Project over!

[ScottyG]

Well,The core job/restoration on my Vector is done.Sea trails last Thursday on the Great South Bay.Came home in the usual afternoon 2 foot chop and no delamination only a sore back and neck the next day for the pilot.I was thinking about letting this local company that does bottom paint removal do my boat.They y promise it does not damage the gel-coat.Boy I wish the previous owner never bottom painted this thing.I guess it spent one season in the 1980's in a slip instead of being launched.Anybody done or had done any bottom paint removal.Scotty

[Ronny Jetmore]

i have heard of at least one product that is suppose to remove bottom paint without damaging the gel coat. i am sure somebody on this sight has used it. i did take bottom paint off a boston whaler i had about 15 years ago. i flipped it over and wet sanded it. once i got it all off, i kept going over the gel coat with a finer and finer grit until it was smooth. then i polished it. you need to be real careful on the strakes because these are the high point and are easy to sand through. i tell you, i would definitely check to see if that paint removal product is good stuff. it sounds like a lot less work. thanks, ronny

[sho305]

I've done auto paint stripping, but that stuff softens the fiberglass too; so you would need special stuff for a boat. Here they do boats with plastic media sand blasting. It works pretty well. I watched a guy do it and he could take paint off layer by layer, and do glass without digging into it no problem. GM recommends it for delam paint problems because they can take the paint off and leave the factory primer on intact. He could do it down to metal and the metal looked brand new and shiney; untouched. It is like the holes out of buttons, the thread holes.

Here is one: http://www.stripmasterspor15.com/blast.htm

[ymepig]

scotty try using this

http://www.iboats.com/products/7/5404_pettit_foaming_bottom_paint_remover_.html

Kurt :D