Experience with gel coat peelers?

Off Watch

Anarchist
672
96
Portland
I have a Ericson 41 that has been out of the water letting the hull dry out for a couple of years while I have been repairing wet deck areas and a rotten cabin sole. This Spring I plan to tackle the bottom. I see a couple of brands of gel coat peelers, I like the gelpeel pro mainly because it looks like its lighter weight. Would like to hear what others have experienced.
 

Zonker

Super Anarchist
10,678
7,106
Canada
none with gelcoat peelers but having done a lot of overhead work on the underside of my catamaran's bridgedeck I would look into some sort of support device that holds me in a comfy position while working. An old office chair that has a lot of tilt:

1675274213645.png


or this type of device that hold the tool:


1675274281093.png

https://www.assemblymag.com/articles/95075-tool-balancers-and-support-arms

Generically "tool support arms"

or something like this that supports your arms.




1675274069116.png
 

MR.CLEAN

Moderator
47,566
5,438
Not here
I read it quick and saw 'experience with goat peelers?' and had to come see what they are all about.

And then, because there's nothing new under the sun, I googled it.

 

Steve

Anarchist
579
87
duluth, mn
I have a Gelplane. I have not personally used it but i lent it to the marina where i work to peel a islander 36 a few years back. It worked very well. At the time i bought it, lightly used on ebay there were not many choices available. I think had the gelpeel pro been available at the time i would have been all over it as they seem to be about half the price and seem to very similar but with a better cutterhead imho. Mine has a bosch cutterhead from a wood planer. Works great but i feel an indexable spiral head would be better. Btw, it would have been preferable to have done the peeling when you first hauled out as a peeled hull dries out much better.
 

Off Watch

Anarchist
672
96
Portland
I have a Gelplane. I have not personally used it but i lent it to the marina where i work to peel a islander 36 a few years back. It worked very well. At the time i bought it, lightly used on ebay there were not many choices available. I think had the gelpeel pro been available at the time i would have been all over it as they seem to be about half the price and seem to very similar but with a better cutterhead imho. Mine has a bosch cutterhead from a wood planer. Works great but i feel an indexable spiral head would be better. Btw, it would have been preferable to have done the peeling when you first hauled out as a peeled hull dries out much better.
Thanks for the information, it still seems a little spendy but if it works as advertised it will be worth it. I have been checking the hull and it has dried out nicely it now reads the same below the waterline as it does above.
 

Steve

Anarchist
579
87
duluth, mn
These things will save you a lot of time vs sanding and leave you with a much fairer surface. They remove the glass in larger pieces than sanding and collect the waste much better with a larger hose. Well worth the cost imho and you can always sell it when you are done and recoup some of the cost.
 
I read it quick and saw 'experience with goat peelers?' and had to come see what they are all about.

And then, because there's nothing new under the sun, I googled it.


Oh sweet Jebus. There are things I'd rather not know, that I can't un-learn. This one is now on the list.
 


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