Hot Rod Porn... how do you get that look?

I've stripped several cars, using everyting from sand blasting to chemicals and sand paper. But I never get that nice finish you see in the Rodders Journal.

What is the trick to getting the nice even color and texture?

Eric

 

I've been experimenting with maroon ScotchBrite scuff pads. Using hand pressure only, I push them back and forth in the direction that I want the scratch pattern to show. So far so good. Unfortunately, my camera takes rotten close ups, otherwise I'd post a few pix.

 

Sandblast then 3M Scotchbrite disks, the large black ones. Finish with a DA and 180 or 220

Been discussed here many times, do an advanced search using my name and Scotchbrite, I posted part numbers a ways back

 

Here is one old thread

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=108138&showall=1

 

****py pix, but you get the idea:





Tman, how do you get rid of the "swirly" marks that are left after using a pad on a grinder or 220 on a DA? I like the finish I get doing it my way, but it takes FOREVER.

 

I'd use 120 or 180 DA paper on a soft block. Stroke it front to rear. (talking about the car here.....)

The shine tends to increase with finer grit paper, but it takes longer to get the DA marks out.

 

I just saw that you asked about a grinder too......those marks are tough to remove if you had used an aggressive grinding pad or wheel. Start with 80 grit on a DA, work your way up to 120 maybe. Don't get the metal too warm, sometimes you can warp it.

Then finish by hand or soft block to remove the DA marks.

 

Thanks, 8Flat. I'll give that a shot!!

 

The black rotary 3M stripper disc, a cheap ryobi palm sander seemed to work well but more importantly I think they photograph better than they look in person due to the studio lighting and the flash filling in.

 

Ding ding ding! We have a WINNER!

 

Quit ****in around with that "artistic patina" ******** and paint the son of a ***** like it a car is sposed to be..

 

Got that right.......................back in the day, rust was the enemy....still is.

 

Thanks Doc!

 

ditto to that.

i'm not impressed by bare metal, a ****ing chimp can run a DA sander. if you have metalfinished customwork, then it's a different story. take a few cars from rustbuckets to shiny paint, and you'll have a lot more respect for the process of block sanding, etc. to finish it, rather than the simple task or stripping paint.

 

Amen ta that.

 

I've been using the 3M wheels and just following up with the sand paper. It's been looking better than I had imagined. Mine will be temporary for a long time until the body work is done and I have the money to blow on new paint. The cool thing is that with the paint off it, the curves really stand out.

For you guys and your worries about rust, use Gibbs penetrant. Besides, if you like it, who gives a **** what some other guy thinks?

 

The only thing gayer than the desired effect is the name "Hot Rod ****"

 

Gettin ready to paint, that's how I got to the bare metal stage.... It's just now it looks so blotchy that it looks like it's not clean enough for paint. I can't help but think there is still rust or impuritys left, and I don't want them coming back up thru the paint.

If its patina you want the rust on my truck is older than some people on this board. And I drive it every day.