Stripping and sanding varnish with a heat gun to prep for new coats

[@johnhaines8752]

I love this guy - professional and down to earth.

[@TheMotoben]

It's nice to watch someone who knows WHY he's doing what he's doing, not just what to do and how to do it. Really like your videos and your shop made tools.

[@kaylamccall1051]

Agreed. When I train new employees, it seems like i am over thorough, but it's because when you're teaching someone new it helps to teach them how to do it but also explain why it's done in that way. Show them a wrong way or two and identify the reasons why it should be done the correct way.

[@Pat19eighty4]

best video on this subject I've seen after scouring KZbin, thanks for uploading and sharing your expertise!

[@bruce-le-smith]

It would be an honour for anyone to have you and your team work on their boat, all of your videos are so helpful. Thank you.

[@daveolson5042]

ditto!!!!!

[@seanpopecoffey1340]

Thanks, good man! As a drummer, I can attest that African mahogany makes for beautiful sounding, deep, resonate drums. Sonor company made some in the 60s. Sweet shells! Also, as a carpenter, I can attest that here can be found some GREAT, and innovative, restoration tips every carpenter should know.

[@ThatGuyFromDK]

Great video. Very nicely explained with no fluff. Just great experience explained to the viewer.

[@bchrisl1491]

I have always sharpened my putty knives with a square end, but not for many years. I started stripping a the washboards today using your technique. It was a pleasure to see something work just the way it was shown. One down three more to go. One quick question, You mentioned Spar Varnish. I see Spar Urethane listed are they equally suitable for use in outside wood on a boat?

[@kaylamccall1051]

Thank you for the video. I already kind of knew what to do but the way you used the planer blades as scrapers was awesome and a new trick for me. I like how you talked about raising the grain at the end also. Again, thanks for sharing.

[@cherylmatthews4066]

June 2020 on Lockdown in UK..... im so bored, love watching your video xx

[@avavictoriasongbird]

Beautiful to watch such refined skills. I'm trying this on a redwood baseboard to restore it after inexcusable paint!

[@thomasbevens3803]

Super video. Im just about to start on my sailboat and this is the best video I have found. Plain and simple. Thalk you lou. From sweden...

[@amedina4959]

i am so thankful u posted this! the varnish on wood trim in my house was throwing me for a LOOP!

[@kentblairl]

Nice work Lou, you make it look easy and fun!

[@andydunn5673]

About to do my Bright work for the 1st time Well over due Great little film thanks for posting Very informative and well explained

[@chuckthompson3358]

Hey Louis. You mention a video in which you use water to raise the grain. Is this an upcoming video. I can't seem to find it.

[@katejackson524]

Great video. I am refinishing my brightwork on my 1966 Owens 31' Flagship Empress. Thanks for the helpful information. Just curious, why do you do the final water wipe to raise the grain before going to 120, then the new varnish/cetol? I don't want to miss this step if it's important. I thought you might want to do that to test and see if the wood is prepped enough so that it will look uniform once you apply the varnish? Also, I will be using Cetol on my teak and I will be watering down the first layer over the prepped wood by 25% with thinner. Do you recommend that? Or anything else? I want to ensure I've got a great base to protect my wood on her.

[@eiskorn12345]

Great video! Could you possibly show just a slight bit of the boat itself? Just for interest. I mean...an old 8mR..is always something you wanna have a look at, don't you? :)

[@TipsfromaShipwrightvideos]

Here is a picture facebook.com/TipsFromAShipwright/photos/pb.100316880110320.-2207520000.1423856983./471815209627150/?type=3&theater

[@arubanjames]

I love your vids, I pick up a new trick with each one!

[@viviennehanna4199]

Great info, could watch all day! Thank you.

[@Samlol23_drrich]

Well, my heat gun was in fact hot enough to scorch Mahogany. And I’ve got proof... Great vid. I could listen to you say “varnish” all day.

[@dincerekin]

your heat gun doesnt have fan/heat control ??

[@nickharris6891]

Great video. I’m a follower and I only follow those who know what they’re doing.

