Anyone know a good stripper?

[GilStump]

Hey guys,

my 1977 Orion S&S 35's mast needs some attention. It is unstepped right now, and we are thinking of stripping the paint off and returning it to its aluminum finish. Is this advisable? Do I need to somehow seal the mast afterward? Is there a comprehensive thread or website that I have missed somewhere?

Thanks!

[negrini]

Oouhhh .... so, that mast stripper !!

[GilStump]

I knew I would get someone's attention.

[deniseO30]

Not what you had in mind but.. should be interesting Striptease - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia stay calm guys!

[mitiempo]

Gil
When a mast is not painted it is anodized to protect it. Depending what was done when it was painted and what you will do to remove the paint this coating may be compromised. If so you will have to keep it painted.
Brian

[tager]

I don't think all masts are anodized. If you are really worried about corrosion, why not screw a zinc onto your mast?

[Faster]

Originally Posted by tager

I don't think all masts are anodized. If you are really worried about corrosion, why not screw a zinc onto your mast?

Anodized, laquered or painted, take you pick. Bare aluminum does "self coat" in that it forms an oxide naturally to a stable condition, but it's rough, unsightly and leaves a whitish residue that will brush off on hands and clothing.

btw.. the sacrificial zinc only protects against corrosion of submerged (more noble) metals... hopefully not the case here!

There are some pretty effective 'green' paint removers available nowadays - Aquastrip is one.

[jephotog]

I think the stripper would work better with the pole up.

[AlanP39Yawl]

Call Angel, 301-555-1234

[CalebD]

Originally Posted by Faster

Anodized, laquered or painted, take you pick. Bare aluminum does "self coat" in that it forms an oxide naturally to a stable condition, but it's rough, unsightly and leaves a whitish residue that will brush off on hands and clothing.

Given the above quote from Faster it seems to me that all the work it would take to strip the paint off your mast would be a fools errand, unless you laquered it or had it anodized, as leaving it bare will likely end up with the situation noted in bold above.
Seems to me that the easiest way to deal with this since your "mast needs some attention" would be to hire a boat hooker to spend a few nights with it!
Seriously though, if it were mine I'd probably lightly sand the spots 'needing attention' and repaint the damn thing after researching what paint(s) to use (I believe that Interlux Brightsides is one possibility).
There are a few reasons for keeping your mast painted if it has been done already.
1) amount of work to change it (stripping, teasing, tying up, torture - sanding etc.)
2) expense of new work (anodizing/lacquering)
3) have you ever noticed how bare metal or dark surfaces get really hot in bright sunlight? I'm pretty sure that can't be good for the wiring in your mast, halyards and even sail slides. Metal also expands when it's temperature goes up. I think that this is why a lot of masts are painted a white or beige color.
4) painted masts are less likely to be spotted by UFO's, water spouts, sea monsters or the CG and other commercial ships. If you want the mast to be spotted put some reflective tape (or paint) higher up (red & green on the appropriate sides, of course; PORT wine is RED, Starboard wine is Green.) This is not such a bad idea from a safety perspective.

If, after all of my advice you still fancy a silvery colored mast or spar then think about getting some silver paint.

It does not sound like you got into the water this year. We're taking our boat out of the water in November and sailed today for a few hours. I'd still like to come over and see your boat but my life has been a bit crazy. PM me anyway as we may be able to meet up over a LLM.

Keep those strippers away from your mast!