Stripping paint from used cowling

[cattflight]

I have a second hand cowling (top and bottom). Wondering what the best method of stripping the original paint is without compromising the fiberglass. Should I just bring this to a local body shop with a sand/shell-blasting booth or use some sort of chemical stripper from HD? Coarse sandpaper is barely scraping the gloss off. This'll take days!

[Zero4Zulu]

I used chemical stripper (Klean Strip with Methylene Chloride). It took the top coat off first then another couple times to get the primer off. As soon as the paint and primer were softening I scraped off what would come off easily and pressure washed. Repeated until the paint was all gone. I didn't leave the paint stripper on very long and pressure washed immediately. I didn't have any softening or effect on the fiberglass.

[DaleB]

I've been using CitriStrip with pretty good results. No adverse effects on the fiberglass, removes the paint well unless it's over body filler. Need to wear gloves when using it, but no adverse odor.

[penguin]

Sand with a 40 grit disc in a drill motor, not a DA sander. Use a vacuum to extract the dust. Stop when the paint is gone. Chemical strppers will have a long term effect on the next coat of paint applied and may weaken the resin.
Pete

[cattflight]

Found a guy close by that does soda-blasting. Apparently he's done entire aircraft both aluminum and fiberglass. I may let him test it on some wheel pants I also have. He says the baking soda is a great medium because it's water-soluble so a good wash and it'll be ready for fiberglass primer and finishing.

[penguin]

Make sure the blasting medium will not blast away half the cowling with the paint. Fiberglass is less tough than paint, once the paint is gone it's real easy to take away enough glass to make a repair necessary. I've never used baking soda so can't comment on the specifics, but do be careful. We use a sanding disc at work. With a little practice it is the most reliable method.

[Kyle Boatright]

Originally Posted by penguin

We use a sanding disc at work. With a little practice it is the most reliable method.

This is how the paint shop located at my airport does it. They have done a fair number of strip and paint jobs, so I'd bet they have settled on a reliable, low cost method.