Stripping a boat...

[NGrace]

Hi folks,

I picked up a 10 year old dory that was built by the Lowell Boat Shop in Amesbury, MA. The boat is in good shape, but it needs to be stripped and repainted. I've used the "blue stuff" from Loews to strip other boats and it worked OK, but I've wondered whether I'm doing more harm than good; it is really nasty stuff. Is there a better stripper out there, or one that folks have used and really like? I guess any good stripper will contain harmful chemicals. Just curious. I'll attach a pic of the boat. She is in pretty good shape overall, but needs some TLC. Also, I'd like to clean up the oak cap rail and keep it bright. What would be a good finish for that?

Thanks,
Nathan

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o43/NGrace42/lowell_dory1.jpg

[Thorne]

There is always the heat gun and scraper method -- worked for me much better than chemical strippers on my fir over oak dory skiff. Scraper should be very good quality -- search this forum for many recommendations.

The one our hosts sell is very nice!

http://www.woodenboatstore.com/images/832002.jpg

[Todd Bradshaw]

I can't say that stripping is ever much fun, but this stuff seems to work pretty well and is a lot less nasty to use than most.

http://www.citristrip.com/products.htm

[P.I. Stazzer-Newt]

DID YOU EVER..

Chemically strip a piece of timber, and then try to varnish it?

Horrible horrible experience.

[outofthenorm]

On a job this size I'd go with heat and scrapers as Thorne suggested. No need for chemistry. Just keep the scraper blade real sharp - not just sorta sharp, or it was sharp 20 minutes ago, or I hit a nail and kept going kind of sharp, but real honest to God, cut-your-eyeballs-just-by-looking-at-it sharp - and it'll go pretty quick. The interior will be easier if you remove the thwarts and stringers.

- Norm

[Thorne]

What fun you have ahead of you!

;0 )

I went from this -
http://www.luckhardt.com/rearviewdory.jpg

By doing this with the heat gun and better scraper -
http://www.luckhardt.com/scraper1.jpg

To this with the first coating of CPES -
http://www.luckhardt.com/wooded1.jpg

Ended with this -
http://www.luckhardt.com/final-fulllength.jpg

[Wild Wassa]

There isn't one paint stripping technique that does it all apart from staying focussed ... especially when using a grinder with a Polyfan disk. I use a polyfan or a flapper a lot of the time.

I also use various Genius Tungsten carbide scrapers and a digital heat gun. The digital heat gun is one of the best tools that I've purchased and having a digital temperature display is a real bonus when looking for accurate repeatable results. It gets a bit like this, 320C nothing much happens, at 340C scorches the wood ... so lets use 330C, cool. If you don't have a digital heat gun ... consider getting one Skipper, they are brilliant.

I take bits to 'AAA Sandblasters' at times, they are a real time saver and most cost effective. The quotes usually seem horrific but they are well worth the client's money.

But for chemical stripping I now only use 'Polystrippa.' Polystrippa is a gel stripper. I neutralize it with copious amounts of metho. I use about 5lts of metho per 2 litres of gel stripper.

'Peelstrip' is a gel stripper that is painted on and backed with paper. Peelstrip is good for large expanses of flat area. The stripping time is accurately calculated depending on the paint types and thickness of paint. Purchasing a test kit is essential which is about $30. When the best time has elapsed after testing the backing paper is pulled up and the paint comes off with the paper. Peelstrip is about $30 a sqm. Peelstrip doesn't work with polyurethane and Peelstrip can remove up to 11-12 layers of enamel and acrylic paint at a time.

There is another type of chemical stripper that I use on hard bottom paint. This stuff kicks arse, so don't go for a coffee break and forget that you have put it on. Spray-on paint stripper ... the stuff automotive guys use to take paint off rubber bumper bars. Contact an automotive paint supplier and ask for their best advice. All I'll give is a warning. There isn't much coverage for the bucks when using a spray on paint stripper, but for hard to get off paints ... they soon become easy. Don't forget there is a boat under the paint.

Warren.

[NGrace]

OK, thanks gents. Looks like I will go with the heat gun and scraper. I have a couple of Sandviks and those should do the trick.

Thorne, how did that CPE work for you? Are the planks able to contract with that stuff on? I may put a thin coat of epoxy on the garboard as that is marine plywood and could use a little filler for the various dings and such.

Thanks again!

Nathan