Barnacle husk removal

[foreverstrung]

I would be open to any thoughts about cleaning barnacle husks off my hull. I had my son in law scrap about 40% of them off last weekend with a putty knife and small amounts of "on and off". It worked well, just took forever. The pros say it needs to be sanded. If I do that, will I most likely have to re apply gelcoat? Or can I sand it ever so lightly, just at the husks and wax?

[foreverstrung]

I'll post a pic later today. It's got about 3 and a half months of growth. Power washed and scraped upon removel from the water. Just the husks now.
I'll never leave it in the water again that long. I want to get it lookin nice and I'll keep her on the trailer

[pete]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNOi2pQLQcI

pay attention to the last part of this video...I believe the same result could be acheived using a multi type tool with a scraper blade attachment
http://www.harborfreight.com/power-tool ... 68861.html
http://www.harborfreight.com/catalog/pr ... egory/688/

good luck!

[Georgie]

I didn't see it mentioned, so I'd imagine the first question is, "Does the boat have anti-fouling paint?"  If so, you might be able to get underneath the antifouling layer and remove the barnacles and paint without sanding...either with the help of chemical removers or more precision scrapers.  If not, sanding/buffing back to a quality finish might be possible without the need to re-gel the bottom if you're careful not to sand all the way through the existing gelcoat layer.  It'd probably be a painstaking labor O love though.  Otherwise, the "pro's" you've already talked to are probably right.  Others here who have done more of this work will have better feedback though.

[dburr]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNOi2pQLQcI

 

Boy I would have loved to have that in a previous life.  Old school was a clorox bath followed by a hard sharp scraper, then with a light hammer and sharp chisel for what was left...

[foreverstrung]

Nice feedback guys. I've got one of these tools. Made by Dremel. I had one of those blades, if i can't find it I can pick one up at Home depot. I'll let you know how it goes.
     And no, there is no fouling paint

[HIFLUTIN]

Leave it out of the water for a week or 2 they will flick off easier

[GoneFission]

Let them dry and soda blast...

[foreverstrung]

What do you mean, "soda blast", John? The dremel tool didn't vibrate the husks loose like in the video. It scraped them, but it'll take forever and a year to get each one that way and it still leaves discoloration which I hit with the "On and Off", gel,but did little good. I think I may have to sand some of this discoloration off. Thunderstorms right now, so I won't be able to get back under the trailer till Sunday at best

[GoneFission]

What do you mean, "soda blast", John?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJguD-rbbIU

[foreverstrung]

Ya, I did some research on this. Watched a few videos. There's got a 15 gallon model That I can run off my compressor that sells for about $100 at harbor freight. But will it take those husks off? Even after they dry? All the videos I watched, I didn't see any husk removal. Just algae

[CLM65]

What do you mean, "soda blast", John? The dremel tool didn't vibrate the husks loose like in the video. It scraped them, but it'll take forever and a year to get each one that way and it still leaves discoloration which I hit with the "On and Off", gel,but did little good. I think I may have to sand some of this discoloration off. Thunderstorms right now, so I won't be able to get back under the trailer till Sunday at best

I only watched the video of the "wave tool", but I don't think you would get the same results on your boat, either with this tool or your dremel, if you do not have bottom paint.  The barnacles will adhere to the bare bottom much better than to bottom paint, even if the paint is rather old.