Look At This Late Season Beauty!

[fireandrain 39]

I got a call last week for a resto on this "professionally restored' redwood deck. HO said that they had the deck done 2 years previous and had no idea what the contractor had applied as a sealer. Funny, or maybe not so funny, that most of my late season calls are these nasty acrylics! This will be my first time working with a boost for my stripper mix. I bought some Sierra Propylene Glycol and plan on mixing 1/2 gal PG to my 8oz. p/g stripper. I'm actually really excited to get the chance, this late in the season, to work with a booster... I expect this PG to heat up my mixture, should I be taking any extra precautions with respect to masking (plants,house paint, MYSELF!)

Wunderbar!

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

I know that will be one beautiful deck when you get finished with it. Can't wait to see the afters!

Beth :banana:

[MudDuck 20]

It looks like the last guy left before he finished it..LOL. Whats up with the facia and 4x4's in pic #2? That will be sweet when you finish it im sure.

Hot mix on Red wood,,,,, "they call him the sand man....Whoooo,,,the sand man,,,Whooo,,,Spinnin the Osborn...,,,Coo Coo ka chooo..."

Edited October 22, 2008 by MudDuck

[MMI Enterprises 289]

I been prefuring the rv winterizing pg. (kragen, napa, walmart, etc.) The sierra is a bit thick and green. (apparently has other stuff in it that ya may not want). And if not mistaken I believe pg recommendation is like 10%. But don't quote me on that.

ps- so yea that be 1/2gal per fiver then for standard pg.. http://www.thegrimescene.com/forums/wood-cleaning-restoration-decks-fences-etc/13180-boosted-hd-80-a.html

Not sure if I ever actually got at the info on how much the prediluted rv winterizer is diluted compared to what other offerings suggest diluting theirs but I think it works out to just adding your caustics right to it.

Edited October 22, 2008 by MMI Enterprises

[fireandrain 39]

I been prefuring the rv winterizing pg. (kragen, napa, walmart, etc.) The sierra is a bit thick and green. (apparently has other stuff in it that ya may not want). And if not mistaken I believe pg recommendation is like 10%. But don't quote me on that.

Kevin,

Sierra no good? I've read quite a few threads that suggest going with this stuff. When you say "other stuff I don't want", what are you referring to? Am I dealing with some bad chem reactions? So far, I haven't read anything negative about the use of Sierra's Prop. Glyc.

[MMI Enterprises 289]

see my post above for link to other thread....all I can say is I was using way too much and the saturation points of the other chems was muffed up. Gotta have enough water to beat the saturation point and if some is tied up in dealing with inhibitors(or whatever is in Safe) then ya loose how much strength you could potentially get to in a DS mix.

[fireandrain 39]

Anyone else with an opinion on Sierra Prop. Glycol? I guess I'm mainly concerned with adverse chem reactions when mixed with my stripper. Anyone else have experience with this Sierra Safe stuff?

[MMI Enterprises 289]

Doubt ya see an adverse reaction Matt. Makes my stuff green is all and, like I explained, abit thicker than desired to where saturation of powdered chems can become a problem... go for it mang!

[fireandrain 39]

...no way around a fuzzy deck after stripping acrylic from redwood. my experience. if the boost speeds up the strip, i'll be one happy chimp.

[MMI Enterprises 289]

Have to agree with ya there.. is softer wood then many give credit. Hey did ya ever square yerself away with the low speed swing and black pads yet?

[fireandrain 39]

No, I didnt, Kevin. Had a good look at the set-up. I've had my guy with the Makita and 3M's on his knees. Work for him. May give your famd set up next week on this one.

[Don M. 14]

Thats weird..

[MMI Enterprises 289]

somethin to share..let's hear..

[RPetry 564]

Matt,

You are one brave contractor. "Boosted" NaOH can be effective on some acrylics, but not others. Hope you tried a test before bidding.

Looked at a job yesterday for next spring. People just purchased the home 6 months ago. Large, western red cedar deck, just covered in a nice two tone acrylic nightmare. Wood rot was just starting in a few areas. A hot, additive NaOH test application did absolutely nothing to the existing finish.

Decided to pass, there are some jobs and customers that are not worth the effort.

[James 624]

Keep the the little bucket from Eaco chem for test sampling . Boost doesn't work like Loggy Sequoia said, I mean Rick said !

[fireandrain 39]

Hey thanks Rick and James... I can only hope that my semi-pro west coast sojourns into the realm of acrylics can provide the needed entertainment that two famed east coast woodies like yourselves so deserve whilst waiting for next spring to arrive! We haven't seen any real measurable rain in nearly 8 months out here, so the season is still moving forward at a good clip.

Rick, thanks for your input on the effectivity of boosted NaOH with acrylics. I have spent hours reading threads from the past few years on boosting NaOH, and never once came across any information related specifically to its use when facing an acrylic strip. Considering that this is my first boost with Poly. Glyc. that is VERY useful to keep in mind.

I went at this deck today with 8 oz. p/g NaOH with 1/2 gal. Poly Glyc. mixed in. Pretty intensive strip kept me busy right up to dusk with about 70% removal so far. So, wasnt too blown away with the boost additive but makes me feel MUCH better knowing that acrylics respond to boosts differently. Look forward to working with a boosted NaOH on my next oil-based strip. I ran out of my booster around 4PM and ended dealing with one of the areas of the deck w/o any boost. I saw it as an opportunity to do some comparative work.

