Best and Safest Way to Remove Paint for Resto

Posted By: RestoreCuda

Best and Safest Way to Remove Paint for Resto - 09/19/10 01:53 PM

What is the best and safest way to strip paint from a car? Chemical Stripper/Media Blasting/Aluminum Oxide Blasting? I have chemically stripped a car before and think that may be best to protect the body panels. What do all of you think? Thanks.

Posted By: gassy66

Re: Best and Safest Way to Remove Paint for Resto - 09/19/10 03:34 PM

Get Yourself a low speed circular buffer(not an ocillating one) like Body Shops use for buffing,a Pad that takes 8" stick on 36 grit discs,and grind off all the paint without attacking the metal under the paint..If You have a good Air
Compressor,You then sand blast the Car using no more than 140 lbs air pressure and a fine grit of
sand...

Posted By: RestoreCuda

Re: Best and Safest Way to Remove Paint for Resto - 09/19/10 03:40 PM

Thanks, as you know I don't want to distort the body panels.

Posted By: domingo

Re: Best and Safest Way to Remove Paint for Resto - 09/19/10 04:00 PM

if you dont want to distort, DONT BLAST.

Use chemical stripper, scraper, and then sand with an orbital sander. then epoxy prime with something like ppg dp40.

Posted By: gtx6970

Re: Best and Safest Way to Remove Paint for Resto - 09/19/10 04:03 PM

have it plastic media blasted, works like a charm and doesn't distort any metal. plus it doesn't hurt any attached trim or glass

Posted By: LO23

Re: Best and Safest Way to Remove Paint for Resto - 09/19/10 04:07 PM

Posted By: RestoreCuda

Re: Best and Safest Way to Remove Paint for Resto - 09/19/10 04:16 PM

Thanks, not sure where to get it media blasted but I will check it out. If I were to use chemical stripper who makes a good product?

Posted By: QuickSilver

Re: Best and Safest Way to Remove Paint for Resto - 09/19/10 05:15 PM

Please be kind to that old car and DO NOT use a coarse grinding disc or anything that coarse to remove that paint. I think that is just about the worst thing you can do to the base metal. NAPA makes a very powerful paint stripper and it takes the old finish right off. Last gallon I bought was around $42 but that gallon will remove a lot of paint since it cuts well. Best to use outside in the shade IMO. Media blasting or even soda blast will be very kind to the metal surface. Deep crusty rust will still need something coarser to get it clean but I think your way ahead of the game by using the least invasive approach but, to each his own! JC.

Posted By: 1970mopar

Re: Best and Safest Way to Remove Paint for Resto - 09/19/10 06:02 PM

Quote:

If I were to use chemical stripper who makes a good product?

AIRCRAFT STRIPPER is the best (thats a name brand)

I would definately look into plastic media blasting and/or Soda blasting -

Consider that you'll spend quite alot of time and material (stripper and sand paper) to completely remove all the paint off your cars body (not to mention the hazardous waste that's left over).

Having it properly blasted is generally "cheaper" (as in easier for you with less hassle.) Most places will also Epoxy Prime right after blasting giving you a ready to start on project that's clean.

Just remember All methods have +'s and -'s. Weigh your options before you decide

Posted By: RestoreCuda

Re: Best and Safest Way to Remove Paint for Resto - 09/19/10 06:05 PM

Thanks a lot

Posted By: chrisf

Re: Best and Safest Way to Remove Paint for Resto - 09/19/10 07:15 PM

blast it. save the toxic mess for somebody else.
here is a youtube vid with me on my demon using soda. there are a couple videos of it.

cuda i did for a friend. soda w/ crushed glass on the floors and underhood.

demon

Attached picture 6204928-cuda69.JPG

Posted By: Challenger 1

Re: Best and Safest Way to Remove Paint for Resto - 09/19/10 07:22 PM

Quote:

Compressor,You then sand blast the Car using no more than 140 lbs air pressure and a fine grit of
sand...

Holly Cow!! 140psi....?

If your using that much psi, you don't have the volume you need.

I blast at no more than 80-90 PSI max. Plastic I blast at 40 PSI.

IMO Blasting is best, plastic on the outter panels, something more aggressive for the bottem and rusty areas.

In order to blast the car, it must be totally stripped. If that's not possible then you shouldn't blast, soda or other wise IMO.

Posted By: anlauto

Re: Best and Safest Way to Remove Paint for Resto - 09/19/10 07:42 PM

I just had this car done last week...
It was 100% soda blasted inside and out, top to bottom. Then in the real rusty spots it was sand blasted. Finished off with a nice completely covering coat of epoxy primer.

