I started removing the 45 year old undercoating on my 62 ford galaxie today.I bought a gallon of mineral spirits ,chip brushes and used various putty knives.I wet the uc with the miineral spirits with the chip brush and let it sit a few minutes.I then scrapped away,the ms really softens up the uc.This is a job thats vital in auto resto but everyone dreads doing it because its dirty, grungy and it s#$%ks!My method worked great and i didnt use a heat gun.Hell at 98 degrees who needs a stinkin heat gun.This was on an engine bay and front frame& suspension a full frame would take longer. Mike "If your erection lasts longer than 3 hours please consult a physician" yeah right who they kiddin.
Thats good info to have, especially since i hope to be cleaning the under cariage of my 54 in the next couple of months
I am getting my Stude truck cab sandblasted soon how well does the stuff come off with sandblasting? The whole engine bay is coated with the stuff
Sand blasting will remove undercoating. But it takes some time to eat through it. Are you sure you want to sand blast your truck cab? Even the most careful sand blaster will warp auto body sheet metal. Use sand on the frame. But on the body you need to use another media. Baking soda, plastic beads, and walnut shells are options. Also consider using a rust converter. Shop I hang out at spent three months looking for a primo 57 Ford hood after one was mangled beyond saving by an otherwise careful sand blasting technician.
Good tip....try everything. I usually use a wire brush wheel and a dust mask. But I might try a soaking next time. On another note: It was only 98 degrees in New Jersey????? Doesnt that smog keep the heat in? Hell, It got to 106 today here, and it didnt even feel all that bad. I really figured NJ for a good 110 this time of year.
I remove undercoating with dry ice. Mash up the block of dry ice on the floorboards, wait a few minutes, then whack the undercoating with a rawhide mallet. It breaks off in chunks. Sweep it up when you're done. No muss - no fuss, no fumes, no mucky melted undercoating and no scraped up paint.
Now that is thinking, helps with the 100 deg plus days too. Just watch out for the CO2 that is released, don't want to fall into that kind of sleep.
$1 cans of oven cleaner from the dollar storeworks great too. Spray it on come back in a while and blast it off. Be sure and wear a respirator or be able to hold your breat for a long time.
Undercoating is the hardest stuff in the world to remove with a sandblaster; especially if it is not hard, but is soft in cosistency. Using this technique may help in prep for sandblasting. I think the worst undercoating was in the Ford Falcons and Galaxies of the early 60's. I hate it for sure, and it is one giant pain in trying to remove with the sandblaster. Again, the soft stuff is harder than the hardened stuff. Huey
I tried solvent, oven cleaner and Jasco paint stripper... none of it worked. heat gun wouldn't touch mine very well... a torch did, but that made it smell bad! Then I tried some "Aircraft Stripper" brand paint stripper... and it came off like hot butter! I still need to finish the job... but man, I'd recommend that to anyone trying to take that stuff off! BTW, the undercoat under my car was hard in areas and soft where it had been soaked with oil. The oil soaked stuff came off easier... but the hard shit took the Aircraft Stripper to take it off! Sam.
Most people who know about automotive blasting will tell you. You need to get the undercoating off first. Usually by steam cleaning or other means. Not blasting it. By blasting the undercoating you are forcing small amounts of the "In our case asphalt based" undercoating into the metal you are trying to clean. This will cause lots of headaches when you go to paint. So definately avoid blasting the undercoating.
aircraft stripper works well, but make sure you use GOOD latex gloves, a resperator, goggles and long sleeves. That works well to remove the paint off your car too. Ive pressure washed it off with an industrial heated pressure washer, LIKE BUTTER. A gas torch, and some putty knives work great too. You can do the final clean up with Thinner or Acetone, i put it in a model and spray it and wipe it with rags. Just make sure you clean the surface nicely before you primer it up. make sure you start primering as soon as you clean the entire surface. oxidation sets in quick.
and if you use a spray bottle to apply it, and the tube gets clogged, NEVER put the tube to your mouth and try to blow through it. OK OK i was young and very very DUMB Duke
Soda Blasting can remove undercoating pretty quick, wont gumup in the uc like sand will, ans also will not hurt any metal surfaces. No scraping,chemicals or headaches involved!
...never had problems with using heat. doing a 57 chevy right now using a propane torch and a scraper... done it before with a heat gun. nice dry chunks to sweep up, no chemical mess.
So I used a new technique to remove undercoating and big globs of seam sealer. Liquid Nitrogen and a rawhide mallet. Fab an insulated copper wand. Plumb it to the dewar. Don the welding gloves, jacket, face protection and hat. Spray the nitrogen onto the undercoating. Smack it with the mallet a few times. Sweep the undercoating into the trash can. There's potential for frostbite - so don't spray it on your friend's face for a laugh.
Quick note on the Aircraft stripper: If you're now getting cans that have a red band across the top and has something about a mil-spec, be sure you use odorless mineral spirits to wash it up with once you're done. There is supposed to be a change in the directions, but who has read the directions on that can? I've heard of a few paint failures that BASF tracked down to the change in the formula. The mineral spirits is supposed to be the ticket to neutralizing everything. jon
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