Tools for headlining removal

[Donheist]

Morning! I'm off to corfu in January and one of my main jobs is sorting my sagging headlining. I've looked at options but I think I'm going to go with replacing the existing foam backed vinyl as the least worst option - possibly by supplementing the glued on vinyl with some plywood panels and strong Velcro.

I know getting the old stuff off is a lousy job. Question is which tools should I buy to do this job? Budget and luggage allowance are finite. I don't have any power tools on board. Should I get a sander/polisher? Jigsaw or circular saw for the woodwork? Be nice to get some benefit from the kit after the headlining job.

Also, does anyone know if the materials are generally available in corfu? Or am I best shipping out from uk?

Thanks

 

[Rigger Mortice]

When I removed my headlining I tries all sorts of tools. In the end I used an angle grinder with a drum type wire brush. It was fast, efficient and very dusty, but it got the surface back to a good clean finish ready for gluing on the new material.

If you are just making up a few plywood panels it's hardly worth lugging power saws all that way. A decent handsaw will be more versatile and may well be more accurate.

 

[VicS]

Morning! I'm off to corfu in January and one of my main jobs is sorting my sagging headlining. I've looked at options but I think I'm going to go with replacing the existing foam backed vinyl as the least worst option - possibly by supplementing the glued on vinyl with some plywood panels and strong Velcro.

I know getting the old stuff off is a lousy job. Question is which tools should I buy to do this job? Budget and luggage allowance are finite. I don't have any power tools on board. Should I get a sander/polisher? Jigsaw or circular saw for the woodwork? Be nice to get some benefit from the kit after the headlining job.

Also, does anyone know if the materials are generally available in corfu? Or am I best shipping out from uk?

Thanks

Old large wood chisels make good scrapers.

Hawke House sell what they call a "face-off" disc for glue removal

I found a similar disc and powered wire brushes simply softened the glue and spread it out making matters worse but maybe I ran them too slowly.

When fitting new vinyl you can glue it to plywood with a water resistant PVA wood glue. Being water based there are no dangerous fumes.

If you use a solvent based adhesive be sure to ventilate the boat well and wear a suitable "organic vapours" mask.

 

[Tranona]

Morning! I'm off to corfu in January and one of my main jobs is sorting my sagging headlining. I've looked at options but I think I'm going to go with replacing the existing foam backed vinyl as the least worst option - possibly by supplementing the glued on vinyl with some plywood panels and strong Velcro.

I know getting the old stuff off is a lousy job. Question is which tools should I buy to do this job? Budget and luggage allowance are finite. I don't have any power tools on board. Should I get a sander/polisher? Jigsaw or circular saw for the woodwork? Be nice to get some benefit from the kit after the headlining job.

Also, does anyone know if the materials are generally available in corfu? Or am I best shipping out from uk?

Thanks

Depends very much on how your current lining is attached. If it is foam backed and glued on, then the biggest problem will be removing the old glue, which does not need much in the way of tools, just a lot of hard graft and expletives. If you are going to take tools then cheap rechargeable drill and jigsaw will be fine for cutting ply panels.

As for materials, ply is easily available - there is a supplier in Kontakali and linings and adhesive you can get from one of the local upholstery shops or sailmakers. However, you may find it better to strip out on one trip, decide how you are going to do the job and ship the soft materials by courier from UK - you may have better choice/lower cost.

 

[rob2]

If you're planning to replace a directly glued on lining with upholstered ply panels, then at a stretch you won't need to remove all the glue from the coachroof. So long as you get enough off that there is no foam dust falling on your head between the cracks, then no-one will be any the wiser. The only areas which will need to be cleaned down to the substrate will be the new attachment points - where the velcro is to be applied.

Rob.

P.S. I have removed glue from GRP using a knotted wire brush - being in hot weather I removed my shirt. DON'T! It took a week for my skin to shed all the fibres and it itched like hell.

 

[Donheist]

Thanks for the advice

Thanks for the replies - very helpful.

Just ordered an angle grinder and the face off discs suggested. Good that plywood is available near gouvia. I'll take a look at the vinyl I can get locally.

I'll weigh my bag before deciding on jigsaws, but I can see that hand tools might be as easy.

Haven't decided about panels yet. Access is always handy, but main criteria is my own hamfistedness. My guess is that panels may be easier than using the adhesive on large areas and less noxious although I have got a good mask.

