Removing bottom paint

H

Holoholo

New member
Can anyone recommend a good solvent to remove bottom paint. I believe the bottom paint type I have is the non ablative finish. Rather than sanding or grinding, I am hoping there is an easier way to remove without damaging the gelcoat.

Any comments or recommedations would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Vern
 
The fastest and easy way to remove bottom pant is:

Sandbar or Checkbook!....

Summer job for a wayward teen...or two.

Disclamer: THE ABOVE ARE NOT JOKES
 
What is wrong with the bottom paint that is on it? May be a good thing if you travel and leave your boat in the warm waters for a spell. In our summer months, once the water temps get up high.... "stuff" can grow fast...and really slows your boat....and is a real pain in the back side to "have cleaned."

Byrdman
 
My first question is why do you want to remove the paint? If the goal is to have just a gel coat bottom (based on the comment about not wanting to dmaage the gel coat) it's already too late for that.

When the bottom paint is applied, part of the prep is to wither sand the bottom of the boat for better adhesion of paint, or application of a "sandless" primer. Most on this board also strongly recomend barrier coats of epoxy.

So whatever the prep that was done, it will be almost impossible, and / or reeeeeeeally expensive to get back to the gel coat finish.
 
I was thinking of re-applying either a new coat of bottom paint on a cleaned hull or if the removed paint came off cleanly, I would try to buff the gelcoat to its original condition. I dont usually leave my boat in the water more than 2 or 3 days at the longest, so I really don't have a need for bottom paint. The soda blasting sounds very interesting, probably most non abrasive and clean if you have a distributor close by and the cost is not prohibitive.

Thanks for the comments.

Vern
 
Good Day Vern!!

Your boat, your call Brother.... But I would slow down just a bit. :clock

I am sorry, I do not know you or how much you have seen done on boat hulls when they are "properly prepared" to be bottom painted.

Normal practice, is to buff out or scratch up if you will the factory gel coat.... :smileo :cry :arrow:

as to give an epoxy primer (barrier) coat something to stick/bond to... :thup :smiled

followed by what ever type of bottom paint selected by the person paying for...or doing the job....and at least 2 to 4 coats of this...and when I have.... HAVE... my boats done, we toss on another 4 coats on the "high traffic" areas like the keel/centerline and water line at rest areas... and where I generally scratch the boat first...when putting it on the trailer in bad weather.. :oops:

So if....IF.... the job was done properly, and either the original owner...or the owner of the hull at the time the first bottom paint job was done would know this. Track the work back to this person... and many times, it is real easy (to have) to just sand it down a bit, and apply either some of the same type bottom paint.... or one more suitable for your needs. BE CAREFULE....AND FIND OUT what is there now for sure...not all these chemicals/types work together....and you could end up with a ... bad situation.

Help me with just exactly you are attempting to gain by "starting your bottom hull finish over?"...


Byrdman
 
If the bottom paint was applied at the factory it was likely prepped with 80 grit before application of the primer and anti fouling paint. Trying to restore a finish that has been sanded by such a coarse grit would be a monumental undertaking.
 
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