Advice regarding paint (stripe) removal 89 CD22

MilesandMiles

Hi Everyone,

The blue stripe on the side of the 22-cruiser I recently bought is painted on over the original red stripe. Does anyone have advice on how to safely (without damaging the hull or stock finish) remove this stripe? While removing the star stickers I found that it does flake off with some effort, but would take all winter at 8 hours a day to remove it with this method. Greg mentioned that someone else mentioned to him that an aircraft grade paint remover would do the job. There's such a thing as "aircraft grade paint remover"? Wow...did NASA invent it? Or is that Space grade? Maybe a pitcher of Tang? Smile

Thanks,
Brenton

thataway · Posted: Thu Nov 25, 2010 12:52 pm Post subject:

Some folks have used oven cleaner to take old boat names off the transom. "easy off" I have used it in the past and it worked well. Be careful of paint removers--many have ketone solvents which will damage the gel coat. What ever you use--do a small area which is out of the way and will not be obvious when you first try it.

Acetone and MEK will also remove paint--but will soften the gelcoat. Laquer thinner about the same. But with care these can also be used.

The original stripe is gel coat, which was sprayed in the mold.

MilesandMiles · Posted: Thu Nov 25, 2010 5:48 pm Post subject:

Thanks Thataway, I'll look a little more into the oven cleaner. I would like to repaint the trim green on the boat (red being my least favorite of the color options) but hey, I'm not complaining...the boat will do all it's suppose to even with red (and blue) Smile

Like I keep hearing, she's a "fishing boat" (as opposed to? Pleasure boat? cruising boat? Museum piece?) I certainly don't want her looking like a garbage barge, but no need for "perfect" either.

Thanks again for the ideas,
Brenton