Stripping paint from Canvas

[Blue Viking]

I will be short and sweet here....Havent seen anyone address this question before..Is it safe to use a stripper to remove many coats of old paint on a wood/canvas canoe or will the stripper attack and weaken the filler?.Need to get it down to the original to see what I need to do and if the canvas is still good,l wont re-canvas right now. Also to see if its original or a re-canvas...Thanks....Love these forums....There is a wealth of informatlon on here...All you need to do is Look or ask

 

[charvey]

I guess the question I have is why strip in the first place? Just sand down any flaking paint and repaint. If you have concerns about the canvas, then I would assume that you have problems with the canvas...right?

 

[Blue Viking]

I guess what my thoughts are that this is a 1919 Old Town Grand Laker "V" stern and has had many a rough passage over time..It has been repainted numerous times and I was thinking of an "easier softer" way!. If stripper isnt the way to go, then guess I will just start with the elbow grease and get back to the filler and see whats up! thanks for the response to the question anyway

 

[mark wismer]

I used stripper on mine. Considerably newer than yours but weighted down w/ many layers of paint. I had cracks that had lifted down to the filler & I started w/ a dull swiss amry knife after letting it sit in the hot sun for several hours & trimmed the loose sections. I eventually removed 99.9% of the paint using a 4' wallpaper scraper. I would brush out a square foot of stripper, let it sit a min. & scrapped off all the layers of paint to the filler. It was much more work than a re-canvass & I'm still stuck w/ an old canvas that is OK but will need to be replaced in the future, alot of work for little return.

Stripper may help you smoothe things out enough to throw a coat of paint on it.

 

[ken mueller]

If you do end up sanding, I would wear a respirator of some kind. Who knows what's in that old paint and filler!

 

[davelanthier]

I have been tempted a few times to try stripping the paint but ended up re-canvasing instead. It always proved to be the right choice due to canvas rot and other structural problems found after the canvas was removed.

 

[mark wismer]

I have been tempted a few times to try stripping the paint but ended up re-canvasing instead. It always proved to be the right choice due to canvas rot and other structural problems found after the canvas was removed.

Some would consider my 'sistered' ribs ugly...a recanvas would have corrected that by letting me replace the ribs...clean it up & paint it to use it. Otherwise re-canvas. Remember lead was a filler and paint additive into the 50's so take precautions when sanding...

 

[Blue Viking]

Good advice!

Thanks for the reply Mark....After much consideration we are NOT going to use the stripper but will sand it smooth and if there isnt any serious checking then repaint and use it for this summer..My friend and "business" partner in these restorations that we are about to undetake is down the line a little way. He is seriously into us making three forms two for wood/canvas models and one for a stripper version of that 1919 Old town..His reason for the stripper version is to use on salt water and not use the original.Going to be long and fun filled summer ahead. We are currently starting a form to build a wood/canvas version of the 14' Stowe "Mansfield" that I have and hopefully I will build a stripper version of it also.. Currently we are not into the theory of restoring vintage canoes with the exception of that 19' Laker made by Old Town in 1919. Thanks again for your input!
PS: took the name "blue Viking" is because I am Swedish and hate the cold!