Pantera24

Anyone ever use "PeelAway" paint remover on a boat?
Or any other type of paint remover? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

customtouch

Personally, I don't use or recommend any chemical stippers on gelcoat. I believe that because of how porous and absorbent the gel is, it is too easy to contaminate the surface with it! I have seen it ruin alot of paint jobs! It is more work, but alot safer to sand off the existing paint instead. Doing it right is always more work but worth while in the long run!! If you have never used chemical strippers before (especially on a large area) it is going to be easy to do more damage than good and create more work for yourself than if you had just sanded the paint off to begin with! Sometimes the short cut ends up being the long way around! Just my opinion!! Good Luck on your project!

madbouyz

wise words from customtouch

Are you talking about removing antifouling from the bottom or previously painted topsides and deck ?

Is'nt "Peelaway" that 'safer' environmentally safe stuff ?

Pantera24

Talking about topside deck paint not bottom and yes the "Peelaway" is supposed to be non toxic and biodegradable?

madbouyz

I remember seeing John Graviskis (Sp) on that boat maintenance show he used to do a while back using this stuff to remove the bottom paint off a boat.

It still left a fair amount behind necessitating sanding (refer to customtouch's post )

I would be very sceptical of how well it would work on topside paint .... do you know what it is that's presently there ?
Some are tough as nails !

I sure would'nt want to sand a whole boat down to the original gelcoat just out of fear of putting too much of an inconsistant surface on it .

As an example though , I have my little centre console now ready to re-finish and much to my amazement the Awlgrip on the deck was so dead (after 18 years in the sun it should have been !) that it sanded off easily with a DA sander and 80-120 grit. Took it all off and 99% of the primer too .
I doubt that your surface is that bad though .. making it even tougher .

customtouch

Pantera, I think I can be more helpful to you and your project if you can give more information as to what you are trying to do. #1 Why do you feel it is nessary to strip all the paint off? Doing this is not always needed. Is it flaking, peeling or crazing or is it just faded? #2 Is it a simple basic stripe or two that was painted individually or multiple colors that have been sealed in by clearing over the intire boat? #3 Are you planning on repainting the whole boat and if so is the rest of the gelcoat in good condition. ect. ect. ect. I would be happy to tell you how I would approach the situation if you want me to, but there are alot of questions about your goals that need to be answered first! There are many solutions to the same problem and all will have a slightly different outcome. You need to figure out which one is best for you. I will respond to your post or you can PM me if you like. David

Pantera24

Hey guys thanks a lot for your responses. "customtouch" the deck is flaking / chiping in some spots and as a result I definetly want to repaint that. The hull sides are average but do have some small chips here and there. As for the name which I truly dislike! It is in vinyl and can easily be removed. I will try and get better pics tomorrow of deck for you . thanks for your help.
angel

customtouch

Pantera, On the hull sides, is there clear below the last black strripe or is it just gelcoat. If you are not sure you can check just under the chine to see if there is a clear line. That is normally where people stop with the clear when doing a custom job! Also, what kind of shape is the gelcoat on top in? Is it a consistant color of white, or does it have some darker yellow spots in it? BTW, cool looking boat!!! Definatly looks like it would be worth the trouble of restore!!! Also, it is hard to tell by the pictures, but it appears to have the docking lights painted over!!! What's the story on that?

Pantera24

I'll check but I'm pretty sure the sides probably have clear.
The gelcoat on top is not very even. As for the docking lights ...YES they painted over them for right now they will probably stay like that but eventually I want to swap them with the stainless steel docking lights.

customtouch

Paint over docking lights is a pretty damn scary thing to see!!!! That is not a good sign as to how the rest of the paint job was done!! Check the places where the paint has flaked off for sand scratches on the gelcoat. Also , on the broken edge of the paint (where it is flaking) press some duct tape down on it hard and try to rip more of the paint off. Pull from the damaged area towards the good paint. Try this in several spots. Hopefully you can rip some big chunks off! You want to check for signs of other paint under this paint job also to see how many times it has been painted. If it has been painted a couple of times you should actually see the different layers of paint. Examine all of this carefully because knowing what you are dealing with is important!