Quick removal of paint from GRP inside locker.

Ceirwan

Ceirwan

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As per the title, I need to get rid of the bilge paint from an area of a locker.

I'm filling an old through hull and need to get back to bare GRP so that my glassing is onto the actual fibreglass rather than just a paint layer, unfortunately the surface finish of the GRP in the lazarette leaves a lot to be desired, so all sanding is doing is taking the paint off the high spots. I had a good go at it today and and all the 'valleys' in the grp still have paint in.

Any recommendations on quickly getting it off without causing too much destruction?
So far I've tried a palm orbital sander and one of those sanding discs for an angle grinder (which was far too brutal!)

I'm not bothered about the dust, just want to get the area keyed up ASAP.
Cheers
 
Whatever you use face mask and specs are essential, and advisedly a vacuum cleaner in close proximity.

Until reading all your post, I would have said the angle grinder with sanding disc.

You do have to be very gentle in approaching the workpiece when using, but in my experience it can be done.

Perhaps try brass wire brushes of different shapes in an electric drill to get gently into the crevices?

What about gently teasing the valley areas with an oscillating cutter like a Fein, Bosch etc.
(Far cheaper ones are available of late.)

Good luck,

S.
 
I'll give the wire brush a try, I should have thought of that!

Unfortunately due to the location even with a hoover running, sanding instantly produces a haze of dust that makes delicate use of the sander all but impossible. I do have a multi-tool (wish I'd got one years ago) so that might be a shout.
 
I would definitely be using a wire brush in a drill for that job. It might take off a little of the GRP in the process, but that will simply expose a nice clean and roughed-up surface for your new resin to stick to.

Although, in the classic through-hull filling method, wouldn't you be sticking onto a ground-out bevel anyway?

Pete
 
prv said:
I would definitely be using a wire brush in a drill for that job. It might take off a little of the GRP in the process, but that will simply expose a nice clean and roughed-up surface for your new resin to stick to.

Although, in the classic through-hull filling method, wouldn't you be sticking onto a ground-out bevel anyway?

Pete
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The bevels on the outside of the hull.
I like to put a couple of layers of CSM on the inside against a plug covered with polythene or something, which gives me a surface to glass up to.

Although it probably makes no real difference, I like the idea of the bevel being outside as the water pressure will be pressing the repair into the hole.
 
I have done quite a bit of that kind of work recently using flap discs in an angle grinder. My grinder has speed control although it was only a cheap one from Aldi. Running slowly it doesn't make too brutal a job.
 
Addendum and slightly off tack.....

I was recently talking to a car body shop expert about work we were doing this year on my sons 26' International folk boat. ( considering selling ) :)

His advice was...... "do not use acetone to wipe up grp or paint dust from grp."

He said that small unseen particles of paint can get dissolved in the acetone and stick into the surface crevices exactly where any new paint or resin would be best to help key.

Instead he advised a paint shop degreaser.
This can often be best used when tidying up a grp surface before 2 pack painting too.

His claim is that 2pack paints could sometimes be seen to have minor disturbances in the finished surface, not quite as bad as orange peeling, but bad enough for a customer to not accept.

We bought some degreaser ( a lot cheaper than acetone ) and all went surprisingly well, and a great painted surface was the result.

S.
 
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I'd be wary of using a needle gun on GRP - might find that a few months from now, you see fine "stress cracks" appearing!

Personally, I'd take the lot off with an angle grinder and flap disc or griding disc. I wouldn't be too bothered about a reduction in laminate thickness because you'd be building it back up again with the new fibreglass anyway, wouldn't you?
 
Problem solved guys! As above, I used the wire drill attachment and took my time. It now has 3 layers of cloth and epoxy over it. (Thank you mild weather!)

If I was going to do the whole lot then I'd just go for the flap disc and get medieval on it.
 
I've done loads of re-bedding/tabbing etc - and always use an angle grinder with a normal grinding diisk.
You can be 'gentle' with an angle grinder - you are watching too many horror films :)
 
nemodreams said:
I've done loads of re-bedding/tabbing etc - and always use an angle grinder with a normal grinding diisk.
You can be 'gentle' with an angle grinder - you are watching too many horror films :)
Click to expand...

I was assuming that the 'inside locker' part of the title was the critical bit. No matter how gentle you are with an angle grinder, which I agree doesn't necessarily remove huge depths of GRP, the dust is always going to fly. I have recently been working inside a small lazarette, where a full speed grinder was impossible as the locker filled with flying dust within seconds.
 
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