On Monday, September 7, 2020 at 3:51:27 PM UTC-7, wrote:
On Monday, September 7, 2020 at 6:18:16 PM UTC-4, John Sinclair wrote:
Removing gelcoat is a real bear, but it shouldn’t take that long! We use an electric DA, like RIDGID with 60 grit pad to remove 50% Down to where the underlying cloth starts to show. The remaining gelcoat is much softer. Works best on flat surfaces like the a stab.
Be very careful on concave surfaces like the underside of the elevator. If memory serves me, it should take something like 24 hours to completely strip a 15 meter bird.
Hope this helps,
JJ
60 grit is like using Charmin on the underside! This thing laughs at 36 grit, and yes the electric tools have been used, Mirka 40 wet does a bit of removal.

We have found that 36 grit mostly rides on top, but 60 grit is fine enough to start removing the top hard coat and get down to the softer underlying stuff. Dual action (DA) is a must and it greatly reduces the risk of digging in.