[@mrbrianf]

Very helpful video. Have a sailboat interior I am working on and thanks to you, I wont damage anything by sanding stain and clear off. Will heat strip, and hand sand, then tung oil instead of shiny top coat. Any suggestions for molding profile stripping? scotchbrite pads?

[@frogsoda]

I find it helps to heat the putty knife as well. That's a great idea about squaring up the end. I've never tried that.

[@zkarner21]

thank you kindly for posting this video, about to start doing alil bright work this summer and I found it very helpful.

[@guyvangenechten6484]

Very very nice work as always!!!👍💯👌

[@phygital1]

Hi, Great video. I’m looking at stripping my teal toe rails. They have What is seemingly years of Cetol. I’m not sure if I should sand or use a heat gun. If I use the heat gun will it have any effect on the gelcoat? Or should I use a chemical stripper. I’m leaning towards sanding.

[@alanmctavish3628]

I am amazed each time I view.

[@paulwharton1850]

Thank you for the wonderful video - I learnt a lot.

[@carolinegagne540]

Hi! I work on a 67 feet commuter called Dolphin ( you can see it on internet if you clik Dolphin commuter). There is a lot of varnish touch up to do cause writh now we dont want to bring all the boat to the wood. So those littles spots are some times almost white or sometimes dark because of the humidity. Have you a protocole to deal those touch up? Thanks for your vidéos!

[@sailingeden9866]

Great video. Thanks for sharing. Very helpful.

[@mezashby6269]

Thank you that was well demonstrated and explained

[@truthfinder4973]

like a boss good work hear. i paint my house years ago and i heat gun it to take the pain off move sense then and the pain steel on it and it pass 15 years the paint call for

[@chrishamilton4999]

So competent!! I start on sanding a 30ft wooden mast (from a Black Soo) which seems to me to have been oiled and is in first class condition. I have in mind using a traditional quality marine spar varnish. Any special tips for previously oiled spars?

[@rjwintl]

Didja use any Smith’s CPE ???

[@jasonsmith7809]

Just found this site. Thank You so much!

[@debbiebebington9803]

Well Man your good I have an old Birchwood 33 flybrige sport with lots of old varnish this was helpful

[@zammie]

Rad work Louis!

[@alexandrastratanphotographer]

i am wondering if this method works on plywood

[@Finn-McCool]

Never arm wrestle a shipwright. Remember, Popeye was a sailor man! And he was 83% forearm 😂

[@imdeannajo]

Great tips for using the heat gun. Thanks

[@idontknowyou876]

Will a hair dryer do

[@robertmelanson4334]

As usual, you leave out an important factor, i.e., do I need to worry about using a heat gun next to fiberglass (I have the one shown in the video and it gets pretty hot), and if so (which I assume is the case), how do I protect the fiberglass.

[@williamogilvie6909]

I use a very sharp, wide, flat chisel to lift tired varnish. No heat required. If the varnish won't come off easy, it's not time to remove it. Of course if it's two part epoxy "varnish", then you do need a heat gun. I never sand with a foam-backed sanding block like this guy is doing. I always use a hard rubber sanding block or a piece of hardwood with sandpaper wrapped around it.

[@thomasarussellsr]

Using a plane iron as a scraper... What a great idea for those irons that have gotten too short for the plane. Anyone who has never run out of plane iron probably doesn't use them enough to have this issue, trust me, they will sharpen past a usable length, eventually. Check out used planes and yard sales and flea markets (car boot sales for our friends across the pond). They will likely have far shorter irons than a brand new one.

[@Antipodean33]

I've got a small plywood sail boat that i want to strip back to bare ply, as it's been painted with house paint by the previous owner. What I'm worried about is if the heat gun would damage the glue inside the plywood? Can anyone give me an idea about that?

[@richardbohlingsr3490]

Heat gun cleaned it up very nice.

[@wwalk632]

get a carbide blade scrapper from harbor freight - cheap - and 15 years later never sharpened and still works better then a steel one

[@foundwheels1939]

Could you sand it off instead?

[@terrynorton3182]

I swear I could smell that timber as you were sanddng it. No joke!

[@TheTwopeesinapod]

I'm surprised you are not using an electric sander. Any comments?

