GelPlane gelcoat removing tool

[Timothy Taylor]

I ran across this web page:

http://www.gelplane.co.uk/main.htm

It is for a plane to remove old gelcoat on boats. I was wondering if anyone
has tried this on gliders. Looks like it could reduce the labor and mess of
sanding gliders down.

Cost is about $2000 USD, but if you were in the business it might be worth
using.

Tim

[B Lacovara]

I am very familiar with the gel coat peelers in the marine industry. While they
are fine for doing rough gel coat work on a hull bottom, using one of these
tools on a sailplane would be a disaster. The depth control on a curved surface
is not all that accurate, and in a boat situation the assumption is that either
the outer ply of laminate will be replaced, or in some cases the laminate has
such a high safety margin, loosing some of the outer layer is acceptable. The
use of this tool would probably result in a loss of the glider component.

There is currently not an acceptable, more accurate or safer method than
dreaded sanding for removing glider gel coat.

Bob

[Billevelyn]

Bob,

Isn't there some chemical stripper that can be used to soften the gelcoat? At
least something similar to paint stripper, that would make the sanding easier
to face.

Bill Evelyn LS3A, WLE

[B Lacovara]

Unfortunately, no. There are no solvents that will effectively soften gel coat
that will not do the same to the resin in the laminate substrate. That is a
potentially dangerous situation. Additionally, if something like methylene
chloride or dibasic ester is used to soften the gel coat it becomes a
monumental sanding mess. If an effective and safe method other than sanding
were to exist, there would be a huge market in the general composites industry.

Bob

[Al]

http://www.gijoe.com/lflame_thrower.html

Try this.. its being modeled by a manekin but I am assured that the real
thing will remove Gel coat and any unwanted onlookers in one go..

Al

B Lacovara <blac...@aol.comxspam> wrote in message
news:20000507214531...@ng-cl1.aol.com...

[B Lacovara]

Guaranteed to remove the gel coat and any worries about refinishing the glider.
So have I been flamed, or what ;-)

Bob