Removing the Neoprene Rail Kit

I need to replace my rails. What are some good ways to get the old ones off? Any no-no's??

_________________
1984 Hobie 18

Just rip off the old one. Use GOO Gone or acetone to get residue off as much as possible. Be careful with acetone, don't let it run down the side of the hull. Lay out new rail neo and pencil mark edges. Apply contact cement to area within pencil mark and back of neo, apply neo. Rolling pin works good to press a good solid set.

_________________
ADDICTION
1989 HOBIE 18 SE/sx wings
HOBIE ALTER SIGNATURE MODEL

I suggest MEK as the solvent of choice.

_________________
Bodhisatfa

Rip them off, and use a knife or razor or something to scrape with. The neoprene may come off in aggravating chunks requiring more elbow grease, but. . . tough. Don't worry about scratching the anodization if you have it since you'll cover it up with the new stuff. Get as much as you can without using solvent, then go back with some solvent to clean up the stubborn stuff, but you don't need to get all of it.

And one more thing - don't do like I did and not clean off the thin layer of oil (or whatever it is) on the new neoprene with soap and water, and scuff with very light sandpaper. Yeah, brand new neoprene the day before a regatta and they were slippery like ice.

This is an 18 - the neoprene goes directly on the deck lip (gelcoat).
Be careful if you use a knife. Don't gouge the fiberglass.

Whoops. I forgot which forum I was in.

"Just ripping them off" doesnt really work for these thicker neoprene rails. Mine are dired and cracked into a couple thousand pieces

I did find a great tool at Auto Zone. It is an angled metal gasket scaper that allows you to tap itwith a hammer. The angle helps you stay flat to the fiberglass. NO scratching and a whole rail came off in less that 10 mins. No heat gun.

_________________
1984 Hobie 18

Tear off what can be removed crudely. THE method to remove what is left is still the good old hair dryer (a heat gun gives off to much heat and can damage your gel coat or could cause de-lamination) The heat makes the glue un-stuck and easy to remove. Wipe away traces with acetone.
Enjoy )
Michel

_________________
Michel

Just to close the loop on what I did. I purchased an angled scraper from Autozone that was sturdy and allowed me to tap with a hammer. The angle let me keep the blade parallel to the deck and tapped it under the neoprene to remove the neoprene leaving just a skim coat of the adhesive. This worked great and did not scratch the gel coat.

After that I applied a coat of Citrus Strip from WalMart and left it for about 30 mins. Adhesive wiped off nicely with paper towels. To apply the new Rails I used the contact cement and allowed it to cure on both surfaces for about 20 mins per the instructions. Then used a rolling pin - my wife was out of town - to press the rail down working from the middle out.

The temp outside was about 75 degrees and I let the unapplied rails lay in direct sunlight for a few minutes. This made them nice a pliable. I even move the boat around with the trailer to get it out of the shade as the sun lowered in the sky! The rail stiffened up some in the shade!

New rails look great. Had to trim some off some of the rear rails that went behind the rear x-bar. They were covering two rivets in hull lip for the end of the trap shock cord.

_________________
1984 Hobie 18