Stripping toe rail-pros and cons

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froggy3k

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Lo all. We have a toe rail that has been previously painted. It is only about 3/4" high and dependent where, 4 to 6" wide. I need to strip the old paint off and repaint. There has been some repairs so I really want to paint vs. varnish or cetol. Anyone have experience on using a heat gun to do so? And if so, any problems I may have such as weakening the bedding compound, burning the fiberglass, etc.? '69 47' CC Commander.
Thanks in advance!!
Chris
 
Chris -I'm thinking that your toe-rails are teak and not mahogany. Is the previous paint flaking and chipping? If so, then it is imperative that you remove any that is loose and that can easily be removed. If not, than I am wondering why you would wish to strip them down when a good thorough sanding may be sufficient prior to your spot priming and overall primer coats. Would you please comment on the current condition so that I can get a better handle on some response for you? Thanks.

While I have no experience in the use of a heat gun, I have plenty of experience in the usage of chemical paint/varnish removers such as 5F5 for example.
 
keep the strippers off the fiberglass. Some painters tape would help
 
Chris,
I've stripped the toe rails on my sportfish
using a heatgun & a painters scraping tool,the type that has one edge bevelled.When starting the job,make sure to heat the scraper prior to the wood.As you work with the heat gun you will get a feel for how much heat you need without damaging the wood or softening the f.glass.What I was stripping was varnish.I'm sure you will get the same good results with paint.
 
Don't use Jasco Premium Paint and Epoxy Remover or any other paint remover that contains methylene chloride. This is one of the most aggressive strippers you can get so I use it a lot on my wooden boat. The problem with methylene chloride is it will ruin the gelcoat on fiberglass.

Some other organic solvent strippers are less destructive to gelcoat. Given the choice I wouldn't use a chemical stripper on or near fiberglass. As others suggest, you can always use a generous amount of blue masking tape to protect nearby fiberglass from sandpaper or scrapers.

Here is some good reading on paint strippers from a book on painting and varnishing boats. Start on page 61.

http://books.google.com/books?id=39...YM3s&sig=X2u0Qx-G92NztRFVVtoZ7KuysuQ#PPA61,M1
 
Don't know how it'll work on your wooden toe rail but oven cleaner works "GREAT" when removing painted boat names from fiberglass transoms. Have used it for that purpose as I know many others have with "NO" damage to fiberglass! There are fiberglass "SAFE" paint removers as well....your choice.
 
On your old Chris, that may very well be lead based paint. If you use a heat gun, then I suggest you have a fan blowing the fumes away from you.
Al
 
froggy3k, I don't know....it might put some lead in your pencil!
 
Thank you all for the quick answers!! It IS greatly appreciated! Bill 2, yes it is flaking and very chipped. That is why I wanted to take it to wood and then sand to get a decent finish. I planned on taking it all the way down and then wipe with acetone and seal with CPES epoxy sealer. I am outside under cover in MD and all the water systems at dock are down for a few months. I'd prefer not to use stripper as I couldn't wash the hull off very well if I made a mess. If history repeats, it would be a mess.
I never thought about heating the scraper, I may just give that a go. And yes gentlemen, I will tape. I can get fairly wild with a scraper (usually into my hand though).
I may just try oven cleaner for sh^ts and giggles. It did work great on the painted name on the transom years ago. Couldn't hurt as long as I spot test. A respirator is a good idea! I'll take that reco.
Again, thanks for ALL the responses and if I feel energetic this w/e (supposed to be C O L D), I'll update next week!
Chris
 
Have you thought about using one of those wire brushes that go on an end of drill. I too am looking to remove flaking paint from the toe rail and was thinking of trying that first then sanding the areas before repaint
Todd
 
You might find that a steel wire brush wheel is too agressive for wood: raising the grain and maybe leaving rusty residue behind. A brass wheel is better but can leave a green stain behind. Wire brush wheels are hard to control along the borderline of your work and in corners. There are some paint removal wheels for drills that have little sandpaper flaps attached to the wheel, but I've never tried one.
 
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