I don't have time for a toxic mess of scrapping old paint, beside you can't get in the nooks and crannys very well.

Attached picture 6204977-Ed'sDemon091710(36).JPG

Attached picture 6204977-Ed'sDemon091710(36).JPG

Posted By: Challenger 1

Re: Best and Safest Way to Remove Paint for Resto - 09/19/10 08:07 PM

Quote:

Please be kind to that old car and DO NOT use a coarse grinding disc or anything that coarse to remove that paint. I think that is just about the worst thing you can do to the base metal.

Did you ever see that TV show where Kenny Wayne Shephard did a restomod to a old charger? That body looked like someone took a metal grinder to it with a abrasive stone wheel! I bet the painter of that car freaked out when he saw that. That was all the wrong way to strip that car, just crazy.

Posted By: DoctorDiff

Re: Best and Safest Way to Remove Paint for Resto - 09/19/10 08:37 PM

I have tried all methods and I prefer sandblasting for a rotissary job. If done correctly, the job won't cost much, and the surface rust as well as paint and undercoating will be removed.

Unlike other blasting media, the resulting surface is etched and clean, and does not need to be scrubbed/treated for adhesion purposes.

An experienced blaster will not warp the sheetmetal.

Posted By: jrwoodjoe

Re: Best and Safest Way to Remove Paint for Resto - 09/19/10 08:50 PM

If you can afford to have it media blasted, then that (IMHO) is the best method.

Joe

Attached picture 6205067-primerTOP.JPG

Posted By: sixpackbee

Re: Best and Safest Way to Remove Paint for Resto - 09/20/10 02:14 PM

Best way. Chemical dunk then e coat dunk. Very expansive though. Next best. Chemical by hand. Then very little blasting on needed areas, hard to reach areas and corrosion. Next for me is soda. While plastic does a good job it will be falling out of the body for years. You can not get it all out of the blind spots. At least plastic does not absorb moisture in tight places like sand does.

Posted By: HEMICUDA

Re: Best and Safest Way to Remove Paint for Resto - 09/20/10 07:49 PM

Quote:

Best way. Chemical dunk then e coat dunk. Very expansive though. Next best. Chemical by hand. Then very little blasting on needed areas, hard to reach areas and corrosion. Next for me is soda. While plastic does a good job it will be falling out of the body for years. You can not get it all out of the blind spots. At least plastic does not absorb moisture in tight places like sand does.

I agree.

Posted By: chrisf

Re: Best and Safest Way to Remove Paint for Resto - 09/21/10 01:39 AM

redi-strip did this cuda fender. it was around $250 for dip and e coat it.
as you can see not the best job.

Attached picture 6207660-cuda_rot.jpg

Posted By: BarrsRestoration

Re: Best and Safest Way to Remove Paint for Resto - 09/21/10 02:43 AM

E-coat? Where?

Posted By: smac77

Re: Best and Safest Way to Remove Paint for Resto - 09/21/10 03:18 PM

Wow...

Do not use a grinder and do not sand blast the car at 140 PSI !!!! Even experienced blasters have warped panels...

Some guys swear by dipping and others have seen issues... I would only dip a car if they wash the car very very thouroughly and have e-coat on site... there's nobody near me who does it properly so it isn't even a consideration for our cars...

I don't reccomend soda unles you plan to completely wash the car with a good power washer and a scotchbrite and dish soap afterwards as I've seen many soda blasted cars where the paint simply flakes off after a year or two from not being cleaned properly afterwards...

When we do our cars we sandblast all of the under body, edges, nooks and crannies, frames etc... everything that is solid only, no large unsupported panels. Then we either strip the rest with aircraft stripper and a razor and/or a DA sander with no more than a 120 grit disc... you can use an 80 to get through tough spots but don't brake all the way through to the metal with those coarse grits. This process is extremely easy when all you have left to do are the big flat surfaces..

I've been told plastic media is good and won't warp the larger panels but I haven't used it yet simply becuase I recycle my sand/glass grit over and over again and don't want get it mixed in with that media... attached is a picture from the old shop, the way we used to do it... a $300 blaster and a tarp is all you need if you have a good compressor and a little bit of property...

Attached picture 6208526-71hemiragtoprotis04.jpg

Attached picture 6208526-71hemiragtoprotis04.jpg

Posted By: Texican

Re: Best and Safest Way to Remove Paint for Resto - 09/21/10 05:08 PM

Media blast is the best - period...
Second to that (from my repeated experience) is the following: Chemical strip.

