Logo
FULL SITE MENU

Bottom paint removal

J

jeffsboat

Contributing Member
"Would like to remove the bott

"Would like to remove the bottom paint from my boat. I only use it in fresh water (came from salt water) and it has many layers of paint. anty good tricks to get this stuff off?
Thanks,
Jeff


26 PennYan
Twin 318's"
 
Try pressure washing first to

Try pressure washing first to get the loose off then rent a wet blast attachment from a tool rental place and about 10 bags of BX-8 blasting sand and do it up nice and fresh.U can hit the props and rudders but stay away from the stern tube were the shaft goes in the boat
 
"If you are going to sand blas

"If you are going to sand blast the bottom, you run the risk of removing the gel coat as well if you aren't VERY carefull. If you do this you will need to barrier coat the bottom. There is a special "barrier coat paint" (not really a paint) you will need to use.

Last time I had to do this, I used a chemical remover "Peel a way". There is a marine version. There is also a non marine version sold at "big box hardware stores" that is the same stuff, only cheaper. There is a "non toxic" version that is suitable for fiberglass. Not cheap, but safe. A bit messy, however, you won't end up with fine flakes of bottom paint all over the place which can be an environmental (and legal) problem in some places.

Pressure wash ( mind where the old paint ends up) a good first step. Also a fast once over with a scraper to remove any big, loose chunks."
 
"had mine done with crushed wa

"had mine done with crushed walnut shells ( don't laugh)company that did it guaranteed the gel coat would not be marked, even did the props & rudders & struts, got all the paint off, & the guy was done in a couple of hours, clean up was a breeze"
 
"Make sure your blaster has lo

"Make sure your blaster has lots of experience blasting fiberglass boats. Also, if your boat has been kept in the water and not on the hard, be prepared to find lots of osmotic blisters in the gel coat. If so, they need to be faired and a two-part epoxy barrier coat must then be applied before A/F paint. My '77 Trojan F-32 looked like birdseye maple after blasting. A hull of that size can absorb hundreds of pounds of water and must be dried out and moisture-tested before repairs are started. Not all of the blisters pop out so the epoxy barrier coat also cements any "hanging chads" to the gel coat."
 
"I would suggest to "press

"I would suggest to "pressure wash" with a machine which works with hot water, to start with.
( professional equipment normally ) I would assume this takes care of 90 percent of your old bottom paint. Be careful to follow local environmental laws/regulations - bottom paint - especially old paint - manufactured 5-10 years back contains/ed a lot of nasty stuff...
Personally I would be very, very, careful to sand blast - if so - it has to be done by a professional guy...
Then your hull has to be dried out - a process which in normal " room temperature " could take weeks. When the hull finally has been dried out - you have to add a two-part epoxy barrier - several layers - but again...the hull has to be dry otherwise you " build in moisture/water " into your hull...
Check the link : http://www.yachtpaint.com/usa/boat_painting_guide/pdf/fibreglass/protect.pdf - I would also talk to the guys with sailboats - who races with their yachts.They normally spends a couple of hundred hours on the bottom of the boat...
Even if you will use you boat in fresh water from now on - I would say you need a bottom paint suitable for those conditions.
It would be a different story if we talked about a completely new boat....

}"
 
Dry ice or soda blasting is ge

Dry ice or soda blasting is getting very popular. Dry ice leaves minimal clean up but is expensive.

Jeff
 
Just spoke with the mechanic a

Just spoke with the mechanic at the marina where I store my boat for the winter and they are looking into Soda Blasting equipment for next year. Timing is everthing!
 
RE: "they are looking into

RE: "they are looking into Soda Blasting equipment for next year. Timing is everthing!"

Take it from someone who spend decades on the "bleeding edge" of technology. You don't want to be someone's first project (or customer) unless you have no other alternative whatsoever.
 
Back
Top