removal of paint in woodgrain

patrick corry

solo canoeist
My current project, a Chestnut Ranger, was painted dark blue in the interior. I have at least 10 ribs to replace, many linear feet of planking, and both inwales. I have repaired stem tops already.

Most of the interior paint has been stripped, but there is significant paint residue soaked into woodgrain and wear marks on the ribs. In some cases I can sand away the paint if it's primarily on the surface, but sanding the deeper marks would require so much sanding that planking tack clinches would be compromised.

Does anyone have advice for this, or do I just accept the residue as "character", and move on...?

Thanks, Pat
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I have never had to deal with blue paint, but I have had to strip bright red and grey. What a nightmare.
If you varnish that as is it will be quite a "character" statement.
What I would do is to repeat the application of the most caustic stripper you can find. Lay it on thickly and then cover it with Saran wrap to keep it wet. Let it sit, apply some more and let that sit before using a soft nylon brush to remove the paint. Remove what you can and then TSP the hull. If the paint is still prominent you can repeat the process.
Then, move on to using a two-part cleaner. I have had great luck using Snappy Teak-Nu. Follow the directions. Use the provided brushes. You will be amazed to see how much remaining grunge it will extract from what looks like nicely stripped wood. I follow that with a gentle power wash. Let it dry and see if it's good enough to sand.
Good luck!
 
Thanks for your reply. That's just what I surmised... multiple coats of stripper, cleaning, and Teak Nu! I doubt I'll ever get it all out.
 
I once did an Old Town Square Stern that had the interior painted with barn paint. It soaked in like yours. After professional stripping and attempts on my own to get it all out, I decided to stain it. Not too dark, but enough to take away the high contrast between the wood and residual paint.
 
Stain... now that's a good idea! Once I get as much paint out as possible I'll experiment with some stain colors prior to varnish. I think you're right, reducing the contrast may be just the right idea. Thanks!

I recently restored a Chestnut Chum which had a fairly dark interior, and I kept it that way. I liked the contrast between the stain and exterior color:
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