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View Full Version : ? on Removing paint from a Gel coat



david_396
08-10-2006, 08:22 PM
Have old peeling paint on the outside edge of boat. This was painted on top of the original Gel coat. Is there a type of paint remover that will not harm the gel coat. Complete boat will be painted later just want to remove old paint. Have been sanding it off, but was hoping there is an easier way. thanxs david

BrendellaJet
08-16-2006, 09:40 PM
try a 4 inch razor blade. I cleared old paint of substantially all of my boat in about 3 hours. Once you get the hang of it, the paint comes flying off.

YeLLowBoaT
08-16-2006, 09:45 PM
I am doing that right now. I tried the razor ,but it took alot longer then sanding. If your VERY carful, you could use stripers or MEK. It will eat into the gel, so like I said you have to be very carful.( I work with stripers and solvents ona almost daily basis and I still would not use it for fear of it eating the glass) I found when using the razor/sharp putty knife if you wipe the area you are working on with MEK it makes it much ezer to scrape it off. There is a huge thread on here started by Billy B. he can help you might want to post there.
I have about 120 hours in nohting,but sanding right now. Granted I did have to go thru 7 layers of paint.

jfarrjl
09-08-2006, 04:55 PM
I remember working on a 1973 corvette, about 8 years ago. It had some 17-18 coats of paint on it. It was chipping down to the jelcoat. I went down the street to the local marine center and purchased a paint stripper for boats. stripped it down in a few days right down to the jel coat. Didn't soften the jel coat or fiberglass. I live on the east coast, 15 minutes north of NYC. maybe there is allot more boats on the henry hudson river, and the ocean, than where you are from, however it was easy to find, and easy to work with. I spent weeks with a sander, and was damaging the jel coat, so I had to figure something out. My father a sailboat guy, stopped me before using regular paint stripper, thank god. It would have softened it like the guy above and destroyed it. Still have the vette, its still stripped, and still in the garage. One of these days she will have a new black metal flake paint job. If you want, pm me and I will run down and find out what brand.