Bottom paint removal?
 

I have at least 3 different colors on the bottom. I'm sure it has never been removed in its 40 years so lucky me... Like I said there are 3 colors and for sure multiple coats of the black. The below picture is one hour worth of work with a scrapper on the easiest most vertical portion of the boat. The rest will have to be done on my back. Unless someone has a better idea besides blasting (don't have a ton of money budgeted for this but I do have plenty of time over the northeast winter). I assume pressure washing won't get it done? My next attempt will be with an orbital sander and the coarsest grit paper I can find. Any other ideas?

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Try Easy Off oven cleaner. It takes a lot of work out of it.

Thanks terry, I just did a search on here and found that too. I'll get a can and try a spot. Thanks

Use a chemical stripper like "Tough to Strip" available at most hardware stores. Get the bottom nice and wet with water, so the paint is wet through, and apply the stripper with a throw away brush, as thick as you can get it to stay on. Wait 4-6 hours, scrape with a sharp scraper. That will take off a lot of it. If there is still a substantial amount of paint remaining, repeat the process. Do this until you are down to mostly gelcoat. Then clean THOROUGHLY with fresh water, scrubbing with soap, let dry, sand the gelcoat and remaining paint to prep for the new stuff, and apply your new paint. Best option for removing lots of old layers of paint. Stripper works better when its warmer. Easier than sanding it all off.

I'm in the same boat. Does the Easy Off act as a.paint stripper? I've tried several of those and non seem to really work. not looking forward to removing the bottom paint.

Easy off works great but you will go broke buying enough to do the whole bottom.
Make sure to wear long sleeves and plates long gloves. The stuff flies around some and will burn your skin.
We borrowed a friends farrow system and blasted our 23.
I'd say bite the bullet and get it blasted. This took us about 2.5 hours.
We are going back with finish topcoat. No more bottom paint.

It sucks!
 

I have been doing my 20' and it has not been fun at all. Did tilt the boat on its side to help but still not easy at all. Soda blasting sounds like a winner. I have one side coated with 3 coats of 2000e and ready to tilt it to do the same to the other side now.

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I found that the Ace Hardware paint remover was the strongest paint remover I could find. It is also less expensive than other brands. It has the consistency of a gel. You put it on, let it sit for 30 minutes or so and then take a paint scraper to peel it off. After that, you will need to take a paint thinner to wipe off the residual.

Back in the cars days I used "Aircraft Strip". It was a gel that rocked!

Did the same thing last winter, I had multiple coats also. I scraped all the loose layers then used a orbital sander. Placed the boat on stands took me around 18 hrs to remove paint. Next time I will pay to get it removed.

700 bucks for this job. About a half days work. Soda blast.

I sense a theme here with everyone that's done it saying they'll never do it again. I'm a slow learner and I've never done it so I'm gonna do it the old fashion way. Brute strength and ignorance. It's good for the mind and body. I've done all the scraping with a flimsy putty knife like scraper. I'll get a more stiff scraper this week. Tried the easy off too, but it was cold and did not work for me.

Stupid is what Stupid Does...:D

The best paint stripper is your check book...(don't get upset by the above comment, I have been there and done exactly what you are going to do) after you are done you will either agree or say I'm glad I did it...;)

I paid 150 for a guy to help me sand the bottom of my boat... I had a box of 40 grit, 80 gritand 120 grit. the bottom paint was 2-3 layers and believe it or not.. It was the finer grit that removed the paint quicker..it took us 15 hours to sand the entire bottom.. If I had the funds I would have paid to soda blast but. I didn't think 150 was to bad..He did a great job.. btw the guy is a professional cabinet sander. been doing it for 12 years

I helped my father strip the bottom of his 23 Sceptre 15 years ago. We used Strip-Eze. Like some of the others have mentioned using a gel-type remover, lay it on, let it sit, then scrape off. It's messy as all hell but you don't need brute force to get it done.

A note of caution - if doing this outdoors, don't let sunlight hit the paint stripper while on the boat. It'll melt the gelcoat. We learned that the hard way...luckily it was a very small area and it was addressed right away.

I just talked to someone at Cesco here in Charleston. He said that there is an attachment that uses a siphon action that hooks to a pressure washer. He said a couple of guys have rented it with great results. It uses glass media. I'm going to give a try as soon as the holidays are over. 4000psi was the recommended pressure.

I wonder how that would be on the pump on the washer. Or is it a wet blast with the glass media?