[@daviddelang9008]

Peter Kirby You can't sand with the grain if you use an electric sander. Well, unless you're using a belt sander, but that would be a little aggressive for work on a classic boat like this.

[@jackchorn]

+Peter Kirby You definitely can! I can't imagine doing that entire boat by hand. A good random orbital sander- but the thing is it leaves swirl marks soyou have to follow each grit by a finishing hand sand to get the swirls out.

[@pmacc2311]

Loved it!

[@stevenfischer8447]

Thank you

[@BUCKSK1]

Thank you. Super helpful

[@troybermudez9269]

Thank you!!!!

[@jose14187]

Genial

[@98Zai]

Super!

[@g.work.specials6859]

would it work with a hairdryer?

[@jackchorn]

+G.Work.Specials harbor freight 10 bucks or go to the pawn shop- many times they will have a good used heat gun- they are good to have around the boat for plumbing as well. Btw- you can burn the wood- keep the gun moving.

[@martinspilovsky9071]

coool thx for sharing

[@custombuilt79]

Thank you. Restoring an historical church and gonna hit it with heat and bristle. Good video

[@wildwoman222]

I got a new heat gun and began stripping an Art Deco buffet and it burned!

[@missionsabai.sail.behappy.8313]

Good ole leather lung. Respirators are for sissies. 💪🏻❤️

[@avavictoriasongbird]

Helped me more than Any video restoring old painted redwood doors and cabinets. Painted redwood? What the H is a slum lord of honking???🤣

[@jackchorn]

Beware- you really can burn the wood- and you can't sand those burn marks out- it gets to deep.

[@MrSwanseajames]

I can see at least three burn marks

[@causa2009]

Heat rises.

[@derrickforeal]

jensen boat company is my familes business best shipwrights on th west coast

[@trashtbyghosts]

lou dog 4 president!

[@warrenwalker8170]

Get a carbide blade scraper and stop wasting time resharpening a steel one let alone a putty knife I can't believe the amount of stuff you're leaving behind it just isn't necessary get a carbide blade pull scraper

[@carrie4189]

I have 2 carbide scrapers and one gouges in the center and one gouges the edges of the scraper. They were brand new, and I'm not sure why I'm having this problem. Any tips?

[@warrenwalker8170]

@@carrie4189 You pull with a carbide - don't push make sure something sticky isn't on one end of the blade - but thats not really ever a problem - but you can slide a steel edged tool along the length - gently. to clean stuff off (Never sharpen carbide - it stays sharp a long long time. Replacement blades direct from china - Ali express - dirt cheap bought on pack of 5 and I'm still on the first new set ( 3 scrappers - coworkers) after several years the carbide should only be about 2 " long I would think a longer type blade would bind. If the heat gun is hot. and the blade is hot - by sitting against the wood ( blade - not gun) then a gentile slide will liberate paint or varnish. Make sure it (varnish just bubbles then gentile pull although some times it just doesn't want to bubble. Paint will take a longer application of heat may 4 or 5 seconds more and may or may not bubble. just sample it for release. Carful on corners and where ever the heat goes, Also try a slight angle across grain say 30 degrees. - sometimes that makes a super clean pull. -- practice I say

[@warrenwalker8170]

Additionally you can see all the unscraped varnish he has left behind and starts and stops - Old school - I'm telling you get a carbide scrapper- every other bladed tool you own is now carbide - why not this one. OH AND YES A HEAT GUN CAN SCORCH THE WOOD - I have no idea what he is talking about - but thats what they made sand paper for. And after you have done once or twice you'll learn not to. AND when your pulling a scrapper(much more control) your pulling with the right hand - holding the gun with the left , so your shooting the heat against the back side of the blade as it were -- cause your pulling it towards you. And contrary to what you might imagine - the gun is hottest close to you - Evan through you have angled the gun (Away from you and towards your blade) it still hotter on the close to you side until you get the hang of it. start in the middle of the field - not at one end or the other

[@warrenwalker8170]

Its not just me I'm 67 I've done this for 20 years, MY high school boat buddy has done it for 40 years - taught probably 10 others - no one does steel -

[@carrie4189]

@@warrenwalker8170 thank you!