I would like to replace the stripe below the toerail, just looking for past experiences, and helpful hints.
- Status
Go Slow
It's a lot of stripe. Mine has been replaced in the past and whoever put it on must have been drinking, smoking, or both. It's on there really good, but crooked and wavy. I recommend you make a mark on the hull BEFORE you remove the old stripe; it'll be much easier to re-align when replacing.
It's a lot of stripe. Mine has been replaced in the past and whoever put it on must have been drinking, smoking, or both. It's on there really good, but crooked and wavy. I recommend you make a mark on the hull BEFORE you remove the old stripe; it'll be much easier to re-align when replacing.
Been there, done this
As you've already been advised, go slow...doing it right requires patience and a steady hand. To remove the old striping, heat it with a blow dryer to soften the adhesive, then pull back gently. Do a short section at a time...and be careful! You only want to soften the dhesive, not melt the striping. Once you have all the old striping off, use WD-40 to remove any glue residue (there are several products marketed specifically for this purpose, but none of 'em work any better than WD-40--some not as well--so why spend money for something you'll only use 10% of when you already have at least 3 cans of Wd-40?) Spray it on lightly...let it sit a couple of minutes..then scrub with fine bronze wool or a 3M scrubber. Wash and rinse thoroughly with detergent and water. Putting the new striping on is the tricky part. Draw a line, and line up only the top edge of the new stripe with it...just barely touching it down in only the minimum number of places you have to, to keep it aligned. Be sure it will lie flat before you take the backing off...if not, you may have to break it and overlap just barely to re-aim it. So it's not rocket science...but very painstaking work if you're gonna get professional results. So don't rush it...and don't tense up!
As you've already been advised, go slow...doing it right requires patience and a steady hand. To remove the old striping, heat it with a blow dryer to soften the adhesive, then pull back gently. Do a short section at a time...and be careful! You only want to soften the dhesive, not melt the striping. Once you have all the old striping off, use WD-40 to remove any glue residue (there are several products marketed specifically for this purpose, but none of 'em work any better than WD-40--some not as well--so why spend money for something you'll only use 10% of when you already have at least 3 cans of Wd-40?) Spray it on lightly...let it sit a couple of minutes..then scrub with fine bronze wool or a 3M scrubber. Wash and rinse thoroughly with detergent and water. Putting the new striping on is the tricky part. Draw a line, and line up only the top edge of the new stripe with it...just barely touching it down in only the minimum number of places you have to, to keep it aligned. Be sure it will lie flat before you take the backing off...if not, you may have to break it and overlap just barely to re-aim it. So it's not rocket science...but very painstaking work if you're gonna get professional results. So don't rush it...and don't tense up!
I Recently Did This On A Hunter 34
We had a Hunter 34 and we just went through this excercise last winter. The striping you are talking about is called a Cove Stripe. I assume that your boat also has the wide stripe that's really three stripes -- a navy blue, a white and a light blue. Anyway, we tried all sorts of things from chemicals to hairdryers. In the end, we invested $20 in a heat gun from Home Depot and this did the trick. Go slow, as others have said. But with a heat gun and a scraper, the stripes will come off fairly easily. As to the heat gun, I wouldn't turn the thing up full blast and hold it in one spot for a while, but I think the risk of damaging the gellcoat is overstated (there is a risk if you are not careful, but not a serious risk so long as you pay attention). Besides, if you are doing this in remotely cold weather, a hairdryer just won't do it. The product to use to remove the glue residue is automotive break parts cleaner. This is better than anything else, including WD-40. It's cheap (something like $4.00 a can), and you simply spray it on and wipe it off with the a paper towel. The glue comes right off. Break cleaner is also good to clean all sorts of contaminents (tar, gum, black streaks, etc.). As your boat is older, after you remove the cove stripe, the gellcoat underneath will be discolored from the rest of the hull (it will be whiter). This will provide an obvious line from which you should apply the bottom of the new stripe. Use soapy water in a spray bottle to spray onto the hull immediately before applying the new stripe. This will allow you to move the stripe around a bit after you place it on the hull, and it will make it much easier to get the stripe straight. Good luck. Dan Goldberg
We had a Hunter 34 and we just went through this excercise last winter. The striping you are talking about is called a Cove Stripe. I assume that your boat also has the wide stripe that's really three stripes -- a navy blue, a white and a light blue. Anyway, we tried all sorts of things from chemicals to hairdryers. In the end, we invested $20 in a heat gun from Home Depot and this did the trick. Go slow, as others have said. But with a heat gun and a scraper, the stripes will come off fairly easily. As to the heat gun, I wouldn't turn the thing up full blast and hold it in one spot for a while, but I think the risk of damaging the gellcoat is overstated (there is a risk if you are not careful, but not a serious risk so long as you pay attention). Besides, if you are doing this in remotely cold weather, a hairdryer just won't do it. The product to use to remove the glue residue is automotive break parts cleaner. This is better than anything else, including WD-40. It's cheap (something like $4.00 a can), and you simply spray it on and wipe it off with the a paper towel. The glue comes right off. Break cleaner is also good to clean all sorts of contaminents (tar, gum, black streaks, etc.). As your boat is older, after you remove the cove stripe, the gellcoat underneath will be discolored from the rest of the hull (it will be whiter). This will provide an obvious line from which you should apply the bottom of the new stripe. Use soapy water in a spray bottle to spray onto the hull immediately before applying the new stripe. This will allow you to move the stripe around a bit after you place it on the hull, and it will make it much easier to get the stripe straight. Good luck. Dan Goldberg
3m tape
I did both sides on our 34 last spring. I used 3m two inch tape. Costs are on the high side at 25 dollars for a fifty foot roll or u can get a 150 ft roll to eliminate waste. I used dark navy for both stripes and it looks great. I even went around the back of the boat. Then where the name "hunter" is on the sides I put the name of our boat in Red colors. Looks neat.
I did both sides on our 34 last spring. I used 3m two inch tape. Costs are on the high side at 25 dollars for a fifty foot roll or u can get a 150 ft roll to eliminate waste. I used dark navy for both stripes and it looks great. I even went around the back of the boat. Then where the name "hunter" is on the sides I put the name of our boat in Red colors. Looks neat.
"Smart Eraser Pad"
I intend to de-stripe this Spring. I read about a technique in the Photo Forum on the HOW site. The technique involves using the "Smart Eraser Pad". The pictures accompanying the text indicate the device works rapidly. I bought the pad, and will give it a go. If it makes my boat's jagged stripe disappear, I'll be happy.
I intend to de-stripe this Spring. I read about a technique in the Photo Forum on the HOW site. The technique involves using the "Smart Eraser Pad". The pictures accompanying the text indicate the device works rapidly. I bought the pad, and will give it a go. If it makes my boat's jagged stripe disappear, I'll be happy.
- Status