Have you investigated aircraft stripper? I think that the correct way to answer your question would require to know exactly what stage is the project in. i.e. body on frame, off frame, pre-war, 60's boat, etc....
You may gets lots of opinions, but I had good luck with an angle grinder and 3M paint/rust remover. It's a black disc (blue version for use with a drill)available at most chain hardware stores. Took 3-4 of them to do a rusty old Chevy pickup, in about a day. Dry mess. Wear a mask and eye protection.
I've used stripeze for a long time messy but work's, when I used to work for a major automotive paint shop chain, we used a product called strip it dry worked real good, brush it on wait for it to dry and scrap it off. Not a gooey mess like other paint strippers...Good luck ryan
Razor blades will typically get you down to factory primer pretty easy. Less messy than about anything else, and much quieter. But you end up with mondo blisters then callouses. It goes suprisingly quickly, works best on flatter panels or big convex panels.
I use stripeze also..put it on let it set.scrape off whats loosened.do again..Use TSP in your water for clean up(tri sodium phosphate)and your brushes,steel wool or wharever doesnt get all gummy...I use a bondo spreader for scraping, doesnt gouge metel like a putty knife...TSP available at Hardware ,or paint stores...comes powdered....use as directed...Be sure to wash area completely after bare metal with water and TSP.need to kill all stripper that gets in crevices or will ruin paint.
Gotta go with this one. I tried some of the other methods.Messy as hell. Go with the disc. It'll be a time saver..
why Bare metal? If you are going that far ,,,Blast it. Call some of the local headstone makers. They used to do my frames/ Mike
Hire my wife to do it! She stripped a complete 53 Suburban all by herself. And while wearing shorts and a Tshirt She used that gel stripper from Home Depot. it's in a white and orange gallon can. Works like magic. Brushed it on, scraped with flexible metal putty knife. She rocks!
I've tried media blast....sand blast.....chemical stripper.....and sanding. Today I do all metal bodies with a vertical air sander and 8-inch 36 or 40 grit discs. no gooy mess, chemical residue, it's cheaper, and you can take bodyworked areas down to the primer, then skim coat and block. Takes a day, and a box of discs...but your air compressor will need to be up to the task.
The KleanStrip works great. Lay down some newspaper or masking paper just fold it up when done. Scuff the car with some 40 grit prior to putting on the stripper will help speed it up. tape up cracks to keep it from running into areas you cant clean up.
Thanks guys. I opted for the 3M paint remover pads as suggested by Ty Thomas after having little luck with the aircraft remover. In five minutes I had a fender done. It's going to take about six of these but if I just let the pad 'float' over the work and keep it moving they last much longer and don't smear the paint.
i use a electric buffer with the above mentioned 8" 3m disks. you should be able to get a 60's car done in a day no problem using this method.spin the disk slow and keep it moving as to not create to much heat.
Gotta chime in with my vote for the 3M wheel. I stripped my Ranchero with these after trying some chemical stripper. It took several wheels but the bed accounted for a few of those. If I had it to do over though, I'd have it media blasted. I've used all kinds of chemical strippers over the years including the pro-grade aircraft stuff and in most cases they bubble off a few layers but won't strip all the paint in one pass. On the Ranchero, I got down to the factory paint and the stripper had no effect at all. Chemicals are no fun either.
badass, i'm gonna try that. i'm gonna strip my 50 burban after roundup. i'd get it media blasted but gotdamn that shit costs some money.
6 inch disks on a DA sander the body is about 3/4 stripped now um but 33 gallon compressor not a good idea i have way too much time into it.
That's the stuff I used and it sucked! It took four coats and two hours to do half of the car top and fifteen minutes to do the other half with the 4" wheel. I should have asked my girl to do it.
All I know is she didn't have any troubles. I never touched the thing. She did it all, wearing shorts and smoking a cigerette most of the time. Didn't even smell very bad. Alot of it was done during sub-45 degree weather with the doors closed and heat on. She just did sections at a time, and wasn't in a hurry. Stopped alot to deal with the kids, etc... I do believe it was Kleen Strip. They sell two versions, one faster than the other. She used the 15min. version. Spread it on 2 sections, took a smoke break, and spread it on 2 more, then scraped the first two. She had it down. And she wrapped everything she didn't want stripper on with aluminum foil. Anyway, worked for her(and me!)
1320stang...what he said if you dont want to go the media blasting way. Ive seen it done with the blades..it does do a nice job (the guy i saw do it knows what hes doing). but its alot of work, but than so is chemical stripping, and most all other ways. guess its true , there are more than one way to skin a cat, or in this case strip a car.
Three words, Wagner Paint Eater. I am a painting contractor and use this tool for both houses and metal car parts. Its the same 3M disk mentioned above, but on a purpose built motor. It eats it up fast! Check it out... http://www.wagnerspraytech.com/portal/painteater_spray,93265,747.html T
Angle grinder with a flat wire wheel. got through layers of paint and an inch of bondo. It takes forever but it works well.
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