Anti foul removal?

[Warpa1]

Do you guys have any good methods over there for it? I normally only do full details, but more and more customers i have are using dry stacks and the anti foul is no longer needed and making the boat look bad. Im looking for the most efficient way to remove, but also have to bear in mind that the slower way to remove may be better, as it may cause less damage to the hull, meaning sanding and polishing times will be reduced.

You chaps seem to get the latest ideas long before we do, just curious as to what there is. I know some pressure washers can have sand run through them with water, would this be an option? i dont want any short cut ways, as i only do the high level details and try to keep costs down as well as do full details for new owners on the cheap as i hate to see the big companies rip them off.

Thanks so much if any of you can offer any input.

[mmwjr]

Soda blasting is qick low damaging method, but you'll need to hire someone. Do it yourself chemical stip is Interlux 299, somewhat harsh but works much better than newer water based strippers. Also doesn't hurt gel coat if you use a plastic scrapper.

[biggerseagar]

Warp....about 3 or 4 years ago a boater at our marina used a paste that acted like a paint remover. Apply it on the anti foul paint with a brush , wait 3 or 4 hours and scrape it all off.

Now what is it called?....don't know. Where do you get this?no idea.


Google it maybe. It did work pretty easy.


Or the old fashion way, get the sand paper out and start scrubbing.....

Roger

[CountryME]

Soy Strip (now soy gel) by franmar is a popular paint remover that we use on Navy ships where I work and was shown to be the most effective bottom paint remover in a Practical Sailor article back in 2011.

-JP

[biggerseagar]

Yeah that's the ticket:-)

[shrew]

Keep in mind that the gelcoat was prepared by heavily sanding with 80 grit sandpaper prior to it's initial painting. Even with a paint stripper it's going to need to be scraped. The hull will need significant work to get it back to shining and this is going to remove a considerable amount of gelcoat in the process.

[Warpa1]

Originally Posted by shrew

Keep in mind that the gelcoat was prepared by heavily sanding with 80 grit sandpaper prior to it's initial painting. Even with a paint stripper it's going to need to be scraped. The hull will need significant work to get it back to shining and this is going to remove a considerable amount of gelcoat in the process.

You dont fill me with much confidence now. As the boat is now going to be in a rack i may have a play just on the stern, that way if i remove it it wont stand out like a test patch on the hull. Would the gel coat be the same thickness all over, or is it generally thicker on the hull which gets more abuse? It could be a case of re gel coating if a lot of sanding is going to be needed...hmmm, not a quick fix like i had hoped, had no idea 80 grit is used to prep the hull!

[shrew]

Generally, once a hull gets painted, it stays painted. Certainly give it a try in a test area. The gel coat is the same thickness everywhere. The underlying fiberglass & resin can be layed at different thickness, but that is irrelevant to this discussion. re-gel-coating that large an area by hand would be very, very expensive and labor intensive.

[Warpa1]

Looks like he may have to settle for a white dull hull, rather than a blue flakey hull then. Ill put him in touch with someone who can blast it off, then look at the results and see if there is anything i can do, it can be seen here, this is before i started work on it.




May as well add an after shot, i went for the name to add a pic to the contact in my phone as i do with all boats and customers, in this shot i had removed the pinstripe that was letting the side down, blue had a full wet sand, the rest a hard cut. This is a work in progress for the owner and wants me to bring it up like my boat as and when funds are available, just that antifoul spoiling the look.