I think the attachment would be after the pump..I should have tried that on.. I might just do that on my alum bracket... Thanks for the idea

Yes,it's after the pump. I believe the nozzle is what your renting. The tip would probably be ceramic like sandblasting. The plus side is the water keeps the dust down. Also, my washer has a pressure adjustment so one could fine tune as needed.

Gotcha. I see now.:)

If you are sanding off bottom paint- don't inhale. If it is poisonous enough to keep barnacles away, it probably isn't great for lungs...

This is of interest to me since the scampi has a lot of paint that has to come off, so I Googled pressure washer sand blasting and came up with a lot of info. Northern tools sells the attachment, and has some reviews on its web site. Also found a Chevy truck site with a thread on the use of it on metal. Just might work good on Fiberglas. Worth the investment if it leaves a good finish.

Ordered this today. http://www.northerntool.com/shop/too...duct_8520_8520

Can't wait to try it. Tried just a pressure washer today and it took some areas right off where it was not prepped correctly originally. I'll let you know how it works when I get it.

Cool. Let's see some pics when your done. I'm stuck trying to get the new fuel tank in so that project is on the back burner.

Glad you took the plunge, I almost bought one last Saturday, but I'm not ready to use it yet so I decided to wait. Let us know what size pressure washer your using, and of course the pics.

i anticiapte it showing up next week. i will get some before and after pics and show the pressure washer and media i use. i have yet to decide what media to use or what is available.

Make sure to let me/us know how this works!!!!

UPS says it will be here tomorrow! So maybe Saturday I'll give it a shot. Stand by...

Ok, it's here, here is what I got, the media is fine grit walnut shells from harbor freight. Only got 25 lbs for now to see how fast it goes. I will try it all tomorrow hopefully

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Awesome, I'm very interested in the results as I have two boats needing bottom paint stripped. Hope it works well for you.

Well it worked kinda. Very slow process. I will get pictures up soon but the video should work for now. Next I'm going to try a bigger pressure washer and maybe a heavier grit.


https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=...m-upload_owner

Set up, ready to go. I elevated the bucket cause I read reports of water flowing back to the bucket. No problems with that the whole time

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Before sand blasting. That is what I've scrapped so far.

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After about 7 min.

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Maybe another 7 min on the underside amidships
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Waterline about 5 min.
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Total 25 lbs of fine walnut shell lasted about 20 minutes

You need more psi. its not taking it off fast enough, your going to go through alot of agent and water. Its looks great you just have to move along a little faster. You need 4200psi washer with a 0 degree tip, you will cover triple the area in the time you are now.

Do you think the fine grit is ok or should I go more coarse? Or try just the stronger pressure washer with the same grit?

The boats we've had soda blasted at the yard end up with a rougher finish than what you're getting.
You could try a higher grit, might go a little faster.
Planning on painting or leaving it gelcoat?
If your painting, the texture left after a soda blast with a quick once over with 80 grit is perfect for a few coats of interprotect 2000 then bottom paint.

If your going to leave it gelcoat I'd stay with a finer grit, but get ready to spend some time under the boat.

A quality pressure washer will take off 70 to 80% of the bottom paint. Then you can hit the remainder with a DA sander in progressive grits.

This is how I removed 10-15 years of bottom paint from a 25 Parker. Then sprayed it with Awlgrip.

i'd like to not paint the bottom as I keep it on the trailer and never in the water over night. i've only ever used regular bottom paint on any of my boats so i'm not sure what to put on the bottom. i know i have some blisters on the port side at least at the bow anyway so those will have to be dealt with. I can just use a few coats of epoxy barier coat on the bottom and that will be fine right?

I will try a 3500 pressure washer this week with just water and then will try some with the recycled walnut shells that i sweapt up after the first try (after i screen it of course)

I used about 200lbs of crushed glass media for a 23'. Looks like what u have is working but will take forever.

Tried a different pressure washer, 3300 psi alone with no sand. Just water and it took 75% off fairly easy. Did the majority of the starboard side in about an hour. In the last pic below you can see where the fiberglass is exposed. I don't know if it's from the washer or 40 years of use and abuse. I bet another 25 lbs of walnut shell would get almost the rest of the paint off that side.

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Use the rougher grit and the high psi washer, then hit it with 80 grit. Use 2 to 3 coats of barrier coat then bottom paint it is going to take too much time and patients to get back the gelcoat. If you are going to trailer the boat get a bottom paint with less ablatives so the loading of the trailer is not always marking it up. I used interlux VC and seemed to work great, you can also burnish it to a shine.