Buy the following items from your local auto parts store...lowes...home depot:

1. A few cans of aircraft stripper
2. (Thick) Rubber Gloves
3. Respirator - or industrial breathing mask
4. Safety glasses
5. Several CHEAP paint brushes
6. Several cans of high quality self-etching priner.
7. Cheap plastic trash can
8. a few CHEAP metal putty knives for scraping of different widths.

--->
Paint/Apply the aircraft stripper on your car (in one direction as the instruction say) and let it work for several minutes....after a while the paint will start to lift and bubble.

Once it has lifted all it's going to (10-15 minutes) scrape the old paint into the cheap plastic trash can.

Only remove the paint that you will have time to througoughly CLEAN with WATER...DRY...and prime before going into the house.

I personally like to work an area about the size of a hood....or fender and door...etc..

Once the paint has been removed (or most of it), I take a water hose and wash and rinse very very good with soap and water. Then I dry it with a clean towel (after its dry, I wait a few minutes) then applu the (SEM brand self-etching primer) very thick. Any metal that you miss will be rusted in the morning.

You just really need to make sure you wash the metal really good before priming.

If you take your time and just work a few square feet each day (30 minutes at a time) you will have the whole car done in a few days.

NOTE: Be sure to remove any waterproof watch you are wearing before working around the aircraft stripper...I have ruined (2) nice water proof watches doing this. The TOXIC vapors coming from the Aircraft Stripper somehow destroys the little rubber seals in my watch that make it waterproof.
CRAP ! I didnt notice they were damaged until they starting fogging up when I was in the shower, and I didn't really know what caused it until the 2nd one was ruined...

I still prefer blasting, but it also has it's drawbacks.

Good luck

Posted By: TS3303

Re: Best and Safest Way to Remove Paint for Resto - 09/22/10 01:50 AM

not to hijack the original question but what is the next step after blasting? Vacuum and blow off any remaining media? Metal prep with zinc phosphate solution? For floors and under carriage would POR 15 be a suitable coating before paint (not a concourse restoration)?

Posted By: domingo

Re: Best and Safest Way to Remove Paint for Resto - 09/22/10 02:34 AM

Quote:

Quote:

Best way. Chemical dunk then e coat dunk. Very expansive though. Next best. Chemical by hand. Then very little blasting on needed areas, hard to reach areas and corrosion. Next for me is soda. While plastic does a good job it will be falling out of the body for years. You can not get it all out of the blind spots. At least plastic does not absorb moisture in tight places like sand does.

I agree.

I third that.

Posted By: smac77

Re: Best and Safest Way to Remove Paint for Resto - 09/22/10 03:52 AM

Quote:

not to hijack the original question but what is the next step after blasting? Vacuum and blow off any remaining media? Metal prep with zinc phosphate solution? For floors and under carriage would POR 15 be a suitable coating before paint (not a concourse restoration)?

vacuum and blow it out good, then epoxy prime with something like dp 40 or 90 or a more affordable solution is southern polyeurethanes epoxy... it's a twist on the ppg formula and we've had good results with it... it's more plastic like and actually sands well enough to block out... a couple of coats of that with some polyester to fill any deep pitting and you're basically ready to block and spray your underbody, trunk engine and interior for a nice better than driver finish.... why por 15 it when an extra 5-10 hours and some body colour paint will get you a more show quality appearance under there... or use resto ricks grey dip primer formula for that councourse, or as I like to call it "factory lazy" appearance !

Posted By: smac77

Re: Best and Safest Way to Remove Paint for Resto - 09/22/10 03:55 AM

Quote:

Quote:

not to hijack the original question but what is the next step after blasting? Vacuum and blow off any remaining media? Metal prep with zinc phosphate solution? For floors and under carriage would POR 15 be a suitable coating before paint (not a concourse restoration)?

vacuum and blow it out good, then epoxy prime with something like dp 40 or 90 or a more affordable solution is southern polyeurethanes epoxy... it's a twist on the ppg formula and we've had good results with it... it's more plastic like and actually sands well enough to block out... a couple of coats of that with some polyester to fill any deep pitting and you're basically ready to block and spray your underbody, trunk engine and interior for a nice better than driver finish.... why por 15 it when an extra 5-10 hours and some body colour paint will get you a more show quality appearance under there... or use resto ricks grey dip primer formula for that councourse, or as I like to call it "factory lazy" appearance !

oh, and don't forget the seam sealer ! do it on top of the epoxy