Strip mahogany faced plywood

[Restoration man]

Hi all I’ve got a storebro biscay 31 1976 , The boat in my eyes in a classic and it’s Partially wood having a mahogany helmsman shelter and full mahogany interior so hoping ? I’m allowed to Post here? Assuming I’m allowed here is my questions,
I want to strip the varnish from the mahogany faced ply from the interior, I’ve heard storebro used ply with very thick Veneer so owners could re finish when needed , my wood looks like it’s never been stripped it’s just had couple of owners slap some horrible stain varnish on top so I want to get it back to bare wood,

Can I use paint stripper on mahogany ply ? I’ve heard somewhere that mahogany doesn’t like paint stripper is that true ?or would i be better off scraping it dry ? or heating it up and scraping, I understand health and safety regarding paint stripper and burning paint off etc , a lot of the wood can be done at home so it won’t be done in a confined place so no problem with fumes or fire etc ,

 

[burgundyben]

I dont know about paint stripper.

You need to be careful with heat in case you soften the glue. Not a chance I would take.

I'd use a 50mm Bahco scraper with the corners taken off gently. Then hand sand.

 

[Restoration man]

I dont know about paint stripper.

You need to be careful with heat in case you soften the glue. Not a chance I would take.

I'd use a 50mm Bahco scraper with the corners taken off gently. Then hand sand.

Thanks Ben I’ve got bahco scraper , great tip reg rounding the corners off ?

 

[Tranona]

In my experience you have to experiment to find out what works best if you don't know what the coating is. Paint stripper these days is much safer (and probably less effective) than in than past and don't see any problem in using it on mahogany veneered ply. Equally a carefully used heat gun is safe to use. Whatever you use you will find that you need several applications to get all the coatings off, particularly when you get down to the veneer where I expect you will find patches that are really difficult to shift. A wipe down with white spirit will show the areas where the original coating is sticking because it will still be shiny. Almost certainly you will find the original veneer will be patchy because of UV and possibly water staining so you may have to use first either bleach or oxalid acid then woodstain to get an even colour before recoating. Personally I would not hand sand flat panels because you cannot get even pressure. If you are uncomfortable with a power sander then use a sanding block.

Getting a good final finish is really hard work, mainly in the preparation. Concerto who posts here has some good videos and slide shows on how he went about it with a Westerly Fulmar. I am just about to start refurbishing the inside of a 40 year old boat. Fortunately the sapele mahogany veneered bulkheads are mostly fine, just need cleaning and re coating. There is one panel that is bad with damp discolouration and I an mulling over whether to paint it white as others have done with the same boat or re-veneering. The latter is to my mind much easier than trying to bring back badly stained or discoloured panels using the latest paper backed veneers. However the choice of veneers is limited and it may not be possible to get a match to existing panels. Fortunately in my case I think I have found one that is a good match.

You will find solid trim much easier to deal with using either chemical or heat and scraper plus of course there is usually enough meat not to worry too much about losing shape etc. Again you might have to use bleaching to get stains out without sanding too deeply.

Good luck - but be prepared for many hours preparation!

 

[westernman]

May be apply new veneers. Then you could go with a more modern look as well.

 

[PhillM]

Personally, I would hand sand and see what there is underneath. Just be gentle and remember that 'imperfect' is the sign of a classic!