A question on stripping……

I need to strip a Chestnut canoe. It has all the pieces that were taken off for the removal of the old canvas (wooden keel, wooden outside stem bands, and outer gunwales, as well as seats and thwarts). There is some paint left on some of these pieces to give me some clues on original color and varnish on the ribs and interior planking that needs to be removed. It would be nice to work with some products that someone has some real world experience with instead of just a manufacturers sales pitch. The interior varnish is my biggest concern because of all of the nooks and crannies.

Somewhere I had read about a chemical stripper called F400. It is a liquid stripper that I think will do a better job at getting into all the cracks and crevasse between the ribs and planking better than a semi-paste or past. This person was then finishing the process with pressure washing the inside with straight water and said this stripper was compatible with this method of water wash. I like the idea of a light pressure water wash to completely get out all the residue.

Now all of this is just armchair info I have gleaned and I am really looking for any product info, tips or techniques from people with real experience. Thanks in advance for your help.

Hi Dave

You have asked about probably the least popular job in canoe restoration. I have heard it said that the best way to strip the finish from a canoe is to get someone else to do it.

I am not familiar with the stripper you mention so can't comment on it. There are many products on the market having varying degrees of nastiness. Some are advertised as being more environmentally freindly than others but that usually means less effective as well. The consensus of opinion among those who have tackled this job seems to be to go with a methylene chloride product and take all the necessary precautions such as protective clothing and good ventilation - ie outdoors.

A gelled product is good because it stays where you put it. Using a large brush apply stripper to a small area at a time and don't let it dry out. When it has done its job, scrape away the stripper and old finish and put it in a container that you can eventually throw away. If you use a metal scraper be very careful not to gouge the wood. You can make your own wooden scrapers which will be easier on the cedar in the canoe.

Proceed in this way until you have done the whole canoe and then go back and repeat the process on any areas where there is still old finish visible - which probably means doing the whole canoe again with a lighter application.

When you are satisfied that all the old finish has been removed, scrub out the canoe with hot water and TSP using a stiff bristle brush. Get into all the corners and crevices as well as you can. After this you can use your pressure washer to rinse the canoe but be careful not to use too much pressure since it is easy to remove the surface of the soft, wet cedar as well. Your garden hose would probably work.

When the canoe has dried out the cedar will be very fuzzy and have somewhat of a greyish tint but should otherwise look good. A good sanding will get rid of the fuzz and most of the discolouration.

This is a very brief description but I think contains the essentials. Good luck in your stripping.

Doug

Thanks Doug,

That’s funny about having some one else do it! Volunteering are you?

I have taken a couple of thick high carbon 2 inch putty knives and ground a slight radius on them to match the canoe bottom profile then ground and prepped them as scrappers. I think this will virtually eliminate gouging of the wood. I’ve heard the same as you have, the environmentally safe products don’t tend to have as many fumes issues but also tend to be less effective. I had thought of paste but I already have a liquid. Tonight I plan on starting a test patch now that I have some scrappers made. As for your suggested clean-up prior to re-varnishing, what is TSP?
I will post pictures soon as to my progress @ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Canoe-building_repairandrestoration/

Dave V.

Hi Dave

No, I'm certainly not volunteering. Its your mess - er, I mean canoe.

TSP is tri sodium phosphate. It is a powder that is mixed in water and is commonly used as a pre-painting wash. It is available at almost any store that sells paint.

Happy stripping.

Doug