1960 Jon boat paint removal

[aselti618]

I have a 1960 duracraft water rescue boat. im stripping the paint to the aluminum. it has multipule layers of paint and a thick bondo type thats difficult to remove, even with the steel wire wheel..

1) is this lead paint
2) has anyone ran into this?

it has taken me about 2 hours to do half the side, and even then its not perfect.

Thanks guys!
-Dalton

 

[lckstckn2smknbrls]

I've used a stainless steel wire wheel on my angle grinder to strip the paint.
It goes fast.
Whether it's lead paint or not, don't know.

 

[PSG-1]

Aircraft coating remover should work. Just be sure to wear protective gear, and do NOT get this stuff on your skin.

I'm currently in the process of removing epoxy paint from the bottom of my jet boat, so I can have it coated with Line-X.
The stripper works, but only if I mix some laquer thinner with it, to help cut the epoxy. Then let it blister and power wash with 2300 PSI and a turbo nozzle. It's slow going. If it were regular paint, it would not be a problem.

 

[aselti618]

sweet i read about that aircraft paint striper, also im using a steel wheel on a 4in grinder..

 

[lugoismad]

Harbor freight sells sand blasters for pretty cheap.

 

[PSG-1]

I wouldn't use a steel wire wheel, it may embed iron oxide into the aluminum, causing staining. Instead, use a stainless wheel.
But if nothing else, when you are done wire-wheeling it, give it a thorough wash with phosphoric acid, then a good rinse. This will etch the metal for new paint, and it will also neutralize any iron deposits left over from the wire wheel.

 

[CMOS]

A guy in a different forum stripped his right down to the shiny aluminum using "Jasco's Paint and Epoxy Stripper" and a
"3M's Scotch-Brite Paint and Rust Stripper pad" in a cordless drill.

And I mean that hull was super clean.


CMOS

 

[PSG-1]

Well, I'm on my third gallon of stripper, and my third quart of laquer thinner. And I'm starting to see light at the end of the tunnel, and it's not a train, LOL

Had to build a makeshift hoist in the yard for the boat.



The weight is maxed out, for sure. At some point I'd like to build a steel one. But for now, this works.

Anyhow, I've found that their recommendation of 15 minutes strip time isn't long enough for the 2 part polyamide epoxy on my boat. Seems that leaving it on there about 2 hours really loosens it up. There are still a few spots that want to hold fast, but I noticed that I can take the corner of a putty knife and scratch into it pretty easy. Couldn't do that before trying the laquer thinner. My guess is that it helps to soften the epoxy so the stripper can eat into it.


But as for lead paint removal, although the methylene chloride in the stripper is bad for your health, I think it's a lot less risky than sanding lead paint and creating all the dust. If it were me, that's what I'd use.