Soda Blast??
- Thread starter rorkin
- Start date
Never done it myself, but from whats been said its the way to go.
If you do a search on this site im sure you will find some threads on the
subject, its been a topic at some time. Check it out.
Also if you go to The Hull Truth site, you will find threads there as well.
If you do a search on this site im sure you will find some threads on the
subject, its been a topic at some time. Check it out.
Also if you go to The Hull Truth site, you will find threads there as well.
Capt Bill
GreatGrady Captain
Yes, I hired a guy from near Annapolis a couple years ago to blast a 29 Blackfin that I owned. He did a fantastic job. Removed all the bottom paint, and it left the gel-coat with a finish that was slightly etched.
A friend just had his Gulfstream done here in Delaware a few weeks ago, and had the same result. I think it cost him arount $750. Soda-blast is the way to go.
A friend just had his Gulfstream done here in Delaware a few weeks ago, and had the same result. I think it cost him arount $750. Soda-blast is the way to go.
i had it done to two boats. the first was my Pro-line 2950 to remove excess build up of bottom paint and switch the boat to ablative. The second time was my current boat as the marina I used failed to prep the bottom properly and the paint was flaking off. Soda blast does a nice job removing the paint and is much safer than sand blasting (sand blasting can be just as good with a good operator but soda is more forgiving). Once you have it removed, I recommend a barrier coat as a primer. It costs a little more but it gives added protection.
Here are the photos
Problem of flaking off due to incorrect prep work
Soda blast results
repaint. Primed with barrier coat for added protection
Here are the photos
Problem of flaking off due to incorrect prep work
Soda blast results
repaint. Primed with barrier coat for added protection
PM me with a guy you can recommend.
I probably wont do it but I was considering trying to get the boat back to
condition where it looked like it never had been painted since it will be on a lift (weather permiting)
.. Not sure quite how to get there after the blasting.. Probably will end up being more cost than I want to get involved
with anyway. Question would be if roughed up gelcoat would be a problem.
I guess a barrier coat then some paint to match the hull would be as close as I could get
I probably wont do it but I was considering trying to get the boat back to
condition where it looked like it never had been painted since it will be on a lift (weather permiting)
.. Not sure quite how to get there after the blasting.. Probably will end up being more cost than I want to get involved with anyway. Question would be if roughed up gelcoat would be a problem.
I guess a barrier coat then some paint to match the hull would be as close as I could get
rorkin, I'm lookin to do the same thing. I have a bad paint job and want it to look like its never been painted. I don't want the gel coat damaged, just the paint removed. Let me know how you make out.
Jake
Jake
last time I used Potomac soda blasting. However I think they guy is out of doing it. Mid Atlantic did my Pro-line 2950 but there were very expensive the when I checked for them on my MayCraft. I would check with both Midatlantic Soda Blasting and Choptank Soda Blasting (as a buddy used them and they did a great job for him). Here are their web sites:
http://www.choptanksodablasting.com/
http://www.soda-dryblast.com/
Soda blasting will not get you bottom to look like it did when new. However you may be able to inquire about having the bottom re-gel coated after soda blasting. This may require a boot stripe to be added to seperate in case of a slight mismatch or an overlap line. I am also not sure if this is an option or what it would cost. A&M Marine did my prep barrier coat and paint correctly. They did a good job. Judge Yachts did my bottom paint this year.
Other options would be to barrier coat and:
1. repaint with ablative paint. this will give you an active bottom paint that will keep your bottom clean if you decide to leave the boat in the water for a week or so on vacations, etc. Bad part is that it tends to fade in color while out of the water.
2. paint the bottom with expoxy bottom paint. It is not active after it has been out of the water a while but it tends not to gray out or fade as much as the ablative.
Personally I would go ablative so you have an active paint on the bottom incase you ever want to keep the boat in the water for any period of time. It may look a little faded after some time in the water but to me it would at least give you the no worries and option to leave the boat in the water. No sense having a bottom paint if it isnt going to be active. Once the boat is in the water, the paint doesnt look as faded and you dont see much of the paint anyhow.
good luck!
http://www.choptanksodablasting.com/
http://www.soda-dryblast.com/
Soda blasting will not get you bottom to look like it did when new. However you may be able to inquire about having the bottom re-gel coated after soda blasting. This may require a boot stripe to be added to seperate in case of a slight mismatch or an overlap line. I am also not sure if this is an option or what it would cost. A&M Marine did my prep barrier coat and paint correctly. They did a good job. Judge Yachts did my bottom paint this year.
