Is there a safe way to remove this stuff without sanding it off and scaring the gel? My brother has a Legend 202 Domintator that has flaky clear on it, and we want to get it off there.
Is there a safe way to remove this stuff without sanding it off and scaring the gel? My brother has a Legend 202 Domintator that has flaky clear on it, and we want to get it off there.
Unfortunately there isn't anything you can put on the boat that will only take off the Poly Urathane and not possibly damage the clear gelcote. Any solvents used to strip the urathane off will also likely take off the gelcote or damage it.
If you sand the urathane off, there is a very good chance that you will also sand through the gelcote and ruin the metal flake.
I absolutely hate to see it when someone puts urathane clear on a boat.It just doesn't work, and it creates an even bigger mess later once it starts pealing and lifting off the boat.
TTT.
Curious on Bassakwards question myself. What would be your best recomendation to do with one that has been cleared and now chipping? Would you sand and respray? Hand sand? What's the best once you reach this point?
it works fine if you wet sand just enough to ruff up the gel coat and then re clear coat. wet sand by hand with 600 grit. unfortunaltly this will only last about 5 year before it peels again
Well, I just want to get the clear off the boat, have no intentions of ruining the boat again with another coat of clear. Once the clear is taken off, I intend to try and buff or wet sand the gel-cote back into luster.
That's going to be hard but a new gelcaot job runs between 6000 and 8000 depending on the size of the boat. if they have already clear coated the boat and the spots that have come off are a dull color then they have already sanded the boat and you have two choices sand and re clear-coat or spend the money for the gel-coat.
BA,
He is exactly correct. The problem you will run into isn't getting all the clear urethane off the boat. It is the amount of clear gelcote that is remaining.
The reason why it was cleared to begin with as the gelcote was getting bad. To put the clear urethane on the boat, they had to sand a good portion of the clear gelcote to get an abrasion bond. If you sand the urethane off the boat, you will also inadvertently sand even more of the gelcote off as well. By the time you sand with 600 and 800 grit paper (enough to buff the sandpaper scratches out with compound), you will run out of clear gelcote and sand the poly flake under it. Once you do that, you will flash the flake silver and then have to re-flake, then clear, adding even more time and labor to the job.
So you can either leave it like it is, sand and reclear with urethane and get the same results as you had, or regelcote it.
As you can see, I do not like and am not a fan of putting urethane on a boat. It simply doesn't work when dealing with clear coats.
There are a FEW applications that awlgrip will work. But even then, it must be prepped, PRIMERED, and shot on properly for it to have a chance to last any real length of time.
Clear urethane doesn't stand a chance since the only bond it gets with the gelcote is an abrasion bond. Poly Ester gelcote is not chemically compatiable with poly urethane. They don't bond chemically and that is the reason for the lifting and peeling you now have.
That is exactly why I will not put urethane on a boat. I don't want that kind of business knowing the customer will have problems with the boat in the long run.
I hope this helps you and feel free to call if needed and I will go into more details if needed. 940-243-2628.
Michael
I have a boat that was shot with clear as well. It is starting to flake in a few spots. My previous boat was painted with Imron. Can this boat be sanded down and painted with a good topside paint it is not worth redoing the gelcoat but I think it would be worth painting.
Thanks
Todd Lahey
Lawrenceburg IN
2019 Bass Cat Lynx
Has anyone tried wetsanding with a random-orbital?
Oh yeah, and when you finally get through to the gelcoat, you can smell it.
Use lots and lots of water!
Wax-on Wax-off Daniel-sun
Todd,
Imron is a great urethane, and one of the better ones on the market. You can use Imron, but once again, it is the same urethane vs. gelcote situation. It will last longer than Transtar or other clears, but it too will eventually lift off. You have to keep looking at the chemical makeup of the two materials. Gelcote is poly ester based, and paint is poly urethane based. They are two different chemicals and do not bond together.
If you used an epoxy based primer on the poly ester fiberglass, then shot urethane, you would be better off. Even then the primer may lift off. But it is much better than just shooting urethane on poly ester gelcote or fiberglass. Unfortunately, you can't primer under clear since you will see it. You would have to shoot your color, then clear.
Trust me on this one, we've seen this TOO many times where people have tried to use urethane to make a boat look good again. It will last anywhere from six months to six years. But at some point in time, it will come off.
A Fn,
You can use a DA sander (dual action) and take it off faster. The problem with a DA is it takes off too much at one time if you aren't EXTREMELY careful. On older boats, they don't have much clear gelcote left, and if you accidently sand through it, it will flash the poly flake silver, thus ruining the finish completely.
We will never just re-clear one with gelcote. One simple reason, oxidation. Even if you sand it and try to get it all out, there is a good chance there is some residual oxidation remaining. If you shoot new clear gelcote over the old gelcote, the oxidation that is left will start to work it's way back up through the new gelcote.
Look at oxidation like cancer. Once it starts to penetrate the gelcote, it must be eradicated completely. If not, the cancer will spread back into the new material as well, and eventually make it look milky.
Thanks Michael
Your posts are very informitive and helpful! I think next winter I will strip the boat down prep it right and paint the top cap white. The previous owner shot it with clear and it does not look to bad yet but it is starting to flake. Given that the boat is already twenty three years old I would be happy with it looking good for another five years or so.
This winter I have been redoing the trailer it is just about ready for paint I stripped it all down and have all new wiring, lights, bearings, bunks, carpet, jack, and winch.
Todd Lahey
Lawrenceburg IN
2019 Bass Cat Lynx
Todd,
You are more than welcome!
The one thing you will find with me, I will not tell someone to do something to their boats that will have an undesired effect on them later on.
Update on the brothers Legend....
apparently whoever sprayed the clear on it didnt scuff it up at all, I went down to Mobile this weekend and took a look at it, where the poly was chipping and flaking, I was able to take my gerber pocket knife and and skin it off there like a razor blade, when I got a spot cleaned off that seemed to still be attatched, the surface underneath was smooth as ever, but faded like my Skeeter was, I have hope for this one, I think we can get all the clear off it and buff it back up, wish us luck!
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