Scraping the bottom

[m1taylor]

I read with interest the PBO article on removing old anti-foul. I am new to this pleasure, and certainly can't afford 'slurry blasting' or 'dry ice' etc etc. Fortunately my bottom is ladened with anti-fouling and so its ripe for the 'therapeutic' scraping.
So I read all this stuff about chemical strippers being mostly crap, and hence am getting a tungsten scrapey thingy from Screwfix. So far a good scrape shows no blisters underneath - horray! But.. reading all the angst about osmosmis, can the act of scraping lead to any damage to the Gel coat which can start osmosis - in other words can I go for it with gusto, or do I have to scrape very carefully? And..if I do accidentally groove the gelcoat - does it need epoxy coating before painting?

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[asj1]

You will inevitably make a few scratches. A couple of coats of epoxy in the Spring would be the next stage - but it isn't cheap ! I think that 6 coats are recommended!

<hr width=100% size=1>Andrew

 

[Spuddy]

epoxy is fussy about conditions - moisture content of surface and also ambient temp. If twere me I wouldn't get fussed. Give it a coat of primocon before antifouling. If you think the gouges will haunt you then fill them with some gel coat filler type stuff.
regards...spuddy

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[andyroo]

You mention that you have heard a/f removers don't work very well. Is this the case? I was going to try it, but given the price, I am now unsure whether it is a good investment.

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[Rabbie]

If you are scraping with those yellow-handled tungsten scrapers, it helps if you file or grind off the sharp corners of the blades slightly - it helps avoid nicking gelcoat. Good tool though.

<hr width=100% size=1>A day not spent on my boat is a day in my life wasted.