Removing varnish

[PabloPicasso]

Is there an easy trick to removing old yacht varnish? The top of the tiller is bare wood, the sides are a bit here and there, and underneath is fully covered.

How do you get it off to redo the whole lot properly?

 

[anoccasionalyachtsman]

Is there an easy trick to removing old yacht varnish? The top of the tiller is bare wood, the sides are a bit here and there, and underneath is fully covered.

How do you get it off to redo the whole lot properly?

Last time I did it was decades ago and I used a blowlamp - really carefully. Really easy, but I'd choose a hot air gun if I had to do it again.

 

[BabaYaga]

Hot air gun and putty knife.

 

[Corribee Boy]

I tried a hot air gun yesterday with zero impact. Perhaps I was doing it wrong but it hardly softened it, and eventually just made it gungy. Perhaps it depends on the original varnish.

 

[Rappey]

Maybe it is epoxy with varnish over the top? Scraping and sanding !

 

[tillergirl]

I agree with you Rappey. Someone messed with epoxy!

 

[burgundyben]

Get a Bahco scraper. You'll have it stripped in no time.

ERGO™ Paint Scrapers Set with Dual-Component Handle

 

[DanTribe]

Get a Bahco scraper. You'll have it stripped in no time.

ERGO™ Paint Scrapers Set with Dual-Component Handle

Agreed, Bahco scraper is usually the best bet. But use a new sharp blade.

 

[PabloPicasso]

Stripped with wet coarse paper. Worked well, albeit with a bit of elbow grease.

Yes, hot air and scrapers would have been good. Once it's dry I'll apply the first coat of new varnish.

Which type do folks recommend, or is that thread drift?

 

[TopBanana]

I've just done my tiller in Epifanes Wood Finish and it's come up a treat. Takes a good 24 hours between coats though


Whatever you use, make sure you thin the first coat quite a bit to get it flat

 

[jwilson]

Your varnish was possibly two-pack. When you do have to get it off it's really hard work with scrapers and sandpaper: heat doesn't help and paintstrippers don't work either. Ordinary single pack yacht varnish does not last as long, but comes off very easily with a hot air gun and gentle scraping.

 

[bitbaltic]

Scrape it all off with a good quality scraper, renew with wood skin, and then come back here in about 5 years time for more options.

 

[MADRIGAL]

40-grit sandpaper and plenty of elbow grease should sand through two-pack varnish and epoxy. I like the grip I get with traditional spar varnish on my tiller. I used 8 coats of International’s spar varnish on mine last year and it has weathered well, but I know that many people swear by Epifanes. I do cover the tiller when not sailing to keep UV light off it.