Stripping paint/gel coat

awinquist

awinquist

Location
Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada
What's the easiest way to strip paint off of a rickter hull? Is there a fiberglass safe stripper or can you media blast it? Don't want to have to sand for a week. Also the carbon fiber on the hood area is that real carbon fiber or just a wrap clear coated?

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V

Vortex

Location
Southeast
You gotta sand it one way or the other man. Paint needs a mechanical bond to last.

Would advise against fiberglass stripper it's nasty stuff and will contaminate bare fiberglass and cause paint issues.

If you absolutely had to get old paint removed from a composite part and start completely over there is a process called dustless blasting that uses media(sand etc) and high pressure water blasting. Messy process and it will reveal any repaired areas and pinholes/flaws in the part, which can create a whole lot of bodywork to do.
 
E350

E350

Site Supporter
Location
Sacramento Delta
This is how I am addressing issues on the fiberglass deck of the 1967 boat we got from my wife's father. Particularly check out the new 3M gun Wade recommends below:

Wade is the guy at Fiberglass Hawaii in Ventura, California whom I rely on for info. I buy their product and they ship it to me up North.

Wade says you can’t put gelcoat over epoxy. Since the boat was built in 1967 out of polyester resin, he recommends that I stay with polyester resin.

Here’s the gun recommended by Wade:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AJVE1ZU/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A1YG9MEAPCZ0DX&psc=1

He says a 2mm or even 3mm nozzle to spray gelcoat:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LIXEFWM/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

I am thinking about sanding, then applying polyester sanding primer white and then finishing with gelcoat:

http://fiberglasshawaii.com/resins/resins-gelcoats/gelcoat.html

With this added to the finish gelcoat:

https://www.fiberglasshawaii.com/shop/resin-fillers-gel-coat/gel-coat/cssm27x6clq-qt-prestec-27x6-super-clear-perfect-flow

You can use the gelcoat with wax in it for the final coat. I have used it on a shower pan. But I want to try and learn to use super clear instead.

And to answer the specific question: You have to sand down to the fiberglass layer. You cannot add gelcoat to paint. See all the help sheets at Fiberglass Hawaii.

And I have a 1977 Corvette. I may refinish it, but I would never sandblast it. Sandblasting can nearly blow a hole in fiberglass.
 
V

Vortex

Location
Southeast
Dustless blasting is different than sand blasting. We had some body kit panels for a lancer Evo done this way. It won't blow a hole in it but you will have some bodywork to do. Its not an ideal process but it gets the job done efficiently and you have a 100% clear foundation to start with.

That said I only would recommend it for the worst of the worst, something with major adhesion issues /paint bubbling/etc
 
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I

Iconicsuperpoop

Location
Here
Look into Interlux, or Removall. Interlux is specifically for glass/gel coat. Removall is too, kid of. The 220 is gentle, the 620 is the fluk it gotta get er dun.

Aircraft stripper works on some, blisters the gelcoat on others.
If you're going down bare bones, there is a fiberglass paint stripper.
 
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