Bottom Paint Removal?
 

I came across a 271 Formula Fastech at a dealer not far from me. The only problem is that it has black bottom paint on her. NOT A FAN OF BOTTOM PAINT! Has anyone been successful at removing bottom paint. Easy? Difficult? Expensive? Any info would be helpful, to see if this is a project that is even worth consideration.

Removing bottom paint is a horrible job if you try to do it yourself. Its very messy and you expose yourself to some dangerous chemicals which can be hazardous to your health. Its one of those jobs you'll regret ever trying to do yourself. Its also not very environmentally friendly and the process is regulated.

The best way is to hire a company that uses soda blasting equipment to remove it. I think the going rate is around $ 30 per foot and they do alot better and faster job than a do it yourselfer ever could. Once the bottom paint is off you've then got to regelcoat or repaint the bottom. From start to finish its not an easy or inexpensive process.

I don't know where you're at but this company has some good info on the bottom paint removal process.

http://www.choptanksodablasting.com

I have taken bottom paint off of a couple boats now with good results. If the Bottom paint is older you can start with a industrial high pressure power washer and blast off the paint that way. If you can find a pressure washer that has a heating element to pre heat the water those work the best. Then hire a someone to come and lightly soda blast the bottom to get off the primer. After this hand wet sand the bottom with 220, 400 and then 1000. After hit is with compound polish and wax. Both boats I did not have to re gel the bottom. It will take you two full weekends to do it. But it is worth it if you can get the boat for the right price.

Thanks! I'll have to look into it more! I appreciate all the help. So far the score looks like 1 Yes and 1 No. Anybody else want to chime in.

depends on the bottom paint too..if its ablative your a happy boy....

try boat brite soy stripper at wes marine. I used it the other day, with great results. better then peal away, it is a gel you paint on and let sit for a while, 30 min or so will take off 1 coat.
I blasted whole bottom with 2600 psi washer then painted on the gel and then took a 10klb washer to it after two hours and it all blew right off.
It is about $90.00 a gallon but well worth it.
good luck
less then a day to strip 4 coats and a day of sanding NO regell coating a 242 is with in a few inches of a 271 in total length

I think it all depends on the bottom paint, and the prep. I've done two, never again, I don't care how good a deal it seems.

Alright guy's, I'm about to go down this road - if it checks out.
It's got bottom paint that matches the hull sides (black), and the hullsides are supposedly orignal Gel - and as long as they are in good shape, I'd rather have repairs done, than re-do.
I'm sure the original bottom was white - and I want that back.
I don't want to damage the bottom, or the original Gel hullsides.
Looking for suggestions.

There are many different ways to get it off as you can see & you will get many different ways to do it here on OSO & they will all work for you. If I were you & the boat is at a dealer... I would tell them you will take the boat but they have to take off the bottom paint? This would save you time & money... I would think they would do it to make the sale as long as they did not give you the boat... Good Luck & let us know how it turns out for you. Dennis

Like Joe said. SAve yourself the trouble:(

I suggest you run away. It just ain't worth it.

Cuda loves bottom paint just as much as he loves bimini's ;)

OK, the boat isn't at a dealer - private owner, seller.
It's not a Formula, it's a '76 Mag, in need of resto.
I'm not in a hurry, I just want to do it right, and do it easy - if you can combine those two in the same sentance.
It's probably going to take me 2 yrs. to complete the resto(due to funds), but this is something cheap to work on that I have the time for - even if it is miserable. I'm re-married, so after going through a divorce (and that marriage), I know what miserable is - removing bottom paint will be a piece of pie.
So, tell me what's the best way to do it???
What chemicals to use??

I heard oven cleaner works

Nope. It worked somewhat on one boat I removed bp from, but the other boat it just made shiny bp. It wasn't any magic bullet on the one it worked somewhat on either.

Worse. It's a whole lot easier to remove a bimini.

Not a quick study are you?:D
I did the bottom paint twice, but it only took me once not to attempt the marriage thing again.

Hey Joe (where ya going with that gun in your hand....):D
I'm just trying to figure out how to remove bottom paint.
The 2nd marriage is working out better than I could have asked for.
C'mon - you and DD have been together long enough, you might as well be marrried - it's not a bad thing.

The key words here are "might as well". If I get pissed off, I ain't losing all my chit again. Debbie's found her chit out in the front yard before. Not often, but she knows the possibility exists.

I ran across these pictures today in Motorboating Magazine for those of you who think soda blasting is the magic bullet.

The boat in the picture looks to have a grey primer, most likely (pettit etching ) which bonds with and into the gel coat. Here are a couple before and afters of boats that have been soda blasted

http://www.galeforcesodablasting.com/gallery.html

The last boat on the page is a 2006 Sea Craft(soda blasted) with a Grey-Pettit etching primer under Teal bottom paint- Where the hull is prepped correctly the primer sticks, the bottom paint is removed leaving the well bonded primer