Removing Paint from Gel Coat

[moxieman]

Alright guys, I had a stripe painted on a Sea Fox CC boat, however the paint peeled and blistered due to the fact that the line was below the waterline from the factory. My plan is to remove all the old paint, and move the line up 3" to have it above the waterline. Whats the best way to go about removing the awlgrip? My fiberglass guy is planning on removing it with 320 sandpaper, however he said he wont blend it for me. Whats the best way, or how much grit should I use to bring the shine back?

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: Removing Paint from Gel Coat

Whats the best way to go about removing the awlgrip? My fiberglass guy is planning on removing it with 320 sandpaper, however he said he wont blend it for me. Whats the best way, or how much grit should I use to bring the shine back?

If the Awlgrip has been prepped correctly .. then sanding is the Only way to remove it that I know of ..

Your glass guy probably didnt say he Wont blend it..its that he Cant blend it after removal.

If he is a descent boat guy..then you might be better off letting him do it before you start sanding/buffing and then burning through the gel.

He probably wants like 600-800 bucks eh ? ..

YD.

 

[BWT]

Re: Removing Paint from Gel Coat

like YD said, there won't be a way to completely make the old strip go away; there will be a halo or shadow where the original stripe was. The gel that is under the paint has never had direct exposure to sunlight (I.E. hasn't been able to age like the rest of the boat; it will be a little darker color of your boat hull). Also, the chemical reaction of the primer and paint seem to somewhat burn / etch into the gel, discoloring it. In time it may blend a little better than right after it's been removed, but still won't blend perfectly.. No amount of sanding or buffing is going to change this unfortunate fact..