Removing antifouling

[lesweeks]

I'm preparing my 96 year old hull for the delights of re-caulking maybe re-fastening etc. etc. However before I can do that I need to remove the antifouling. Scraping, even with a really good tungsten carbide edged scraper, is proving not to be an option so it looks like chemicals (I don't want to go that way) or burning it off. My little experiment created some pretty noxious fumes. Can anyone suggest a suitable mask/respirator or even a better way altogether?

 

[Casey]

The very best (and safest) way of removing antifouling is by using the Farrow Method http://www.farrowsystem.com/ I had a local firm remove years worth of antifouling when I first bought Kala Sona and she came up wonderfully. The operator would not do inside the lands for fear of rounding the edges of the planks (clinker built) but that was the work of only a few minutes to remove what paint was left in there. A quick sand down and I could start with the whole Blake system. She still looks good seven years on.

 

[Guest]

That looks very interesting, but how much does it cost? (stroking wallet and muttering soothing words to it).........

 

[Casey]

In December 2001 it cost me £300.00 to have the antifouling removed from Kala Sona a 27ft 5ins clinker built vessel. The operator would not take the paint from the lands but it was not a big job to scrape the residue from them. I should have had all of the hull done as it would have saved me a lot of work and coughing and spluttering.

The company I used is now out of business but there is another called Antifouling Removal Company (www.arcompany.co.uk). I haven't used this firm so can give no reccomendations.

 

[Peterduck]

Burning it off is the quickest way to the next world! Don't go there! Scraping always worked for me, but then I used the soft ablating antifoul. If some one has applied hard racing antifoul the scraping may not be effective. 3M produce thick, coarse disks of their 'Scotchbrite' material, intended to be used in a portable drill which I have been assured works like magic in removing antifouling. I haven't tried them, so I can't comment on whether they are all they are cooked up to be.
Peter.

 

[oldfrank]

coars(ish) disc on commercial grade random orbital sander - with mask! OF

 

[kaysveistrup]

For £300 it is well worth it. I don't know how many hours it has been (40+), but I am almost finished stripping the antifouling (5+ layers) from my 1953 27 footer, using a hot air gun and scraper. I've probably used £300 worth of electricity and got muscles in places I never knew muscles existed. Quit stroking wallet and muttering soothing words to it......... it's money well spent, which I would have done if I knew it existed.