In January, I expect to avoid the shirt off risks - sounds nasty.

Thanks again for the advice

 

[ostell]

Having removed the glue for relining last year it is a full overalls, rubber gloves, goggles and facemask job (not those cheap paper ones). Tape neck up tight and round the wrists. If you can go the panel way then do it as you won't need to remove the glue, just scape off the foam.

If you do use the face off disks then have a tepid shower at the end of the day followed by a hot one. A hot shower to start with opens the pores and the bits of glass get in there and you itch for ever more. The tepid closes the pores to allow the glass fibres to be washed off. It does work

 

[LittleSister]

By contrast to all of the above, we (well, mainly the First Mate actually) heve recently removed the foam backed vinyl from most of the saloon of a 26 footer. The bulk of the stuff came off fairly easily with a wide paint scraper with the corners ground off. A power drill with a wire wheel was used occasionally, but mainly just made a mess. (Wear a mask to protect your lungs!)

Getting the bulk of the material off was easy, removing the residue wouldn't have been that hard but for the rough finish of the grp inside, with strands of glass fibre sticking out in places (wear tough gloves!), and lots of little dips. We used various nylon scouring pads, but mainly assorted stiff brushes for that. I think the ideal tool for this stage might be like a large electric toothbrush (in fact we were going to try the electric toothbrush, but couldn't find it at the time).

Good luck.

 

[ostell]

The bulk of the stuff came off fairly easily with a wide paint scraper with the corners ground off. A power drill with a wire wheel was used occasionally, but mainly just made a mess.

Getting the foam off is the easy bit, getting the glue off is the hard bit. And you need the old glue off if you are going to glue on new vinyl. We blunted the wire wheels fairly rapidly which is why we eventually resorted to the faceoff disks

 

[Blueboatman]

Having refitted all the vinyl linings throughout, a couple of years ago....
If they are on plyboards, remove these intact and wash under a tap with a scourer pad, the vinyl simply pulls away and the glue and remaining 'dust' ( foam) simply washes off.
On bare fibreglass hull I used a Scarsten 25mm and 50mm scraper and a good file to keep the blades sharp. If you are good with yer hands a variety of sharp wood chisels make good progress too and all without creating fibreglass itchy dust as can be the case with powertooling.
And be prepared to remove and rebed the windows too if the vinyl is bedded under their frames..
On the plus side, makes a boat really smart again

Regluing you will need a domestic house fan blowing inside the boat and open hatches for throughdraught to keep you fume free if using normal contact adhesive.
And I used stainless steel 6mm staples in an Arrow Stapler to secure the vinyl edges along the rear side of each ply panel, as well as contact glue. How smoothy you spread the glue will affect the flat appearance of the finished surface so practise, practise in non-conspicuous areas first and use good plastic glue spreaders and technique..( I poured it on from the can and quickly spread it smooth, but not on windy days!).

 

[Rigger Mortice]

Regluing you will need a domestic house fan blowing inside the boat and open hatches for throughdraught to keep you fume free if using normal contact adhesive.

I agree about the ventilation but would be very wary of having electric fans going inside the boat. Anything that can cause a spark can set off a nasty bang if you are using contact adhesive in an enclosed space. I've seen it happen. It was a big bang!

 

[Keith 66]

When cleaning out our Sabre 27 a few years ago i had cut the old headlinings out with a stanley knife leaving old powdery foam & loads of old contact glue behind. It was while jizering the filthy engine bay & pressure washing it out that i wondered if it would remove the old headlining glue as well.
Gave it a try & it was the best & fastest way by far, the whole boat done from end to end in an hour. No breathing dust & no Itching & cheap!
I did cut a drain hole in the bilge with a tank cutter to let the water out but repairing that afterwards was a small price to pay.

 

[Poignard]

On bare fibreglass hull I used a Scarsten 25mm and 50mm scraper and a good file to keep the blades sharp.

I spent yesterday afternoon removing the remains of old foam-backed plastic lining from my boat's forepeak sing Skarsten scrapers. They work fine and are easily sharpened with a file. The only thing I would add is to do the sharpening off the boat (if you are alongside) or over the lee rail if on a mooring. Otherwise the steel fillings will rust and leave marks. No matter how carefully you sweep up, some of them will remain.