Fibreglass Tabbing removal

[sdn5486]

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to quickly and easily remove fibreglass tabbing where i have removed an anchor locker bulkhead? The wooden bulkhead itself came out with a little help from harry the hammer, but remaining is the fibreglass tabbing that held it in place. The plan is to remove it completely to re-design the opening to the anchor locker and re-glass it in 'properly' and obviously need the rubbish old glass taken out.
Thanks, Shaun

 

[Poignard]

Angle grinder.

 

[VicS]

Twister ower is probably right but the dust will be a pain literally. You'll need a good dust mask, goggles, gloves and overalls that do up tightly round the neck and cuffs with a hood with a draw string around your face.

I assume this will be working inside the cabin so you'll need to clear everything out first so that you can clean up afterwards.

For small jobs I have found a big old wood chisel and a mallet quite effective. It might be worth a try as it will make a lot less mess.

 

[oldsaltoz]

Agree, an angle grinder with a concrete grinding will short work of it and leave a good surface.

This will produce a lot of very fine dust though, so you could use a hammer and chisel, makes very little dust and is reasonably quick. However the finish may not be as smooth.

BTW a double coat of flow coat (resin with a filler in it) will go some way to protecting the hull from anchor damage, but as good as rubber lining the area.

Avagoodweekend......

 

[srp]

An angle grinder used carefully, possibly with a disc on a rubber backing pad rather than a wheel, is the best method. However, if you can't stand the thought of all the mess and cleaning up, a sharp wood chisel and mallet can be used to take out the worst of it, followed by some coarse aluminium oxide paper and a cork block will do a good job. In either case you really need a coat of epoxy to seal in the exposed glass fibres.
When possible i have a vacuum cleaner nozzle near the action whenever I'm doing this sort of thing - not a perfect solution but it helps.

Edit: slow typing, but at least you've now got 4 answers roughly in agreement!

 

[sdn5486]

Great, thanks everyone... angle grinder it is then but will give the old hammer and chisel one more go - think i was just pussy-footing around a bit too much before! Thanks for the advise about the protective gear - been wearing overalls, goggles, respirator and latex gloves with work gloves over them and i still itch lke hell now! Still, better than having lungs made out of fibreglass and the skin falling off my hands i suppose.

the joys of having a fibreglass boat!

 

[Poignard]

If you have a Fein Multimaster [well worth buying if you haven't - good for all kinds of jobs] you could use that. It won't be as quick as the angle grinder but it will be a lot less messy.

BTW there's a post on this forum offering one for sale.

 

[oldsaltoz]

To avoid itching when working with fibreglass:

Before you start have a HOT shower, as hot as you can without damage, you need to open the pores of you skin, when you think you are ready, pad yourself dry still standing inside the shower.

Now apply loads of talcum powder, with extra around forearms, neck and waist. The powder will be trapped and you cool down.

Before you start working, apply tape around and openings, collar, wrists, waist and ankles.

After work, take another HOT shower, the talcum powder trapped in the pores of your skin that helped block them and prevent some irritation will open, releasing the powder and any small strands of glass.

I work in fibreglass every day, the cooler the day the better this system works.

Avagoodweekend......

 

[VicS]

[ QUOTE ]
take another HOT shower

[/ QUOTE ] Wot two showers in the same month!
<span style="color:white"> ............................................................ </span> /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[boatbuilder]

In England it's allways been taught the opposite.
Start cold so pores stay shut, when finished , cool shower to wash off dust, hot shower to remove sweat and dirt.
I've been doing it that way for about 25 years .
I also back the Fein multimaster, although they are expensive, indeed I have just bought a new diamond disc for mine, £50 , !!!

 

[ex-Gladys]

When Gladys was repaired Fox's taped up heavy duty Poly sheeting to close off the area not being worked on and it did a great job keeping the rest of the boat clean

 

[Swinranger]

If you use a very rough carbide concrete grinding disc (from Screwfix) at low speed in your angle grinder, the dust will be much reduced and you will get a good keyed surface to re-bond to.

 

[bromleybysea]

Bosch do a tool like the Fein at half the price- probably not as good, but I have one and its been a real boon- Fein blades fit at a pinch: click