Oil holds on to dirt.

The heat gun is the best for stripping varnish. What I haven't tried I
have watched others do. Strippers are always bad for something "down
stream." When you add the clean up, the heat gun is easier.

OTOH, it's going to be hard not to harm the fiberglass with a heat
gun. A moment's inattention...

Pay attention. After a while, you will get the feel for it, and it will
go easily. Forget any tape. A small piece of thin aluminum works well
as a heat shield. Burn your hands a couple of times, you will learn how
to not burn your hands. You will aquire something called SKILL.

Paint is a bad idea. You don't want to varnish it, don't. Keep it
clean! Rinse with salt water. You don't varnish (or oil) decks, do you?

When someone says some product is easier than varnish, don't listen to
them, watch them, look at their boat. The worst looking boat on my dock
is the one that's owned by the guy who thinks Cetol is easier.

I bought a fiberglass boat that someone with good intentions had
painted. Spent many hours at the end of a heat gun and scraper removing
the paint.

Looks completely acceptable without that damn paint.

Fiberglass is amazing stuff.

Now to sit on the deck and look at the Cetol guy's neglected wood.







Cindy Ballreich wrote:
Roger Long wrote:

9 Coats!

Heat gun and scraper sound good to me.

It actually isn't the varnishing. Since this is trim, it's masking
all the complex edges that drives me nuts. I can't leave the masking
tape on in the sun so it means masking over and over around all those
handrail holes.

I'd rather oil it every couple of weeks.

OTOH, it's going to be hard not to harm the fiberglass with a heat
gun. A moment's inattention...


It's not that bad if you put down a couple of layers of tape first. ;-)

Seriously, I just did it on our boat where a PO had messed up the
varnish somehow. I taped off the area like I was going to sand and then
used the heat gun. The gun wrecks the tape, but it doesn't seem to hurt
the gelcoat. (I'll tell you what it does hurt - skin! Ouch!) I kept the
gun moving and never let anything get too hot. Use a good sharp pull
scraper. The process makes a terrible mess with little cornflakes of
varnish everywhere. You'll still have to sand some to get what you missed.

Of course you know that oil has no UV, mildew, or impact protection. The
paint idea is a good one.

Best of luck!

Cindy