oxidation help!

[scottchapin]

Try going to a shop that does wraps. They have a special wheel on a handheld grinder that is like a rubber eraser that takes the stripes off quickly without damage.

[cadunkle]

What type of wheel is this and where can I get one? Would make quick work of it with a die grinder or angle grinder.

I got done compounding one side of the boat before it got dark. I'm irritated that the guides on the trailer are majorly in the way. I think if I remove the boards it might be enough to get in there with the polisher. Wish my trailer had guide poles! Or I had a way to fit it in the garage and hoist it up by the lift rings! Anyway, hopefully tomorrow after work I can get this side polished then move the boat and do the other side. Not sure how it's gonna go when I get to the top cap. Pretty much the whole area that needs doing is tight with the rails and whatnot. How difficult is it to remove the rails? Doesn't look like easy access to the underside?

[wotan2525]

3m Stripe Off Wheel
http://www.amazon.com/Stripe-Off-Whe.../dp/B00063VT0G

[haugy]

3m Stripe Off Wheel
http://www.amazon.com/Stripe-Off-Whe.../dp/B00063VT0G

Yep, use this on your drill Cadunkle. Be careful though, don't stay in one spot too long. Hit it, and move on, and then come back later if it needs to be rehit. The eraser will get REALLY hot and burn mark gelcoat if you stay in one spot or put a lot of pressure on it.

I use a heat gun to loosen the decals. It works great. You heat it up to get it loose, but not too loose as it will melt and fall apart in your hand. You've got to find that time frame to loosen, but not melt. Then as you walk down the boat, pre-heat the area with the heat gun, while pulling off the area you just heated, and walk it down. I can pull stripes off now in one complete piece most of the time. Then go back and hit the residue with the 3m stripe wheel.

REMOVING DECALS WITH THE STRIPE WHEEL CAN MAKE MARKS. Remove the decals first, and then use the 3m wheel for the glue/residue.

[rkmfl]

About the three iterations with the hard-cut compound, that's not intended to be a "hard" number.

Rather it's expressing that because even hard-cut compound is relatively light, and gelcoat is plenty thick -- you will spent a lot more time/iterations on this step, than others -- assuming you have a lot of oxidation (as was shown in this thread).

If you think about the sanding process, the first sand is generally the most time consuming and sets up the success of all subsequent sanding. Whether you do it once or ten times, the point is to be sure you've really leveled out the hills/valleys of abuse to the clearcoat. And by "hills/valleys" we're referring to microns, not things you can necessarily "feel" but rather "see" in the results.

In short, if you have mild oxidation, and you've spent a good deal of time on a thorough single attempt, that is probably fine. If you have heavy oxidation, it's probably going to require a few iterations, each a bit easier/quicker than the last, until you see the results that will make you proud when everything is over/done.

Does that make sense?

[Safety Bob]

Great tips Haugy for the use of the heat gun on the stripes since that gun can do major damage if you hold it on a single spot for too long!!! I also use the paint prep solvent called "pre-cleano" or "PPG Acryli-Clean" - "wax and grease remover" on a rag or paper towel to get the adhesive residue off of the surface. It takes the adhesive right off and it will not damage the gelcoat. Make sure that you wash the rags as leaving them out in the garage is a BIG Fire Hazard! I have been considering taking off my stripes and adding a new "Supra Logo" on the side of my Saltare. I haven't pulled the trigger on it yet though as I kind of like how the original stripe brightens up the side of the boat. It does however make the boat stand out in a crowd - almost too much! I have pictures in my album on my profile. Haugy, you have been providing fantastic tips on here, thank you, I love reading them!