsure:

 

[ClayGlover]

You can use Jasco, but work fast it'll eat into the wood.  Only draw back to chemicals is it leaves thing uneven and you have to do some akward sanding.
Another trick you can do is use Ammonia.  Pour it all over and let it sit a few minutes.  It'll usually wipe right off.  You'll have to do it a few times but it works good.  It's kinda trial and error how long or short to leave the ammonia on for.  Just be in a well ventilated room, the stuff is toxic to the nose and eyes.

This stuff is in a rattlecan. It is some serious stuff called Klean-Strip. It will clean your hands good too, right down to the bone. :blink: After 2 applications, theres nothing left to sand. Any coating on the wood just blisters up and wipes right of, right down to the bare wood, epoxy-type paints, auto-paints, and all. It may attack the epoxy that's glued the boat together as it's only recommended for use on solid wood... not laminates or plywoods.

 

[[email protected]]

Yeah, I'd make sure to wear safety googles, a mask and gloves when handling that stuff. Can you imagine if you pointed the nozzle the wrong way.......

 

[Ron Olson]

For taking paint off Fiberglass, I got some Ethyl Acetate from work, it takes most paint right off. Highly flammable so use it outdoors.

 

[bsmtboy2]

Thanks Ron, i need to repaint one of my boats soon. Where do you buy ethyl acetate , the local autobody shop, pep boys, paint shop, or what?

 

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Does that come in a spray can or is it gel?

 

[snowdog-2112]

I've heard that oven cleaner works. Test in an inconspicuous area for color-fastness! :lol:

Snowdog

 

[jeff baham]

be safe and get some 220 wet dry paper and wet sand the boats, wood or the fiberglass. then once you are finished wet sanding, you can start prepping your boats.

 

[Roy Munoz]

Hey Jeff I got to agree with you on this one Buddy..Lot of those Cemicals can ruin a good boat...I know it takes a little more work...This guy I knew a long while ago used some cemical strippers on a glass sport boat of mine ..Old J.G hull..Turned all the glass soft,and made the boat usless..And he was never able to get all of the paint off any ways.....

 

[Buddy Beaird]

I've stripped two wooden boats using common paint stripper, the kind in the gallon can. Didn't seem to affect the epoxy joints but I didn't get carried away around those areas. Boats are still running two years later.

 

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Jeff and Roy,

Of course logically sanding is the only way to go if the conditions are good. Sometimes things are so lumped up with caked on colors over colors over colors that you need to cheat and use chemicals.

 

[Ron Olson]

I got the Ethyl Acetate from work the old-fashioned way, a five finger discount. Where to buy some at, I don't know but a paint shop is worth a shot. I stripped one hull at work by pouring some into a rag and wiping the paint off, that simple.

 

[ClayGlover]

OK. I'm about 90% done. First off, what a mess! :blink: LOL I'd only do this chemical stuff again as a last resort on a boat. Second, I recommend using steel wool for scrubbing, and a lot of it. The top color coats come off real easy with a plastic scraper. The primer is a different story though. Lots of elbow grease with the steel wool while being carefull not to sand into the wood itself, or round any important edges. I'll still have to re-squareoff the pads good and sharp.

The stuff I used is mainly Methylene Chloride (can you say carcinoma? ) mixed with some other nasty stuff with names that are to long to type. Don't use it on fiberglass! Not sure about epoxyglass. It didn't SEEM to affect the epoxied wood seams, or the carbon booms. I rinsed immediately after use with soap and water so to not let the stuff sit on the hull or epoxy joints. The epoxied wood is A-OK.

Gene, that ammonia trick may be the ticket. I didn't know ammonia was that strong astuff to take off paint

 

[ClayGlover]

I got the Ethyl Acetate from work the old-fashioned way, a five finger discount.  Where to buy some at, I don't know but a paint shop is worth a shot. I stripped one hull at work by pouring some into a rag and wiping the paint off, that simple.

Ron, sounds like some good stuff. What kind of paint was that you took off? I sure wish mine wiped right off like that. The flat areas were fairly easy, it's the nooks and crannies that are a pain the the a$$.

 

[Ron Olson]

I removed some Lusterkote paint on one boat and some of that automotive Mirage paint. This solvent is safe on plastics as I brought some home is plastic Pepsi bottles and stored some for a while in one of them. I did mark the bottles so that nobody would drink it by accident thinking that it was water plus stored it outside. We don't have many solvents at work any more with EPA and VOC hassles so we have switched over to water-based printing inks.