Removing old adhesive off plywood floor.

Tradewinds

Tradewinds

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Wheelhouse's sole on my son's Finmar 361 has a heavy-duty decorative vinyl fabric glued on to plywood panels.

The PVC/vinyl covering is peeling away in places and is old and unsightly.

Plan is to replace it with a teak and holly style laminate (Formica type).

I think the old covering will come off without too much persuasion but this will inevitably leave the old glue in place.

I assume the old adhesive is a Thixofix/Evo-Stik type product - it looks like it.

So, what is the best way to remove the old adhesive?

I've used Hawke House's 'face-off disc' in an angle grinder before now (https://www.hawkehouse.co.uk/product/face-off-disc-angle-grinder/) but it doesn't half throw some debris around - but it's an option.
(BTW does anyone know if these are a similar product? - https://www.toolstation.com/shop/Power+Tool+Accessories/d80/Wire+Abrasives/sd1920/Abracs+Poly+Abrasive+Disc/p22693). They look the same.

Has anyone had success with glue remover? I assume, if it's anything like a paint stripper, it will be a really messy job.

Also, I'm assuming that you just can't trowel on new adhesive (say Evo-stik 528) on top of the old stuff and hope for the best. Anybody done this successfully?

All in all, the area is around 3 sq.m.

All suggestions welcome.

TIA.
 
It's been a long while since I used it to de-gunk my old Westerly headlining residue but I found that Autoglym Intensive Tar Remover (from Halfords) worked the best but is quite expensive. I never tried anyone elses tar remover.
Another remover which is even more expensive is (I've forgotten the name and my boat is 500 miles away) American spray on stuff for removing old Sikaflex. Hopefully some kind soul on here will enlighten me - I found out about it on here a few years ago.
I've also used petrol and wire cup brush on an electric drill too - rather dangerous and not very healthy.
Mike
 
You might get them both together with a hot air gun/hairdryer? The glue might remain on the vinyl perhaps? Good luck!
 
I had to remove the adhesive and some foam off oak block floor to which foam backed carpet had been stuck for 30+ years. Discs and sandpaper got gummed up pretty quickly and then found 2 handed Skarsten scraper much easier, quicker and virtually no dust, Remaining old varnish then removed with 6" ROS.
 
Interesting. Hadn’t thought about using a scraper - worth a try.
Graham376 said:
I had to remove the adhesive and some foam off oak block floor to which foam backed carpet had been stuck for 30+ years. Discs and sandpaper got gummed up pretty quickly and then found 2 handed Skarsten scraper much easier, quicker and virtually no dust, Remaining old varnish then removed with 6" ROS.
Click to expand...
 
Agree, on plywood I would go for a scraper, with or without a hot air gun, try both, see what works.
I'd probably not use a Skarsten, more likely my Harris one with a carbide blade.
Plain old triangular scraper can be quite effective when sharpened.
If the glue is really thick, using more of a slicing action might work, maybe one of those window scrapers that takes a stanley blade?
 
Tradewinds: as suggested, scraper plus heat if necessary, perhaps followed by a sand. Pull scrapers, such as Bahco from B&Q, are indeed the most effective.

Main issue is, does the floor lift? (I imagine some of it, at least, will need to do so for access.) If so, it's much better to do the job somewhere else. Not least, that puts most of the mess outside the boat.

Equally, you'll find the laminating much better done section by section with the floor in a workshop, or even outside. The method is to cut the new covering slightly oversize for each piece of ply, glue in place, then trim with a router. A contact adhesive allowing slight repositioning (Dunlop Thixofix or similar?) is a major help. Beware that the trimmed edges of the 'formica' are razor-sharp. They'll need a light sand to dull the edge.

Feel free to PM if you want more comprehensive guidance, although I imagine there are plenty of videos on-line.
 
Many thanks - really useful advice. Yes, there are 2 large'ish sections that can be moved elsewhere and what you say makes perfect sense. Thanks for the offer of further guidance - much appreciated.

Looks like the job's going to be done some time in the New Year now - apparently Xmas and its associated costs have somewhat dented my son's boat fund!!

macd said:
Tradewinds: as suggested, scraper plus heat if necessary, perhaps followed by a sand. Pull scrapers, such as Bahco from B&Q, are indeed the most effective.

Main issue is, does the floor lift? (I imagine some of it, at least, will need to do so for access.) If so, it's much better to do the job somewhere else. Not least, that puts most of the mess outside the boat.

Equally, you'll find the laminating much better done section by section with the floor in a workshop, or even outside. The method is to cut the new covering slightly oversize for each piece of ply, glue in place, then trim with a router. A contact adhesive allowing slight repositioning (Dunlop Thixofix or similar?) is a major help. Beware that the trimmed edges of the 'formica' are razor-sharp. They'll need a light sand to dull the edge.

Feel free to PM if you want more comprehensive guidance, although I imagine there are plenty of videos on-line.
Click to expand...
 
macd said:
The method is to cut the new covering slightly oversize for each piece of ply, glue in place, then trim with a router.
Click to expand...

Rather than try to trim using a straight edge to guide the router, it's far easier to use a bottom bearing cutter so it exactly follows the profile of the old board edge. Typical one here (but for a one off job, cheaper ones on ebay) https://www.axminster.co.uk/axcaliber-flush-trim-cutters-bottom-bearing-ax803281 As macd says, lots of videos on YTube.
 
I'll be travelling in the new year, with intermittent web access, but will certainly respond if I can. In the meantime, there's lots of stuff about this on Youtube (much of it concerned with kitchen countertops, but the method is broadly the same).

With teak'n'holly effect you'll need to plan carefully when marking up the oversize sheets, in order to preserve the pattern and spacing. Other than that, there are no special difficulties. Obviously you'll need a rolling bit for the router, and a clean, true edge on the plywood, since it's the edge that guides the cutter.

Assuming that the finished boards will screw down, you might consider using countersink inserts, which make for a very neat, professional job. Examples here:
https://www.orbitalfasteners.co.uk/en/categories/turned-brass-screw-cups
 
Graham376 said:
Rather than try to trim using a straight edge to guide the router, it's far easier to use a bottom bearing cutter so it exactly follows the profile of the old board edge.
Click to expand...

Precisely so. Apologies if my quest for brevity made that less than clear. As suggested in my most recent post, the plywood edge may need some cleaning up if it's at all battered.
 
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