Any one ever sand blast a glass boat?

[Forkin' Crazy]

Got one that has about 7 or 8 coats of paint. Hey, the top coat is only as good as the bottom... or anywhere inbetween. I have a pannel I am going to try with really fine sand. I got a good respirator... no silicosis. ;)

[RobF]

dozens if not hundreds, usually its the bottom paint though.


corvette guys blast corvettes, its very common.

[Hottrucks]

you can buy plastic to blast with or walnut shells won't hurt and thing they use it all the time on hot rods because it won't scratch the glass or chrome......i never tried it on fibreglass but I think it would be alot safer

[Riverman]

The "next big thing" is using bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) for blasting. supposed to be very gentle.

[Hottrucks]

I have heaard that also ther was someone on the board who was going to try it.....the other thing that works great is OVEN CLEAN in the yellow can but with that much paint forget it..maybe just a stripper??

[RobF]

just be sure to use a gelcoat/fiberglass safe stripper if you do use chemicals

[Fast Shafts]

I've often wondered the same-I've got a 1983 19' Grady White with 20+ layers of bottom paint. I think its about time to have it blasted!

[RobF]

depending on your area expect to pay between $25-$35 per foot for bottom blasting.

then it needs to be sanded by machine because they claim the blasting almost creates a polishing effect.

top portion is blasted, bottom portion is after it was DA sanded

http://robx-7.nopistons.com/d/919-1/pro+002.jpg

[amt2007s]

Rob
If you had a boat that was basecoat clearcoat. do you think you can sand blast it then DA it. Or do you think DA from the start is the only way

[RobF]

if the paint was in sound condition and the boat was properly painted to begin with I would sand it to the primer and paint over that if going with single stage

if you were going BC/CC again I would sand the existing clear and use that as a canvas trying not to break the clear to avoid any lifting on the edges.

I have a old donzi here that was painted in the early 80's or late 70's with laquer, the sandblaster wanted a small fortune to blast it so we ended up getting under it with a scraper and taking all the paint off, did not take that long- maybe 2 days, not like it took the most skilled of labor to do it either. It was easier and cleaner then stripper and the surface was not compromised which im sure would have happened with the sandblaster.

http://robx-7.nopistons.com/d/656-2/arrive+002.jpg

http://robx-7.nopistons.com/d/1722-2/sk+030.jpg

[1BadAction]

Paul, I'm having the interior of mine either soda blasted or walnut blasted by a place that specializes in marine blasting. I'm doing mine to take up the garbage from carpet that was installed ages ago. I'll let you know how it turns out.

[tripledude2]

MANY years ago, sandblasting was about all that was around. Corvette users used it with mixed and usually not so good results. About ANY of the newer methods would be better. I had a 68 GTO rubber front bumper done a few years ago with baking soda. The finish came out very smooth and just needed a light scuffing before laying out the primer.

[Forkin' Crazy]

I got access to a big comercial blaster/compressor. I think small sand would be the key. Plastic media is too expensive.

Thanks, I'll let you know how the test piece comes out. :)

[Raceman]

corvette guys blast corvettes, its very common.

Yeah, but with some type of media OTHER THAN sand, usually plastic, sometimes baking soda. Personally I wouldn't consider blasting one of my Corvettes because NO Corvette ever left the factory with gel coat on it anywhere (contrary to rumor), so you're always blasting to bare glass if you get past the factory primer, which is pretty tough itself. In the case of pre '72 there was nothing there except fiberglass resin and mat, pressure cured in the middle of a male and female mold, hence the term Press Moulded Glass. Sometime in '72 the transition was made to SMC glass, but still no gel coat.

The gel coat on a boat may make it less suscetible to media blasting than a Corvette for the above reason, but if I was going to do it to a boat I'd want to have pro's do it, and oversee it myself in the initial stages in an inconspicuous area until I got comfortable they weren't gonna make a mess I couldn't reverse.

I think that in most cases chemical stripping is preferable on fiberglass, but using the stronger strippers that are capable of getting Imron or other catalysed paints loose takes a lot of care and technique in itself, even on a gel coated surface. One other thing that I've used with some success on the tougher paints is to cut the paint up with an 80 or even 36 grid disc on a DA to give the stripper a way to bite better. The trick is to bust the surface of the paint without letting the disc ever touch bare glass, or gel in the case of a boat.

[rock]

Be very careful blasting glass. I sent a bike trailer off to get painted and the bonehead blasted the metal frame and the fibreglass. Stripped most of the gel coat and left an ungodly ugly finished. In my opinion he ruined my trailer. I know boats are a bit thicker but I think there are safer ways albeit maybe not as quick.
Rock

[RobF]

there are many different types of media, obviously a finer surface like a vette you aint using heavy sand and alot of pressure.
Chemical strippers dont always work well, they will also react with fiberglass and old body work, rubber seals are also in jeapordy of being damaged.

Its also a good idea to let them do a SMALL area first to see how it will react.

But in the case of the bottom of a boat removing bottom paint its pretty much a no-brainer unless the guy just started blasting yesturday.

[Dunk]

You might want to give some thought to hydrosandblasting. Rent a 4000lb pressure washer and get a sand attachment. The sand you buy in 100lb bags for 6-7 bucks each and they'll buy back any unopened bag. I always used 00, but they usually have lots finer. I had a small biz doing this years ago taking bottom paint off. Leaves the surface just right to be re bottom painted. If you want smoother you can use an epoxy barrier coat to fill the suface.

If you are taking bottom paint off, no matter with what... don't do it anywhere you want grass growing for the next five years.

[gazza]

We blast Fibreglass with chalk dust, need to be very carefull, We use 1.5" hugger with ventrui nozzel @ 80 PSI,
Do not dwell as it will burn and bite in to the glass surface, keep the blaster nozzel at about 12" from the blasting surface.
If done correctly gives around a 50 Micron profile finish ready for paint.
Hope this is a help,
Cheers gaZ

[Fish]

if the paint was in sound condition and the boat was properly painted to begin with I would sand it to the primer and paint over that if going with single stage

if you were going BC/CC again I would sand the existing clear and use that as a canvas trying not to break the clear to avoid any lifting on the edges.

I have a old donzi here that was painted in the early 80's or late 70's with laquer, the sandblaster wanted a small fortune to blast it so we ended up getting under it with a scraper and taking all the paint off, did not take that long- maybe 2 days, not like it took the most skilled of labor to do it either. It was easier and cleaner then stripper and the surface was not compromised which im sure would have happened with the sandblaster.

http://robx-7.nopistons.com/d/656-2/arrive+002.jpg

http://robx-7.nopistons.com/d/1722-2/sk+030.jpg

nice barrel back rob.

[RobF]

its a 1969 corsican, original owner!

[Fish]

my bad...EVEN nicer!!!!!