GRP safe paint stripper, reasonable price

Seajet

Seajet

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I need a fair bit of grp safe paint stripper, as the bottom of my 22' boat has become rather rough and flaky with the residue of quite a few years antifoul; a bit galling as I always use self eroding stuff !

I don't want to damage the gelshield underneath, so mechanical means are out for now.

However I was dismayed by a trip to our local - usually competetive - ironmongers to find Nitromors at £20 for 750ml, and I'm going to need a lot of those !

Also both green and yellow tinned Nitromors was labelled ' not to be used on grp ', I thought I'd read that it was OK now but obviously not.

I've used Dilunet on very small items in the past and found it hopelessly feeble.

Any tips please on an effective grp safe stripper at sensible prices ?

I don't want the latest super eco friendly stuff, I already investigated one such product and it was even more expensive even in bulk; I just need something which will savage the old paint while leaving the gelshield and hull intact, and at the relatively low temperatures between now and April...

Any tips gratefully received.
 
Nitromors do a paint stripper for grp. My local motor factors has it. Can't remember thee price. I used it on a Reliant Scimitar
 
Tho thinking about it, if it were me I'd use an air powered DA, used wet, and just flat the thing off. If you go easy and dont go through all the existin g AF then you'd have decent smooth base for a new coat of AF. A few DA discs are cheaper than a few gallons of stripper. Just a thought. I have a DA and compressor.......
 
Thanks, I just googled and found out !

Prices seem reasonable and I'd much rather play with tools than chemicals, so I'll either hire or buy one - with compressor.

Thanks for the steer, Barry.
 
Hi Andy

What about this Caustic Soda mixed with wallpaper paste idea? I have heard mixed reports on how effective it is, some say its amazing whilst others say it does not a lot (may be it depends on the AF.

I am going to try it once the weather gets better, its certainly not expensive.

Interested in anyone's thoughts, but I prefer chemical to 'orrible dangerous dust floating about in the air!!!
 
I'm certainly no expert but wish to raise a question.

If the boats bottom is protected by gelshield epoxy then any stripper will not be in contact with gelcoat or grp.

So you really need a stripper compatible with epoxy not grp gelcoat?

Do conventional strippers attack epoxy?
 
Seajet said:
Any tips please on an effective grp safe stripper at sensible prices ?
Click to expand...

Since I first tried it I have been completely converted to RemovAll SARA (selective adhesion release agent) paint stripper. You slobber it on and leave it for twenty four hours. It then appears that the paint is unaffected - but it has turned into a thin paste which you can just scoop off with a scraper. Does about two layers per application. It's non-toxic (I believe you can drink it, if you want), non-caustic and biodegradable. Apart from the speed it's superior in every way to nitromors et all, and I have so far used it on the GRP bonnet of a Daimler Dart, the aluminium roof of a Citroen DS and the hull of my wee Hunter. Despite my enthusiasm I am only a happy customer. You get it here

http://cirrus-systems.orderfullfillment.co.uk/removall/10-removall-620-38-litres.html

at £36 for 3.8 litres - which, incidentally, is how much it took to do all the above jobs.
 
There is a commercial paint stripper on the market that you paint on, cover with plastic sheeting/clingfilm? then peel off after leaving for (guess) 12 hrs and is quite effective allegedly.

Unfortunately I can't remember make or maker.
 
ripvan1 said:
There is a commercial paint stripper on the market that you paint on, cover with plastic sheeting/clingfilm? then peel off after leaving for (guess) 12 hrs and is quite effective allegedly.

Unfortunately I can't remember make or maker.
Click to expand...

That would be the RemovAll I've just been praising. The plastic sheet is optional, though useful in dry conditions.
 
theoldsalt said:
I'm certainly no expert but wish to raise a question.

If the boats bottom is protected by gelshield epoxy then any stripper will not be in contact with gelcoat or grp.

So you really need a stripper compatible with epoxy not grp gelcoat?

Do conventional strippers attack epoxy?
Click to expand...


I stripped some deck paint off a wooden hatch garage which had been coated with glass fabric and epoxy laminate using Nitromors stripper http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/1908...&ff3=1&ff11=ICEP3.0.0&ff12=67&ff13=80&ff14=95

The paint came off very easily and cleanly and the epoxy was not marked or harmed in any way.
 
Seajet said:
I need a fair bit of grp safe paint stripper, as the bottom of my 22' boat has become rather rough and flaky with the residue of quite a few years antifoul; a bit galling as I always use self eroding stuff !

I don't want to damage the gelshield underneath, so mechanical means are out for now.

However I was dismayed by a trip to our local - usually competetive - ironmongers to find Nitromors at £20 for 750ml, and I'm going to need a lot of those !

Also both green and yellow tinned Nitromors was labelled ' not to be used on grp ', I thought I'd read that it was OK now but obviously not.

I've used Dilunet on very small items in the past and found it hopelessly feeble.

Any tips please on an effective grp safe stripper at sensible prices ?

I don't want the latest super eco friendly stuff, I already investigated one such product and it was even more expensive even in bulk; I just need something which will savage the old paint while leaving the gelshield and hull intact, and at the relatively low temperatures between now and April...

Any tips gratefully received.
Click to expand...


Try this link for an easy chemical, bio friendly GRP safe way to remove antifouling. It was posted on the My Hanse forum by a guy in Sweden so it works at lower than UK temperatures. Worth Looking at the you tube clip to see how easy it is to scrape layers of AF off with a plastic hand scraper after application.

http://myhanse.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=8141&OB=DESC
 
TSB240 said:
Try this link for an easy chemical, bio friendly GRP safe way to remove antifouling. It was posted on the My Hanse forum by a guy in Sweden so it works at lower than UK temperatures. Worth Looking at the you tube clip to see how easy it is to scrape layers of AF off with a plastic hand scraper after application.

http://myhanse.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=8141&OB=DESC
Click to expand...

...But is the product available in the UK? I have not been able to find a supplier.
 
TSB240 said:
Try this link for an easy chemical, bio friendly GRP safe way to remove antifouling. It was posted on the My Hanse forum by a guy in Sweden so it works at lower than UK temperatures. Worth Looking at the you tube clip to see how easy it is to scrape layers of AF off with a plastic hand scraper after application.

http://myhanse.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=8141&OB=DESC
Click to expand...

The stripper that came out best in the magazine article mentioned was Hempel... http://kmigreenproducts.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/BatNyt_Havnens_bedste_bundmalingsfjerner.pdf
http://www.force4.co.uk/11249/Hempel-Paint-Stripper-2-5L.html
Not sure if you'd call that cheap though.
 
Thanks all for your help; I had enquired at my local, usually very good hire shop quite a while ago about sanders and they didn't seem very optimistic; but seeing as I can now hire a DA sander for £16:00 a day that's definitely going to be my first line of attack !

Thanks,

Andy
 
Seajet said:
... but seeing as I can now hire a DA sander for £16:00 a day that's definitely going to be my first line of attack !
Click to expand...

Check there isn't a surcharge for taking it back clogged up with anit-foul dust. We got through two orbital sanders on a 43 footer.

Wear a respirator.

Watch out for the dust settling on boats downwind.
 
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