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Chotu · 05-11-2022, 07:08

Over the past not even one year that my helper has been on this boat, there has been a serious degrading of some of the finish work that I have done.

First, since a lot of dirt is tracked onto the boat, the hatch that I installed about a year ago now looks like the picture. It’s all scratched up and torn up from people walking on it. This was brand new out of the box last year. Mostly, I know I can’t remove all the scratches that are now in it. Or the scratches that are in my new windows. But, how can I remove all of that epoxy dripped all over it? It’s acrylic. Because it’s a Hatch.

Next, there’s epoxy dripped all over my windows. These windows that I spent all of those blood sweat and tears that you guys know about in those threads. I have brand new windows. They cost me a fortune in time and money. And they also have epoxy drips on them. They are polycarbonate.

Additionally, my crossbeam has Apoxsee drips on it. That’s finish paint. Plenty of new scratches also. And in a complete circle all the way around the boat, from the aft beam all the way around the deck house to the port chain plate are drips of epoxy the entire way around. They didn’t protect anything when they did the chain plates. They just let the epoxy drip everywhere. Including down both sides of the boat. Which they then sanded off later. I have a huge mess to clean up.

Considering I am really allergic to epoxy how can I remove this? It’s everywhere. They have destroyed my finish work in many places.

What really burns me up is how many times I have had to do the same thing making this boat. I get something done and either people or a hurricane ****s everything up. I’m so sick of it.

Franziska · 05-11-2022, 07:18

I feel your pain.

If it's cured your only chance is a very sharp blade or chisel, preferably with rounded corners.
If it's smeared on, it's almost impossible to get off.
Heat would kill the epoxy, but most likely your windows as well.

Sorry to ask, why did your helper dud not take care, why was not everything covered up?
Finish work really should be the last step...

rslifkin · 05-11-2022, 07:47

To some extent, the longer epoxy sits in the sun and degrades, the easier it'll be to just chip it off. Especially if it went onto a non prepped surface where it didn't bond that well in the first place.

Chotu · 05-11-2022, 07:49

Forgot the pictures.

Chotu · 05-11-2022, 07:52

Of course, finish work is last. But it doesn’t always go that way when you are building a boat. It’s not possible. Sometimes you have to install the hatch before you have finished the interior or something like that. What you’re supposed to do is cover and mask things that are in danger of being destroyed.

That’s the general procedure when anybody works on a boat. You mask off things. I even have that those giant rolls of paper and enough masking tape to last a lifetime on here. But it wasn’t used.

Chotu · 05-11-2022, 07:53

I guess I will just wait then and let it harden and get a lot of sunshine to it. Most of it is out where the sun is shining. So maybe that will help degrade the epoxy and allow me to chip it off.

Good thinking about that part of it.

Can you believe that hatch isn’t even a year old? I’m floored at how destroyed it is.

As for the drips and marks and smears all the way around the entire deck, maybe I can just paint over those? And repaint the whole deck? Again?

**s/v Jedi** · 05-11-2022, 08:07

When you hire a posh contractor, you can expect them to protect the finish but not when hiring a guy: it’s up to you to take care of that and be like a hawk keeping an eye on things.

Don’t touch the windows: when the UV coating is damaged, the window will quickly deteriorate and become opaque. I wish there was a good UV filter that can be applied because a wet sand and polish can being them back but any protective finish I tried breaks down quickly.

double u · 05-11-2022, 08:40

You let it get that far! I would have screamed blue murder at 10% of it.
Was the "helper" free or did you pay him?
We have a german saying:
when asked "should I help you?" the sarcastic reply is:
"No, it's already difficult enough by myself!"

Franziska · 05-11-2022, 08:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chotu

I guess I will just wait then and let it harden and get a lot of sunshine to it. Most of it is out where the sun is shining. So maybe that will help degrade the epoxy and allow me to chip it off.

Good thinking about that part of it.

Can you believe that hatch isn’t even a year old? I’m floored at how destroyed it is.

As for the drips and marks and smears all the way around the entire deck, maybe I can just paint over those? And repaint the whole deck? Again?

Sure you can paint over it, but you need to sand it before. Unfortunately. Big sigh.

Looking at the hatch, unfortunately that looks like etched in, so unlikely you could chip it off...

Chotu · 05-11-2022, 08:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by double u

You let it get that far! I would have screamed blue murder at 10% of it.
Was the "helper" free or did you pay him?
We have a german saying:
when asked "should I help you?" the sarcastic reply is:
"No, it's already difficult enough by myself!"

Not sure if you remember, but I can’t be on the boat when there’s epoxy work going on. So certainly I wasn’t around.

And yes. The helper has free housing on the boat and a full-time job here for about a year.

Apparently though, most of these drips were from the other guy. The one I hired temporarily just for the chainplates. A second set of hands. The one that built tartans and a slew of other boats. Guess he was the guy doing the laminations at tartan and not the guy doing the finish work. Lol

Aside from complaining, which I’m done doing, I was just trying to find out how to get these all back off. I think the deck is just ruined. It’s non-skid. So that’s not coming off easily. Won’t ever match because when you put fresh on it looks great, and the rest does not. The best I can do I think it’s just to repaint it.

Chotu · 05-11-2022, 08:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

When you hire a posh contractor, you can expect them to protect the finish but not when hiring a guy: it’s up to you to take care of that and be like a hawk keeping an eye on things.

Don’t touch the windows: when the UV coating is damaged, the window will quickly deteriorate and become opaque. I wish there was a good UV filter that can be applied because a wet sand and polish can being them back but any protective finish I tried breaks down quickly.

It’s just generally a lack of respect for the boat. That’s what it really is. Over the summer it was allowed to fill up with rainwater also. That’s not how I treat boats. I guess I’m just a perfectionist. Trying to live in a non-perfectionist world. Ha ha

I’m thankful the epoxy work is done. Thanks for that I did have help for it. But I have an incredible amount of regular work ahead of me now to get back the things that were wrecked during those parts of the job. I also have to rebuild the galley floor area because that’s where the water was allowed to collect over the summer. And the floor supports all rotted out. Those were wood.

So I guess it’s kind of a draw in a lot of ways. Epoxy work got done. A lot of stinky stuff with resin’s that I can’t use anymore got done. But I guess I just have to catch up to the other stuff they got wrecked. Mostly I was just looking for advice. Wasn’t really looking to complain even though it went there a little bit.

Chotu · 05-11-2022, 08:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

When you hire a posh contractor, you can expect them to protect the finish but not when hiring a guy: it’s up to you to take care of that and be like a hawk keeping an eye on things.

Don’t touch the windows: when the UV coating is damaged, the window will quickly deteriorate and become opaque. I wish there was a good UV filter that can be applied because a wet sand and polish can being them back but any protective finish I tried breaks down quickly.

That’s a very good point. Thank you for reminding me of that. I wasn’t even thinking about the UV coating. Maybe it will just bake off of their overtime. If I’m lucky.
But yeah. I couldn’t be here. I had to leave. It was epoxy work.

Franziska · 05-11-2022, 09:34

One more thought, you installed the hatches brand new. Is there a tiny chance that you left the protective film from shipping on there?
Some folks don't peel that off right away. I cross all fingers that that might still be on there..