Expert: Gary - 2/16/2009

Question
i have a 94 chev silverado shortbox step side, and the box is mint except for under front steps. i have worked with fibreglass before but never stripped the paint on an entire area before. once into it, it became clear that sanding it was a long process and power sanding started chewing into the fibreglass. i can fix what ive damaged as i have been restoring the truck for years. i was wondering if there was an easier way to strip the paint. the box is anything but straight, contouring out with many rounded directions. should i be looking at a marine paint remover? any hints or tips on repair and removal would be appreciated. i'm more a metal guy but not afraid to try, and not afraid to screw it up.

Answer
Hi Gerald,

Kleanstrip makes a Fiberglass Paint Remover. The part number is GAF354. Here is a link where you can view the can label: http://www.wmbarr.com/ProductFiles/GAF354%20J4630.pdf

The only other way of removal is using a finer grit sand paper (180 for example) with a DA sander. This would be a long and tedious process.