VC Tar Removal

[ron7546]

Hi To All,
This post title may look familiar to some from last fall.With the weather here in the North-East I am able to get an early jump on the project.I am using an angle grinder with 40 grit. I don`t have a feather touch so I will need to do some fairing. The Gel coat seems to be quite inconsistant especially on the keel. Just touch the gel coat there and it`s gone and a blue substance appears. (The boat is a 1976 -E27) Would that be a fairing compound ? ? One oiher thing, in a few areas I have exposed bare glass and it is very smooth. I expected a rough texture like matting. I`m seeing no strands.
Any input would be appreciated !
Thanks in advance.
Ron Wallace

 

[Loren Beach]

Since your boat has internal ballast I would expect the keel and hull to equally show original slick gel coat. Over the decades, previous owners may have ground off (some? all?) the gel coat and put a coat of epoxy over it.

Treatments for blistering have varied, and some yards might overcoat the gel coat, and a few might have ground/sanded much of it off. Back in the 80's and 90's this could be like a religious conflict at times...

You mention VCTar. I recall that it's a mixture of epoxy and tar. That might take some serious sanding to get rid of, and might clog the paper rapidly.
Unless it was improperly applied, I wonder why it needs removal?

Googling quite a few similar threads, albeit none that I could call "absolutely authoritative."
Here's just one: http://www.catalina-capri-25s.org/forum/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=15166

Or this: http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=304137

Regards,
Loren

 

[rwthomas1]

The thought of an angle grinder to remove bottom paint gives me chills. I've done a fair bit, okay, make that alot of sanding/grinding in my occupation, hobbies and boating. An angle grinder is something I've never used. IMHO, its simply the wrong tool for the job. It will damage the surface unless used with extreme care and skill. What is needed is a DA or "dual action" type of sander that produces a random pattern and is much less likely to cup and scallop the surface. Properly done you should need no fairing. None. Metabo, Fein or even Ridgid make nice 6" DA sanders worth every penny. Fein is probably the best, using an angle grinder style motor tied to a DA sander head. I've used one and its simply the best I've seen, not cheap but you get what you pay for.

Finally, the best bet is to pay for the boat to be "soda blasted" that means sandblasting the hull with baking soda. Will not damage the gelcoat and removes all traces of paint. If you are in New England I know that there are outfits here that do just that. In RI there are 3-4.

Just my 2cents, RT