Advice Old Laser great condition.

scooter

New Member
Hi All,

Just purchased my first laser and have had a couple of great sails.

Even though the boat is old it is in good condition and water tight ( sail no 5000 ish )

The problem i have is the deck has been painted some time back and is now starting to flake . How do i remove the paint as it has the original textured deck.

Nitromorse,Jetwash ?

Do not want to damage the deck too much by using the wrong substance or method.

Will be repainting it properly when old paint removed.

In anticipation of some good advice from this great site,

Many thanks.

Steve.
 
Welllllll, the advise here is free, so it sometimes is long on coming (c:

One thing that must be decided is what kind of paint are you trying to remove? There are many kinds, from simple latex to two/three part epoxy paints, and they all are treated differently in removal. Of course you have no idea what is on it, you just got the boat. So we can make some assumptions. If it's flaking, it's most likely cheap paint, as from a spray can. That would be a single part enamel. This is good. Multi-part epoxy paints simply don't flake off, unless there is a gross problem in surface prep. I doubt the previous owner used latex or oil based house paint, but it wouldn't be the first time (c: .. Prolly not lacquer either, as that tends to etch pretty quickly into the surface if it's at all porous, and so no flakes usually. If it's flaking badly, then there is no adhesion anywhere to speak of, and you really need to get it all off.

My first guess would be to get some lacquer thinner and give it a try in that secret place that nobody will ever see. Then if that does not take off the paint, I'd give acetone a try. Neither of these chemicals will damage your gel coat ( NOTE: I take no responsibility for any damage you cause to your boat, your property or your body ) ... OK so if that gets it off, then you're home free. It'll be messy but not impossible.

Since you're in the UK, I don't know what other options you have for paint removal. Furniture repair shops have a chemical solvent they use on paint over wood and/or metal, and it works nicely. It will burn your skin, and is a bear to use. It might destroy gel coat, I have not tried it yet here, but am coming up on that event shortly with my most recent 'good deal' Laser. Get them to tell you how. Or get them to strip the boat.

Good luck.

Did I say I was not responsible for whatever comes your way?? ... Good... just making sure................... (c:
 
Thanks for the reply,will try as suggested.

If anyone else has any experience in paint removal i would welcome their thoughts.

Cheers

Steve Liverpool UK
 
Honestly, why bother with such an old Laser. You are having fun and the boat won't go any faster with a new paint job.

PS: Lasers aren't meant to be painted in the first place...
 
It would look more presentable.

Why wash an old car,recover furniture,repaint a door?

Thanks for your input Wavedancer.
 
I would try the jet wash (which I'm guessing is what we call a pressure wash on this side of the pond) The gelcoat will be much harder then the paint, so the jet wash may just blast it off. I might also look into a very fine abrasive blasting, since you have stated your desire to repaint. Depending on the media used (ground walnut shells for example are a pretty "mild" abrasive media) you should be able to take it all off with minimal removal of the gelcoat.
 
Have just used a powerfull jet washer that has removed all loose and potentially loose paint, worked a treat.The remaining paint is that well adhered that you would need a scalpel to get under it.
Going to give it some interlux brightside treatment.
Steve Liverpool UK
 

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