Looking for the absolute best way to remove paint

[neveraseven]

I would like to find out what the best paint stripper I could use. The boat is a 1979 Fisher aluminum and has about 3 coats of paint that is oxidized and comes off like chalk when you run your hand across it. I have pressure washed it and considered sanding but it has alot of rivets and a lot of crevices on the inside. Any help would be apprecited. Thanks in advanced. Love this site..

 

[.:Crosby:.]

IMO... Aircraft stripper

 

[Hanr3]

define best?
Quickest, most affordable, doable without special tools, or what?

chemicals work, paint stripping brush for your drill work, sand paper works, dip tank works, sand blaster works too. some require more elbow grease than others. some require more equipment than others.
define best?

 

[Brine]

No personal experience, but I've heard lots of good reviews of using aircraft stripper. There is also a method of putting saran wrap over the stripper to keep the product wet for a longer period of time, but I think I've only seen it done on trailers.

You may try a search on here for "aircraft stripper" and see what comes back.

 

[dyeguy1212]

With the prices of soda blasters at harborfreight, it has my vote. If I can't sell this boat, it's getting a new paint job next spring.

 

[ober51]

If it's thicker, a heat gun works absolute wonders.

 

[neveraseven]

Thanks for all the ideas. I think I will give aircraft stripper a try.

 

[arkansasnative]

my boat is a 1964 model and had 7 coats of green paint on the outside... it took 2 coats but aircraft remover is the stuff! slab that on there, saran wrap it, wait, then lay the hammer down with your pressure washer!

 

[.:Crosby:.]

^^^ x2
Sometimes it will leave little specks of paint if you go over it with a wire brush before you pressure wash it, it will take care of that.
Mine had about 3 diffrent layers of paint, here's what it turned out like.

 

[MallardAddict]

I used TalStripII by marhyde on my 16' tracker. spread on thick, waited a half hour then pressure wshed it. It took 2 thick coats but got probably 99% of the paint off with pressure washing. had maybe 2 hrs max with a plastic putty knife to get every last little speck of paint off the nooks and crannies.

here is the start:

coat 1:

coat 2:

 

[JRHOADES20]

wow,.. where can you get airplane stripper?? I've heard of the regular acetone stuff, but not airplane stripper. Thanks.

 

[MallardAddict]

JRHOADES20

Most well stocked auto parts stores have it as does pretty much any auto paint supply house. It runs $25-35 per gallon and needs to to go on thick and stay wet. Lots of guys will wrap saranwrap or sheet plastic over it after application to slow evaporation.

On mine i just used my weed sprayer to mist water on the spots that seemed to dry too fast. Let it go for the total advised time even if it looks like its all loosened.

I used a pressure washer on mine to avoid scraping and it worked well. That said, if applied correctly the paint will scrape off very easily with a plastic scraper, i was just lazy.

 

[bobberboy]

What are the safety concerns with the aircraft stripper? I'm going to do my Sportsman in a couple of weeks and wondered what happens to the gunk after you wash it off. I have to do mine by the alley behind my house and if I pressure wash the stuff goes down the storm drain and off to the Mississippi. They're pretty uppity here about any kind of hazardous materials in the lakes and rivers and I don't want a SWAT team from the EPA coming down on me. I guess I could scrape and collect but the pressure washer seems easier and better to me.