Stripping the old topsides paint off a Cape Dory Typhoon

While waiting for the yard to put Cantaora on jackstands, I started stripping off the topsides paint. I knew the whole boat would require a complete new paint job, so I went with an aggressive 40 grit drum on a burnishing sander. The boat had been painted with whatcseemed like outdoor paint, using a thick heavy brush. It definitely needed to go.

This is my new favorite tool, I call her Dusty. Sanding of old paint is a miserable job when restoring boat so any way to get that done faster suits me just fine. Dusty doesn't leave the same smooth and even surface as the Bosch 6" orbital sander but it gets the job done, and fast. Whatever divots are left are dealt with later when fairing the hull bit I did go over the stripped topsides once more with the Bosch and 80 grit sanding discs.


Dusty made quick work of the old paint, stripping her topsides down to original gel coat in less than an hour for each side. I switched the handle position from what's shown in the video to position my hand over the drum for better control. Hearing protection is recommended! 




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