Other than several sheets of sandpaper and a quart of elbow grease, how can one get paint off of a fiberglass cowl to repaint it?

The cowl is yellow, and I'm looking to make it white, so the yellow paint has to go. Is there a stripper that won't hurt the fiberglass?

Any input?
Thanks,

Yes, there are paint strippers made for use on fiberglass. But, not a single body shop I have called will use them because if you leave it on for just a smidge too long, they still attack the resin. Grab yourself some heavy grit paper and go for it. It won't take that long if you use some good 120 grit paper just be careful to not cut into the glass. Once the paint is off, smooth it down with the finer grits and repaint.

John

You could just spray some white primer over the yellow and then paint it white.

First thing to ask is, what kind of paint is currently on the cowl? If it is a laquer based paint, you can remove it with some laquer thinner, zylol or acetone, rubbing gently with scotchbrite or steel wool. Use gloves. Leave your cigar at the door. Shut off the furnace. Go outside. [&:]

If it is catalyzed enamel or epoxy paint, you would be better off to use the sandpaper. If weight is not an issue (When is weight NOT an issue on an airplane?), you can overcoat it with primer. [:'(]

If it is a non-catalyzed enamel, paint stripper and steel wool or scotchbrite should do the trick. Do not omit safety items like gloves and eye protection. [8D]

Cured epoxy and polyester resins are fairly immune to most strippers and solvents. Stop, of course if the resin seems to be softening with the product you are using. Do not use a heat gun. [:@]

Olderndirt

Why not just scuff up the yellow paint, throw down a primer coat, and then spary the white paint over top. Simple, easy, and effective. PLUS, its faster then totally stripping the old paint off.

clay

I have no clue what paint it is.

The project would be to strip a Kanghke (sp?) Cap and recover it. I do not like the yellow Breitling colors. My thoughts now are to shoot for the red, white, and black colors like the Midwest Cap.

I guess I could sand as best I can, then first prime gray. After it dried, prime white and then top coat white.

Caps usually need nose weight anyway...

You shouldn't need to use two different color primers. Be sure to wetsand with fine grit sandpaper between primer coats. The purpose of the primer is fill surface imperfections and give the topcoat something to bond to (and to keep a prior paint color from bleeding through).

It shouldn't take very long to sand the old paint off of the cowl. I'd wetsand it under a faucet so the sandpaper won't clog up as often.

Good luck,
Bill DCat

Unfortunately, this is not true. Paint strippers are extremely powerful and will soften even fully cured epoxy and polyester. This is the reason why auto body shops will not use stripping chemicals on fiberglass cars such as Vette's. If you can tell the resin is softening, the damage is already done and you cannot repair it without removing the affected resin, ie, grind it off.

John

I would scurr it and usa a coat of "Kills". It is a primer that hides the color under it. Ibelieve that it can be bought in oil base. Just prime the cowl and repaint with whatever. I hope this helps.

Mark Shuman

Try brake fluid:
I use it all the time to strip paint off plastic models it will not attack the glass and it will desolve most any paint.

Miloh.

Anyone else tried what Miloh said? That sounds like a cheap way to get it done.

buy a new cowl makes things easy

I'm always hesitant about using chemicals on fiberglass parts. I've got an old Dalotel cowl that I'm getting ready to re-paint and I'll just start off with 320 wet or dry paper under running water and go to finer and finer grit till it's done. Pretty easy.

Tom

I work in the boat business and play in fiberglass all the time so I have a lot of experience with this stuff. as long as your sure it's paint and not gelcot this will work. if it's gelcot brake fluid will not effect it.
I just submerge parts in brake fluid wait a few hours and rub the paint off with a tooth brush and wash it with dish soap and warm water, dry it, apply new paint.


Miloh.

I like Miloh's idea. Brake cleaner will clean up with either laquer thinner or acetone. Neither of those will attack the glass either. But, in the amount of time this thread has been alive, you could have refinished a couple of dozen cowls with sand paper

John

I just sand blasted a pair of fg wheel pants. WORKED great!!! The FG is hard enough that the sand will not hurt it. Took all of 5 Mins!!

i use a kind off soap.. brown soap its called in denmark, its brown and very thik and non toxic.

I smear the piece in the soap and wrap it with clear plastic wrapper and leave it for a couple of hours or more and then you can clean the paint off with running hot water and your finger... very easy and safe for U and the fiberglass