I'm getting ready to start a project that will involve removing Imron paint over gelcoat.

I want to get the boat back down to the original gelcoat color.

Anybody with any experience doing this?

I think you can use paint stripper like they use on vettes. It's probably regular stripper anyway. use a plastic scraper then block sand and buff.

If I close my eyes for three seconds while compounding the stripes magically disappear, and not on purpose.

I actually removed all the paint/imron off my Pantera in about 30 minutes with a razorblade. It wasnt primered though..sure was alot cleaner than sanding!

A glass safe stripper and a 250psi pressure washer. I did a 24'to the chine that had like 4 layers. Put the stipper on in managable sized areas (ON A WARM DAY! learned that the hard way! )Let it soak til mushy and have at it up close and personl with the pressure washer. Rinse,wash,repeat ....
careful to use a medium degree Angle tip in the washer, the come with one that will drill a hole through your boat. You may have to go over some places a cuople time, but its a quick way to get the job done without risk of scraping your gel. Attatced a pic of about 1/2 way through (The other of one very unhappy contractor of mine - all he could say was "...$#%^ and today you bring your camera!!!".

I just finished removing the imron graphics from my Pantera. I tested various paint strippers, EZ-Off oven cleaner, razor blades, heat guns etc. I found "Citristrip" to be the best of the strippers but I wasn't happy with the way it would also soften the gelcoat if left on too long.

In the end I opted for a palm sander and used it like a giant 400 grit eraser to knock down the bulk of the paint until the gelcoat started to show through. I then blocked things with some 600 grit finished up with the buffer. The whole process took about a day and a half which was much better than I anticipated (the boat was absolutely covered in purple and green graphics).

Good luck!

greeny is right! Strippers tend to soften the gel also and leave the surface damaged. Also is safer,cleaner and less likely to damage something you don't want to! G$

this method actually works pretty good if the conditions are right. if its paint directly on gel with no sealer and the paint is fairly thick. one trick to help keep the gel safe from gouges is to round of the corners of the blade with a piece of 220 sandpaper. keeps them from digging in.

Excellent suggestion!!!G$