Removing old varnish

[Brian Giersch]

Three years ago I applied 6-7 layers of thinned varnish to the hatchboards and companion way trim of my Catalina 36. I would like to remove it and try Sikkens instead. Is it possible to use a brushed on paint remover to soften the old varnish instead of scraping and sanding away 7 layers?Would I want to tape around the the wood to protect the fiberglass if a brushon softenr or remover were recommended?Any with this experience, good or bad? Look foward to recommendation/cautions.Brian Giersch

 

[Brian Ranniger]

Citri-Strip

I did all the wood on my C-30 by using CitriStrip stripper. It's an orange colored stripper in either a spray can or a bottle. Don't use the spray can though. It clogs up every 2 seconds. Unlike other strippers, it actually smells good, like oranges. I used it to take off varnish, stain etc. You need to clean it off the wood with water after you wipe the varnish off and let the wood dry. You should be able to get it at your local Lowe's, Home Depot etc. You might try West Marine's Wood Pro. It looks great and was rated well by Practical Sailor. I put about 10 coats on. It's not a varnish but looks great and you don't have to sand between coats or thin it out.

 

[Les Murray]

You can try chemical or heat

I used some 3M chemical stripper that was non-toxic. It worked OK but I still had to sand some off. Lots of work.You can also try a heat gun to melt the stuff off. That works pretty good. Either way, you will probably have to use some bleach afterwards to get the stains out.Good luck.Les Murrays/v Ceilidh86 C-36 #560

 

[Jim]

Power Washer

Hi Brian,I actually got the power washing idea from this web-site. Rent a Power Washerthat has the capability of hot water. I did this last spring to "strip" all the old varnish off my Cat27. I rented for the half day and it ended up only taking me an 1 1/2 hours. It was great and also very easy to do!! Let all the teak dry thoroughly. I ended up using teak oil on my boat for the final finish.Good LuckJimS/V Hawaii Kai

 

[L-Seelig]

Citri-Strip Is Best

The Citri-Strip seems to work best if you are stripping "varnish" as Brian recommended. However, if the varnish is flaking and old then Jim's suggestion of the power sprayer is much faster.Another suggestion, instead of Sikkens, try Cetol. I did all the exterior wood on my Catalina 27 two years ago and it still looks great. Only maintenance required is about once a year, rough it up with bronze wool or scotch-brite and go over with a thin coat. Still getting compliments on how good my teak looks.Regards,Lysle