Paint removal techniques: what is the best and/or easiest?

[Fishinday&night]

I just started my 14' Mirrocraft project and would like to know what the best way to remove the paint from the hull. I started using my cordless drill and a heavy duty wire wheel which works well but is very time consuming not to mention the battery doesn't last very long. I've read about people using stripper and sanding. I don't mind busting my butt on this project because that's part of what makes it enjoyable and rewarding. Also, if I sand it and rough up the existing paint well enough do I really need to go to bare aluminum? Wouldn't primer work as long as the surface is roughed up? I will post a picture of my progress later.

 

[Kismet]

In my opinion, only, having tried most techniques on various projects:

powder or sand blasting. Think they use a pumice, but ask around. For the time and labor involved for you to remove old stuff, it is a real bargain...but shop.

Better informed folks will chime in, but ...hey...you asked.

Have fun, be safe.

WHOOPS...edit:

You are going to re-paint? Heck, just scotch-brite or sand off the loose stuff, worry the remainder so it takes a surface, wash and wipe it down...with ?ammonia? or something that won't leave a residue, and have at it!.

BTW, my experience? slower is better in preparation time. :?

 

[ParadiseFeller]

I'm just using a wire wheel on mine right now. It's time consuming, but it's letting me notice a few small deep scratches I wanna fix and some bad rivets. I say just keep going at it with that

 

[SumDumGuy]

If you want to use a stripper I have heard of good results from this:

Last time I stripped paint (on a motor) I used this stuff. I was shocked at how well it worked.... amazing stuff (and smells good too).

 

[Fishinday&night]

Here is a pic of what little progress I have made. About an hour, maybe a little longer over the course of two days. Battery is about shot. Started patching a few holes with JB Weld.

 

[cva34]

Had my best luck with first Pic

 

[SumDumGuy]

If it were me I would chem-peel the thing and leave the fun of grinding for the stubborn spots.

Then again, I am a bit lazy. 8)

 

[Fishinday&night]

Chem peel as in one of those two strippers listed above? I am all for what works best.

 

[SumDumGuy]

yes, one of the strippers (listed above, not from downtown :twisted: ).

Here is a vid of the aircraft stripper in action...
[youtube]T_DE96qt5CI[/youtube]

crazy stuff.

 

[PGRChaplain]

Have it blasted with Walnut Shells. Not too abrasive but will remove the paint without damage to the Hull. I use this media for polishing Brass for reloading.

 

[marshman]

aircraft remover works great....just dont get it on your skin, dont ask me how i know...

i spray it on, wait a few, then use a plastic paint scraper/putty knife and scotch brite pads...works like a charm...


keep in mind, bare aluminum will need a self etching primer to be painted...

im just scuffing my old factory paint rather than stripping on the boat im doing now...

 

[acabtp]

i tried several methods when i was stripping the 4 layers of paint off the inside and outside of my hull last year. wire brushing, sanding, scraping, chemicals, etc... you name it, i tried it.

best method i found was applying aircraft remover, letting it work, scraping it off with a metal putty knife, and then pressure washing away the residue. then i followed that up with a light wire brushing to really get the last of it and scuff the surface up for primer. it took about 3 large cans of aircraft remover and several wire brushes... probably $100+ of materials just to remove the paint. plus (if you don't already have one, and you value your health) a respirator with organic vapor cartridges. plus several days of hard labor wearing long sleeves and pants (the chemicals burn exposed skin... especially the tender stuff on the inside of your wrists and arms, don't ask how i know). it's a terrible job.

if i am ever doing it again, there is no doubt: i would just get the hull walnut or soda blasted. shouldn't cost more than $200-250, which really is a bargain in the long run.

 

[Ranchero50]

Cordless drill motors and wire brushes suck.

I'd flip the hull over so you aren't working against gravity. Park the boat in the shade in your yard (OD green blends in with the grass and the watered down stripper hasn't killed any plants yet). Apply Aircraft stripper with chip brushes and cover with saran wrap so it'll work on the paint vs. evaporate. Have a five gallon bucket of clean water sitting next to you so you can dunk your burning appendages in and wear safety glasses at the very least. Let the stripper work while you progress down the boat. Once your painting wrist gets tired uncover the wrap and wash the hull off with water. Use a big stainless bristle brush to help remove the funkies. NOTE, do you scrub inline with your body or you will need to use the bucket more often. Rinse and repeat. It's pretty simple to do a single layer down to bare in a couple evenings.

Pressure wash the hull once done to get all the stripper out of the seams and crevices. New paint doesn't like old stripper so spend some quality time here.

Harbor Freight sells a box 1 1/2" chip brushed for under $20.

A 3/8" drill with a 4-6" buffer wheel and some compund will polish a hull up pretty nicely.

 

[PSG-1]

Chemical stripper is definitely the easiest and fastest method. But as already stated, do it in a well ventilated area, and wear protective gear. Even the fumes being released will irritate and burn the skin....I found this out when I was stripping the inside of my jetboat and having to stand in the floor of it with the fumes rising around my legs. The stuff contains methylene chloride, which is a cancer hazard (but they use it to de-caffeinate coffee...LOL)

As Ranchero mentioned, it works really good if you can cover it with some saran wrap or plastic, to keep it from evaporating long enough to let the methylene chloride do its job of loosening the paint. A pressure washer with a turbo nozzle works good for knocking off the loose paint, just be careful about splash-back. Keep a bucket of clean water, or a hose handy if you get it on your skin, it burns like being sprayed with mace.

 

[CLM]

I used aircraft stripper. Flipped the boat over onto some old tires, brushed the stripper on, then covered it with plastic wrap to allow it more work time before it dries. Did some scrapping and wire brushing, then pressure washed it off. Went over the stubborn spots a second time. Had all of the paint stripped off of a 16' boat in less than two hours with 3 quarts of aircraft stripper.

Followed this up by scrubbing the boat with stainless steel sos pads and baking soda to neutralize the stripper. Dried it, sprayed the boat with alumiprep, then scrubbed it two more times with sos and baking powder to neutralize the alumiprep. Keep your sos pads running in the same direction and you create the brushed aluminum look.

I have a total of about 5 hours in taking this from painted to a etched bare aluminum finish.

 

[FerrisBueller]

Wow looks great so far CLM, definitely will paint up nice!