Removing Old Paint

[Nikolina]

Hello everyone, I have an older Islander 24. The non skid area of the deck is molded into the fiberglass or gelcoat, and I need to remove the old paint that is starting to peel. I tried a green (worthless) paint remover with little or no effect, wire wheel on a drill, etc... Other than picking out the paint with a dental pick has anyone found an easy way to remove old paint from a non skid surface. Remember the non skid is built into the fiberglass/gel coat! This is a project boat that my daughter and her boyfriend are taking an interest in, so I need to make it work, to keep their enthusiasm.
Thanks

[minaret]

Try a less green paint stripper. Knowing what sort of paint it is would help in recommending a stripper. Stripper and a stiff wire brush will do the job while also scratching up the original surface to provide prep for the next coat of primer/paint. Mask well and use proper safety gear.

[Nikolina]

Thankyou Minaret,
I don't know what the existing paint is, my guess is a polyurethane or more likely an alkyd type. Either way, what type/brand of paint remover removes paint but won't damage the fiberglass. Any recommendation!

[minaret]

Very few strippers will actually damage gelcoat beyond dulling it, which doesn't matter if you are planning on applying fresh paint, which I assume you are. Obviously you want to test a patch inside a locker or something to be sure with whatever you use. If it's an LPU, I'd use an aircraft stripper. Strong stuff, suit up well. It's a nasty job too, requires a bundle or two of rags, wire brushes, buckets, etc. I like to use the non-permeable type of Tyvek suit for this too, they're terribly uncomfortable but you dont want this stuff on your skin, which is very easy to do when doing a deck. Repel Tyvek, heavy nitrile gloves with duct taped cuffs, rubber boots with taped cuffs, I would suggest a fullface instead of respirator and goggles, etc. It is water cleanup though, so when you are done and have ragged up and disposed of most of the nasty toxic remnant, you can hose off everything including yourself. No fun, but the only way to get every last bit of paint out of all those little valleys. Many times in the past I have talked an owner into just grinding off the original molded in skid and laying new skid instead of doing this, it's actually much faster, and gives a nicer end result IMHO.

PS-If it's an alkyd you can use a much less aggressive stripper. Still just as nasty a job though.

[Nikolina]

Sweet,
Minaret your a wealth of knowledge. Because I'm not a fiberglass kind of guy I never thought about grinding out the old skid, but I like that idea. (also the ones on my other post).

[David M]

If the pd paint is in tact, it may be better fill and fair the old paint, apply a two part primer and paint.

You don't want to have to grind out the old gelcoat if it is in tact.

[TOPGALLANT32]

My boat has the same built in non skid areas. the deck had been painted back in 95 with awl grip which was beginning to flake, I spent hours, no days, scratching out the little wedge shaped groves. A pro told me that the prep for the job was not adequate thus the peeling. I took a good stout wire brush to it to remove the loose stuff. then scrubbed it with boat soap then TSP. I then proceeded to cover the areas with KIWI Grip. Wow, best thing and easiest job I attempted on a sailboat to date and it looks great. git lots of compliments

[TOPGALLANT32]

PS: all the grinding and wire wheels in the west wont do it any better. Dont grind off the old non skid either. waste of time and $.

[pupuce]

Two yeras ago, I had to remove old antifouling painting (several coats).
I used Dilunett (fro Owatrol). It removed the most part of antifouling (several applying and karcher high pressure)

[youmeandthed]

easy off oven cleaner. spray it on then scrape it off with a putty knife. i just did it to get the old hailing port off my hull. it should work as long as it's not epoxy based paint.