Removing antifouling

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djc18a

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Its that time of year when thoughts turn to the dreaded task of removing several years accumulated antifoul. I remember reading in PBO a few years ago that someone made up their own chemical stripper concoction using caustic soda, water and wallpaper paste. Any one have experience of using this approach as opposed to the International Paints stuff at £70 or so a tub?
 
Last year, I tried both a "professional brand" - cannot remember which offhand but could find out , and also made up my own "home brew" from the recipe given on here - I could not tell the difference, other than the price. I will certainly use my homemade caustic soda preparation in future.
 
I blew most of my anti fouling off with a pressure washer as soon as I lifted out. I have a theory that anti fouling is self eroding so one coat should be enough and will erode during the season. There's no point in putting it on to take it off again.

BTW, I'm about to purchase an angle grinder to fit with a wicked looking wire brush to get rid of ssand rich deck paint. It should work on anti fouling too.
 
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...I'm about to purchase an angle grinder to fit with a wicked looking wire brush to get rid of ssand rich deck paint...

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I'd like to know how you get on with that because I have a problem with many layers of abrasive deck paint which blunts any scraper [including tct] very rapidly.
 
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For gods sake do not get it on you

[/ QUOTE ] and above all else do not take the slightest risk of getting castic soda in your eyes.

It is excruciatingly painful and you cannot open them unaided to wash it out. Damage is likely to be permanent!
 
Gonna someone tell us the correct mixture for your costic soda mix and how to correctly apply and remove it, ie length of time to leave it on for etc, is it to be scraped off imeadiatly then hull washed etc, or what?
Thanks
 
A Pro-Scraper will do the work connect to a vacuum cleaner a Henry is the kiddie and the scraper will take the vast majority off once you have become skilled (a short time) BOL
 
Absolutely agree with that. I put on a tin of one-coat on a clean hull at the beginning of the season and now after a pressure wash there's not much left and there was very little fouling - some slime, no weed and seven barnacles. Just right for a bit of a tidy up and the same next year.

I cleaned the hull with a 2 inch chisel. Lots (lots and lots) of elbow gease but it was cheap and kinder to the environment than a chemical stripper. I'm not doing it again so I will keep the hull very clean and use only just enough AF from now on. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
 
Stix,

mix is fine on grp, it was a 32ft Beneteau and no signs of any problems.

I found the longer I left it on the better it worked (within reason). Like the professional brands it dries off in the breeze and needs spraying with a water mist occasionally. I used a high pressure water jet to blast the anti foul off after applying the caustic soda. from memory I applied it to one side and then left it at least a couple of hours before pressure washing. I did the job over about 4 days and in some areas had to have 2 or 3 goes. My boat had not been done for years which I believe made things very difficult.

As to the actual mix, I cannot remember exactly what I used, but if you are patient and do a search on ybw it has been posted a number of times.
 
Thanks for the replies! Think I'll try the elbow grease and scraper route first. Not so sure about the pro scraper and vacuum though, 4 or 5 hours with vacuum and the generator to run it would probably have the noise abatement people down on me!
 
re: the Pro-Scraper. I got one and it's great, but the corners of the blade tend to gouge the gelcoat. Rounded mine off on a grinding wheel and this seems to solve the problem. Mind you, I AM a bit cak-handed.
 
Of course you guys are making sure this caustic soda mix (or whatever else you use) is being properly disposed of, and not ending up poisoning the local wildlife, aren't you?

/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Why are you removing it? Unless you are racing you won't notice any difference. Just pressure wash and put on the new stuff, Geoff Pack used to recommend not removing antifouling until it had created a step big enough for a man-overboard to use to get back on board - and Geoff said he weighed about 20 stone when at cruising weight.
 
Currently cleaning off 15 years accretion of A/F, the last ten years being eroding types. Jetted on coming ashore with HP jet broke up a great deal. Now using Bosch electric scraper which was recommended on Westerly web site. Comes with 5 woodworking chisels, so have to buy 100mm wide spatula for the job of paint removal. Works very well. Need goggles and mask unless working from up wind. A hand scraper must be very hard work in comparison.
 
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Why are you removing it? Unless you are racing you won't notice any difference.

[/ QUOTE ]Don't agree with that.... I removed many many years worth over last winter, and it made quite a noticeable difference to boat speed.... I reckon nearly 1/2kt... mind you I did have craters 5mm deep!
 
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