Other options would be to barrier coat and:
1. repaint with ablative paint. this will give you an active bottom paint that will keep your bottom clean if you decide to leave the boat in the water for a week or so on vacations, etc. Bad part is that it tends to fade in color while out of the water.
2. paint the bottom with expoxy bottom paint. It is not active after it has been out of the water a while but it tends not to gray out or fade as much as the ablative.
Personally I would go ablative so you have an active paint on the bottom incase you ever want to keep the boat in the water for any period of time. It may look a little faded after some time in the water but to me it would at least give you the no worries and option to leave the boat in the water. No sense having a bottom paint if it isnt going to be active. Once the boat is in the water, the paint doesnt look as faded and you dont see much of the paint anyhow.
good luck!
Soda blasting WILL NOT give you the results you are looking for. If you want to return to a clean bottom, chemical stripper (I don't really recommned that) or sanding all of the paint off is the only way.
At my old marina the guy did wet sand a sailboat and the bottom turned out decent. Certainly not like new though..
a former member here,he does this work all the time.jimmy's marine service.he had pictures of boats he blasted on here.
I am in Annapolis and had Gale Force Soda Blast do my 228 last Fall. He came to the marina where I was land-stored, skirted the boat, blasted it, and cleaned up for $750. It was not PERFECT gelcoat, but it cleaned multiple layers of paint of the bottom and exposed the gelcoat- albeit not perfect gelcoat- so that it was ready to barrier coat. I did need to do some spot sanding and had some blisters to repair.
I had previously sanded my bottom a few times with about 5 hours of sweat, a couple of Tyvek suits, aspirator, goggles, sanding disks, and long soapy showers, and ibuprofin. To me, $750 was well worth the cost, and LOT cleaner result than sanding yourself.
I had previously sanded my bottom a few times with about 5 hours of sweat, a couple of Tyvek suits, aspirator, goggles, sanding disks, and long soapy showers, and ibuprofin. To me, $750 was well worth the cost, and LOT cleaner result than sanding yourself.
The guy from Choptank will do your boat at his place for much cheaper than at a yard. Since you are on Tilghman, you may be able to get it to him easily. I was quoted $25-30 per foot most everywhere if they did it in a yard. I guess the yard gets a cut.
Choptank quoted me around $350 for my Marlin at his place. My trailer was not up to the trip and I got it sand blasted for around the same price at my yard. Worth EVERY penny. I picked up roughly 3-4 knts and 6 gph cruise by having the bottom done, tower removed, and outriggers off. I now get over 1mpg on my Marlin with 225 Johnson 2 strokes. The bottom was a good investment and probably had the most impact. jh
Choptank quoted me around $350 for my Marlin at his place. My trailer was not up to the trip and I got it sand blasted for around the same price at my yard. Worth EVERY penny. I picked up roughly 3-4 knts and 6 gph cruise by having the bottom done, tower removed, and outriggers off. I now get over 1mpg on my Marlin with 225 Johnson 2 strokes. The bottom was a good investment and probably had the most impact. jh
Soda Blast
Hi Rorkin
I have a 2000 Grady Sailfish 274 diesel. I bought in 2005. I didn't like the paint job on the boat it wasn't smooth and had to many places where the hard coat was pealing off.At first I tried scraping and then I tried that awful chemical product Peal Away. But it was to much work. I had a guy come in and soda blast the bottom and it was great The only problem was the area on which I used the chemical , softened the gel coat and when they soda blasted it it took some of the gel coat off as well. I think that was the fault of the Peal Away product because evry where else on the boat came out great.
I repaired the gel coat put on 3 coats of barrier coat and 2 coats of an ablative antifouling paint and the bottom is smooth as an be and never needs to be sanded I just paint it every season and go.
Hi Rorkin
I have a 2000 Grady Sailfish 274 diesel. I bought in 2005. I didn't like the paint job on the boat it wasn't smooth and had to many places where the hard coat was pealing off.At first I tried scraping and then I tried that awful chemical product Peal Away. But it was to much work. I had a guy come in and soda blast the bottom and it was great The only problem was the area on which I used the chemical , softened the gel coat and when they soda blasted it it took some of the gel coat off as well. I think that was the fault of the Peal Away product because evry where else on the boat came out great.
I repaired the gel coat put on 3 coats of barrier coat and 2 coats of an ablative antifouling paint and the bottom is smooth as an be and never needs to be sanded I just paint it every season and go.