I heated up my NaOH to 12oz. p/g (non-boosted) and would have to say that it was a little less effective than the areas hit with the boosted 8 0z. mix. The short of it... boosting my NaoH did help, but in no big way with this acrylic. This is a redwood deck so I built in a fair amount of de-furring into my bid. And, when I walked away from the deck as the sun was setting behind the oaks, I could see that he deck had grown a damn good looking beard.

I'll be back tomorrow for some spot stripping, which, as James wisely reminded, will involve doing some demo work with some of the stripping creams leftover from my sample kit from Eaco Chem. I'm fairly comfortable with the progress so far, so I don't envisage needing to get to cozy with my expensive alternative strippers. I still have a gallon leftover of my Stripsol from that IPE strip in August, may enlist that as well. And Rick, wouldn't you know it, I didn't do testing prior to bidding this one. Again, I just got lucky.

My first pre-09' project will be putting together a well organized testing 'suitcase' which will include various NaOH mixes as well as a few of the 08' tested 'alternative' stripping agents such as Stripsol and the Eaco Chem stripper cream.

This year has been a huge step in the right direction for my business but I still have a long ways to go to when it goes to developing the rock solid confidence that you two guys have when it comes to finish removal. Thanks for your input on this one...

Edited October 28, 2008 by fireandrain

[MMI Enterprises 289]

I miss where yer coming from there Matt on not finding info that glycol boost is specific for acrylic. Boost is good for synthetics such as acrylic and is partly what is usually needed. The stronger caustic mix along with water and dwell time is the other part. Adding some butyl (cellosolve, 2-butoxi ethanol glycol) may work good for ya too being it a main solvent for paints and coatings and pretty much is the main base of most cleaners on the shelves. Another holy grail of acrylic stripping though is MEA. It is a main ingredient in my heavy duty acrylic floor stripper(only 3 chems in it). Hard to find info on it but check this out if ya like: Stripping composition having monoethanolamine - Patent 5597420

Also am I misunderstanding how much PG your using? I'll point out again the rate is only something like 10% (approx. 12oz. per gal.) . When relying on caustic I like to picture the other chems in a mix as wetting agents or emulsifiers allowing the caustic to continue on it's course of eating or breaking everything down. Regardless, you have to have enough heat or chem strength in general for whatever given thickness or mass of coating your to eat up. Worst thing in stripping acrylics is not getting through in one shot or letting it dry. In not getting through, the deeper layers of course continue their bind upon the surface and but also the softened top layers just kinda smear around when mechanically agitated by wash down or scrubbing. We've all been there in not getting all the way through on 100% of a job but I surely don't gve up and rinse or let it dry unless I am out of chem or lost the ability for longer dwell time.

[James 624]

After experimenting with Boosted Stripper and I still Boost on occasions . I go straight for the Stripper Cream! Put it on , leave it over night, and start undressing the deck until its Naked! Stripper Cream is for those decks that just say no and need some convincing ! Shagalicious Baby or Shagadeckerd !!

" All's dwell that ends dwell "

Sir Knowledgewood

[fireandrain 39]

Okay, what does it take to get a moniker round here? Sir Knowledgewood? Loggy Sequoia? Your killing me!

[fireandrain 39]

Ol' Nootka ****?

[fireandrain 39]

The Sheriff of Humboldt County?

[MMI Enterprises 289]

The Calzerkely Kid

[RPetry 564]

After experimenting with Boosted Stripper and I still Boost on occasions . I go straight for the Stripper Cream! Put it on , leave it over night, and start undressing the deck until its Naked! Stripper Cream is for those decks that just say no and need some convincing ! Shagalicious Baby or Shagadeckerd !!

" All's dwell that ends dwell "

Sir Knowledgewood

EacoChem's stripper cream is some really powerful stuff. Still have a hole in both my right thumb and arm from that nasty chem.

[Rick2 42]

I hear that! Burned a hole in my middle finger with HD80 a few months ago, right to the bone. No joke. I'm looking at it right now as I type this and it's still infected.

Sucks on that hand because I had a "mishap" that sent three of the fingures onto the TOP of my hand and the "pinky" finger at a 90 degree angle to the side. I actually saw the bones in my fingers and the ligements come out. Totally nasty. Today the fingers are in a constant bend but I guess it could have been worse.

Years ago I caught a cable in the neck on my snowmobile, very nasty. I'll always have scars under my chin and nightmares about the hospital but I'm alive. Sold the sleds after I got married and had a baby.

[fireandrain 39]

EacoChem's stripper cream is some really powerful stuff. Still have a hole in both my right thumb and arm from that nasty chem.

Appreciate the input,Rick. I didn't get a chance to work with the cream today but will certainly take your experience into account when doing so! When you say a 'hole' what do you mean? Can you whistle through it? All joking aside, sorry that happened to you, jeeeeezzus!

[fireandrain 39]

After experimenting with Boosted Stripper and I still Boost on occasions . I go straight for the Stripper Cream! Put it on , leave it over night, and start undressing the deck until its Naked!

After hearing about Rick's injuries this stuff, I gotta say my knees be a trembling a bit when it comes to working with this nuclear shiznik! Jim, you clearly seem to have experience with this stripper cream, whats you safety protocol when using it? Anything else to keep in mind?