Removing AF with a pressure washer?

Evadne

Evadne

Well-Known Member
Joined
27 Feb 2003
Messages
5,752
Location
Hampshire, UK
Visit site
Having nearly got it all off with dry scraping and Interstrip, I now see CPC doing a 100 bar washer for under £40, about the same as another tin of Interstrip. I believe B&Q often have similar offers.

Has anyone tried using this? The yard use a grit blaster but I've seen people strip the paint off a car by overenthusiastic use of an ordinary pressure washer: has anyone here used a pure water pressure washer to remove A/F from a grp/wooden boat?


<hr width=100% size=1>
 
In Chichester marina the ship yard uses a petrol engine driven jet washer to get the weed etc off. I imagine this things got a higher pressure than the average domestic electric one. I have seen them get the lance up to the hull surface really close and still the A/F stays put. It only gets loose paint off, or perhaps bursts bubbles in the paint so you get little holes in it. And this is with eroding A/F, specifically Micron in my case.

Pity really, it would make it really easy wouldn't it.

<hr width=100% size=1>
 
G'day Dave,

The pressure blasters do a good job provided the boat has just been lifted and is still wet, the blaster will remove 90% of the growth, almost no antifoul and only loose barnacles.

Not much good at all after the hull has dried unless you have some way of introducing grit, there are some after market gadgets that claim to do the job, but I have not seen one in action and have not heard any good reports, perhaps one of our others readers can throw some light on the subject.

Avagoodweekend anyway......



<hr width=100% size=1> Old Salt Oz /forums/images/icons/cool.gif Growing old is unavoidable. However, growing up is still optional.
 
Your 100 bar washer is not a great purchase - if you use continuously for more than 15-20 minutes it will quickly deteriorate. The 100 bar is not enough to do any job very well.
The ship yard ones vary between 175-250 bar
The Karcher K7 with extra pressure lance comes close, but will still have a problem removing A/F from GRP. That pressure on wood will actually drive a hole through a wooden plank - so not a great idea to use it for this purpose on a wooden boat /forums/images/icons/smile.gif
You can get a sand blasting lance to use with a pressure washer, but again they dont work very well.
You can get a sand blasting lance to go with an air compressor and (providing the compressor is abt 2.5-3 hp) this will strip paint of metal and with care would also remove A/F.
A small team of us used (see here) remaining bits of A/F were removed with a combination of a sandvik scraper and a wipe over with acetone - worked for us.

TCM may still have some Removal left <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.ybw.com/cgi-bin/forums/showflat.pl?Cat=&Board=forsale&Number=491339&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=93&part=>here</A>

<hr width=100% size=1>
 
Thanks all, it was just a thought prompted by the price comparison. I'll think I'll save my money, the antifouling has been dry since last autumn. I'll stick to the Sandvik scraper and regular rests in between bouts.

<hr width=100% size=1>
 
Thanks, but based on what others have said, and that there was 15+ years' worth on there to start with, it sounds like I might be asking a bit much of it to do a good job.

<hr width=100% size=1>
 
I have not used a pressure washer to remove antifoul but have used one of the scapers connected to a vaccum cleaner this last winter. I only cleaned up bits but found it very easy and will do the same next time.

<hr width=100% size=1>
 
Belt sander, vacuum and dust bag, respirator and sweat over the last few days. Primer coat and a/f make it all seem worthwhile. Every year I vow "next time I'll pay for a pro" and every year the bank manager stymies that one.

<hr width=100% size=1>Two beers please, my friend is paying.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top