What NOT to do!

GaryHLucas · #1 (**permalink**) 05-31-2010

Okay,
So I really F...ed up this time. The windows on my boat are plexiglass bolted on the surface. The boat has a bright red accent stripe with slashes of bare fiberglass through it, and the paint extends under the windows. The paint was not in very good shape and I've made new windows. So I figured strip off the paint while the windows are off, and do it right.

I brought Peel Away paint remover, non-toxic, biodegradable, says safe for fiberglass. The instructions say it may take from 2 to 48 hours to work. I apply a coat and after 5 hours it has only removed a little paint. So on Saturday afternoon I applied some more, and covered it with the included paper (Heavy tarp on the boat, no sunlight). Went down to the boat early this morning, about 30 hours after application.

The gelcoat is absolutely DESTROYED! A stripe 10" wide and 8 feet long on each side of the boat with virtually no gelcoat, just glass fiber sticking up! Where the paint was, the gelcoat is in better shape, and the paint was not completely remove.

So now I have a freaking disaster on my hands! My boat never made it in the water last year, and now I've got a huge amount of work to do to repair the damage. I may not make it in again, what a bummer!

Gary H. Lucas

Maine Sail · #2 (**permalink**) 05-31-2010

Ouch!!!!! If it was an LPU paint Peel Away will do little. Apparently not "safe for gelcoat"?

Was it the marine version or the Home Center version? I have heard of this before with Peel Away purchased from Sherwin Williams but not with the marine version. Apparently they make a few different types of peel away. I am going to guess the high heat of the cover added to the destruction..?

Watched a guy do the same thing with a product called 5F5, so you're not alone, though I'm sure that doesn't help one iota..

scottyt · #3 (**permalink**) 05-31-2010

gary where are you located, if you want some help fixing it i can help if you are local, try to get you wet this year

Stillraining · #4 (**permalink**) 05-31-2010

Dang!...Very sorry to hear this Gary...what a bummer!

I'd not give in...and go sailing with out gelcoat if you have to...I missed last year as well...Im going boating this year with out a mast if need be.

oomfh · #5 (**permalink**) 05-31-2010

If you don't have any experience applying gel coat - and you are going to make this repair yourself - you might check out this place:

Mini-Craft of Florida, Inc. - Inventor of the Aerosol Spray Gel-Kote

GaryHLucas · #6 (**permalink**) 06-01-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by scottyt

gary where are you located, if you want some help fixing it i can help if you are local, try to get you wet this year

The boat is in Tom's River, NJ. I have a long list of stuff to finish, which is why this so disturbing. The keel and rudder are both off at the moment, but are very close to being finished. Another day on the keel, a day on the rudder. I have doing a repair to the deck around the mast, caused by the keel trunk being poorly supported, but that is fixed now.

On Monday we stripped off 3/4 of the bottom paint in about 6 hours. It was really hot and uncomfortable. My paint scraper though, really worked well. Another guy in the marina came over to see how it works, and I offered to let him use it to do his boat. I had five prototypes that I loaned out for testing. I only got this one back, and it wasn't the best version.

Gary H. Lucas