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Name removal (paint)

2K views 15 replies 13 participants last post by  SloopJonB 
#1 ·
Hi!

Just wondering what the best method/products for removing the painted on name on my boat. It is a 1987 and the gel-coat is white. The name is multi-colored and is painted on.

I will be using a decal for the new name.


Thanks again as always for the help.

Chris
 
#2 ·
I had the same situation a few years back. I used citrus-type paint remover, which removed the paint fine and didn't seem to hurt the gelcoat--I rinsed it off thoroughly. Since the name had been on there a long time protecting the gelcoat, it did leave a ghost of better gelcoat behind.
 
#4 ·
I have used easy-off oven cleaner in the past and it works very well. However, as previously pointed out it will leave behind a ghost of newer gel coat. But in my case, once the new lettering was applied it's not really that noticeable from a short distance and I was pleased with the overall result. Try it on one letter to begin with to see if your happy with the result.
 
#5 ·
+1 for the easy off. Used it on 8 year old painted on name and it worked well. Left a ghost of brighter gel coat but that will fade in time. Let it sit and work for 10-15 minutes and the paint should wipe off with a paper towel. Rinse well when done. Wear gloves and eye protection is a good idea.
 
#6 ·
To remove the ghost of the old name in Gel Coat,,,,wet sand with progressively finer sand paper starting with 600 and going as fine as you can go...then get the rubbing compound...it can be brought back to life with some elbow grease....
 
#8 ·
Another gelcoat-friendly stripper is 'Aqua Strip', available on-line. We used it to remove old chalky hull stripes. It's a gel so it doesn't run off the vertical surfaces while you give it time to work.
 
#11 ·
I just did this on my boat a week ago. I used the citrus-based paint stripper from home depot. I left it to sit on the paint for about half an hour and then attacked it with a scotchbrite scouring pad (one of the ones safe for teflon, not the really scratchy kind). It didn't harm the gelcoat at all, but as others have said it left behind better looking gelcoat. I plan on using a rubbing compound and polish (following Maine Sail's tutorial) to bring the whole hull back to that condition so I assume it will leave basically no trace of the old name.
 
#12 ·
Hmm.. Looks like I'm about to lose my affiliation with the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club. It was good while it lasted. Relatively inexpensive, too!
 
#14 ·
Nope. but he left spices! Actually, we've grown fond of the spice rack

But the boat's multiple personalities has attracted some attention
 
#15 ·
Well, I have officially ended my relationship with the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club.

I was pretty paranoid about putting oven cleaner on my hull... But I backed the boat into the slip and worked from the dock.

I used generic oven cleaner, and sprayed it over the lettering. I used a damp cloth to keep it away from the plastic deck plate that is nearby.

I let it sit about 20 minutes, and by then the foam had slipped past the lettering. I rinsed it off and went at the lettering with a Scotchbrite pad.

I repeated this for about 6 times, until the letters were all gone.

A pain in the butt. But it worked, and there was no residual discoloring or shadowing.

Again, I was pretty paranoid about the whole process, and I can't say I did this the "right" or most efficient way, but it worked.
 
#16 ·
If the lettering was done with "sign paint" like One Shot then Easy Off works great - no need to scrub, just wipe it off. It doesn't seem to attack the gel coat at all.

DO NOT use steel wool for ANYTHING on a boat - you will get orange freckles everywhere. Don't ask me how I know - lets just say it was the first hard lesson I learned about boat maintenance. :D
 
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