soda or sand blaster

[willy]

There are several diffrent brands, Home Depot sells one in gallon cans that many recommended but I dont have the name in front of me, I will get it if you need it.
It is a stripper with a thick consistency that you spread on and let sit for a few minutes and then use like a plastic or metal putty type knife of varying sizes and shapes to scrape off the paint which it softens.
If you have multiple heavy coats of bottom paint it can take some time becuase of re-applications to get thru it. It works real well on one or two thinner properly applied coats.
afterward you use a cleanser to clean off everything and lightly sand and fair any bad divits etc. if needed and paint your epoxy paint of choice.

[garagenc]

Hey D
That's why I said for him to ask his blast guy if he has any exp with it. They can blast at a lower psi and it wont hurt the gel coat. I've had 2 experiences with blasting that way and they both came out ok on private boats. The shells can be be fine or coarse depending on what the surface is behind what you are trying to remove. When the shells are fine they work like soda. I became aware of it about 20 years ago when we used it at a Navy Yard on steel hulls, then we started working with a company that refined it so we could do fiberglass hulls for the "Admirals Barge" and all the fiberglass hull launches.

Just make sure your guy has experience with using the shells.

[Destroyer]

Originally Posted by garagenc

Hey D
That's why I said for him to ask his blast guy if he has any exp with it. They can blast at a lower psi and it wont hurt the gel coat. I've had 2 experiences with blasting that way and they both came out ok on private boats. The shells can be be fine or coarse depending on what the surface is behind what you are trying to remove. When the shells are fine they work like soda. I became aware of it about 20 years ago when we used it at a Navy Yard on steel hulls, then we started working with a company that refined it so we could do fiberglass hulls for the "Admirals Barge" and all the fiberglass hull launches.

Garage, that's great to know.. THANK YOU!!!!!! (I've actually used walnut shells when I redid my rowboats trailer... I didn't have a concrete or mecadam area available to me at the time, so I used my lawn.. I figured that any grains that the lawn vac didn't pick up would eventually decompose. They worked great, but it took more media to do the same job that sand would have done)

[spanishmak]

definitely willy if you could get me the name brand i would really appreciate it I really wanna get this bottom paint off but with this economy the way it is I just cannot afford to get this boat soda blasted,but i will spend the time to do it myself this way(it is alot easier for me to get the job done myself little by little than to come up with money for this sandblasting in one shot you know!)any help would be GREATLY appreciated

[spanishmak]

where'd you get that smiley with that beer mug!COOOOLLL!!!!

[step up here]

has anyone mentioned that if you strip it you should take the boat off the trailer!
also you will have one hell of a mess going on with the stripper . i never have seen a boat with any age or more than two coats of anti fouling paint after stripper ready for wax . you will see sand scratches, gouges ,chips that will still hold some of the old paint. then you should take lacquer thinner and some scotch brite to remove and clean up bottom after stripper.then you may even have to sand the bottom again to get a smooth surface . this is one job that you may never be satisfied with . answer would be to save up some money ;work a deal but i would never strip a boat over 16 feet but then again am 63years old .
good luck and be careful
i

[Destroyer]

Originally Posted by step up here

has anyone mentioned that if you strip it you should take the boat off the trailer!
also you will have one hell of a mess going on with the stripper . i never have seen a boat with any age or more than two coats of anti fouling paint after stripper ready for wax . you will see sand scratches, gouges ,chips that will still hold some of the old paint. then you should take lacquer thinner and some scotch brite to remove and clean up bottom after stripper.then you may even have to sand the bottom again to get a smooth surface . this is one job that you may never be satisfied with . answer would be to save up some money ;work a deal but i would never strip a boat over 16 feet but then again am 63years old .
good luck and be careful
i

LOL I'm 66 and I wouldn't do it either. I completely agree with you. The last boat I stripped was in 1978 in Tom's River, NJ.. I learned a lot with that job... namely that it's a lot easier to have someone else do it... Someone with all the right tools, experience, etc... to me it's cheap money. My time is worth more than that.

[Destroyer]

Originally Posted by spanishmak

where'd you get that smiley with that beer mug!COOOOLLL!!!!

Right here.. Look to the right of your screen at the smilies ...scroll down to the one you like, or hit more for even a batter selection. The beer toast is in amoung them somewhere.

[spanishmak]

here's to you dude,thanks,hey man this sight is not only helpful but fun too!!Im startin to feel like part of the forum,cheers to all

[macojoe]

The stuff at home depot is called Bix i believe, there is a couple of different bix, make sure you get the one safe for fiberglass