How best to remove all this crap!

Rich P · Post by **Rich P** » Mon Dec 01, 2008 5:40 pm

Pictured below, when the builders constructed my Yacht, there was a moulded inner lining, underneath the deckhead one, i discovered that it was held up (apart from the screws at the side) with blobs of what looks like filler. All of the bolts of the existing deck hardware have been encapsulated in either GRP or filler, presumably to ensure that they could be unscrewed from deck without moving the liner.

I have since removed most of that hardware, and some bits like the genoa track look especially suspect! I want to remove all of this stuff ideally, can anyone suggest any methods?

I have had (very) limited success with a sharp chisel!

Post by **Tim** » Mon Dec 01, 2008 6:13 pm

If you can't scrape/chisel it off, then fire up the sander and coarse paper and have fun.

Rich P · Post by **Rich P** » Mon Dec 01, 2008 7:27 pm

I feared that would be the answer! :(

Do you have any tips for protection whilst doing this kind of dusty job, i wear overalls, dust goggles, a proper filtered mask (can't smell any dust at all when working) and gloves. But i find it gets up my sleeves, in hair etc and is very irritating, is it just a case of elastic bands on sleeves and endure it?

Cheers Rich

Rachel · Post by **Rachel** » Mon Dec 01, 2008 10:21 pm

For the "gets up the sleeves" part, I usually wear a Tyvek suit (with a hood) and then I use 2" wide blue tape to tape the cuffs of my gloves to the sleeves of the suit. I also run some tape around that place at the top of the zipper (front of the neck) where there is a gap. I find this works pretty well.

On the goopy stuff, is it at all soft? I mean, not soft soft, but like hardened putty soft? If so, have you tried a bit of heat along with the chisel, such as (carefully) with a heat gun?

Ceasar Choppy · Post by **Ceasar Choppy** » Tue Dec 02, 2008 9:41 am

Looking at the picture, I would definitely try the hammer and chisel/scraper/5-in-one approach first. And air hammer with a chisel attachment would do it. Much less dust that way.

Ric in Richmond · Post by **Ric in Richmond** » Tue Dec 02, 2008 12:21 pm

Fein tool. Stiff Scraper Blade. Done!

Rachel · Post by **Rachel** » Tue Dec 02, 2008 5:30 pm

That's right! I have one of those blades but haven't used it yet, so I keep forgetting it's an option.

(I borrow the tool, but have my own blades.)

R.

Ric in Richmond · Post by **Ric in Richmond** » Tue Dec 02, 2008 6:32 pm

The tool is the CHEAP part.....it is the stinking blades that are rediculous.

I think that it would work. If the scraper blade wouldn't the saw blade WILL make short work of it.

I love mine!!!!

Quetzalsailor · Post by **Quetzalsailor** » Wed Dec 03, 2008 10:54 am

Depends upon what that filler is. Polyester body filler is pretty tough, and the polyester-marble dust filler in the bottom of an M 27 is ungrindable. Some of these fillers are pretty soft, some are almost foam. LeComte used one made with cork and polyester resin.

Start by trying a substantial hammer and reasonably sharp cold chisel. Pray for inefficiency of the applicator. Beware that you can readily delaminate the first thickness of the underlying 'glass, but you may be willing to do that before grinding or sawing. Once you've knocked off the sharply-defined edge, try just a few blows more and give up; the chisel will be steeper against the surface and more force will be transmitted into the 'glass.

I normally grind this stuff, or unused tabbing, or someones' repairs using 36 grit discs in my cheepie Craftsman 4 1/4" angle grinders. Makes an awful mess very quickly, but effectively.

I never have tried my Fein for such work; nice hard-working but dainty tool and too expensive to replace soon. I think the saws are not robust enough, certainly the scraper is 'way too soft (I ruined mine trying to remove old glazing putty), but I have not tried the carbide-studded things at all.

Rich P · Post by **Rich P** » Wed Dec 03, 2008 11:18 am

Its tough but very brittle, tried chiselling, it looks like im gonna have to sand it!

kabauze · Post by **kabauze** » Thu Dec 04, 2008 3:22 am

Rich P wrote:Its tough but very brittle, tried chiselling, it looks like im gonna have to sand it!

My Triton ( a West Coaster ) has the same kind of crap underneath its headliner. They used great gobs of the stuff at the factory when they installed the liner, and when I began ripping out sections, I was faced with the same removal problem as you. It's some kind of polyester resin/filler mush. Very hard & strong but brittle, as you say.

I didn't want to sand, because it would create great looming mountains of dust as well as taking forever. One thing that worked well for me was using an angle grinder with a thin metal cutting blade to cut regular grooves in the filler. I spaced the grooves about every half inch and cut as deep as I dared (obviously, you run the risk of cutting into the hull or deck if you go too deep). After that, the chiseling went much easier. It helped that the filler wasn't always bonded well to the fiberglass, so in some places, it popped away fairly easily with the chisel. But in others, I chiseled away the bulk using the grooving method, and then sanded out the rest.

Todd

Rachel · Post by **Rachel** » Thu Dec 04, 2008 2:51 pm

Oh, is this a Triton liner you're removing? I'd love to hear/see more about that -- never seen one "underneath."

Rachel

Rich P · Post by **Rich P** » Thu Dec 04, 2008 6:34 pm

No what would i want one of those tubs for!? Lol just kidding, but no its not a triton, i live in the UK so we don't have them anyway!

Its an Eygthene 24 Quarter Tonner, an absolute beast upwind! :)

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RXK__-rqBvE/S ... CT0006.JPG

Zach · Post by **Zach** » Thu Dec 04, 2008 7:55 pm

Dewalt flapdisk on a grinder.

It goes through that grey goo like butter...

Rachel · Post by **Rachel** » Thu Dec 04, 2008 10:41 pm

Rich P wrote: Its an Eygthene 24 Quarter Tonner, an absolute beast upwind! :)

Oh, that's right. Now I remember you introducing your boat.

R.

Rich P · Post by **Rich P** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 9:26 pm

Zach wrote:Dewalt flapdisk on a grinder.

It goes through that grey goo like butter...

Just a quick correction... I've tried it, and it makes it flat very quickly... definately does not go through it fast!
Will try doing some ninja angle grinding, grooves into the filler and then chisel, sand whats left... What did i do to deserve this lol?!