Body/paint stripping

Never done this but going to be picking up a 29 coupe this week and want to know the best methods or tools to strip the body down to metal. Paint on doors and surface rust. Soda blast, grinder ???? Want to start with a clean surface for paint and panels. Thanks in advance for everyone's input.

 

Hey On mine I do it all buy hand with a die grinder and a like almost sponge looking wheel. One is ruffer than the other and i find they work good on the stuff i usually bring home since blasting it would probably blow a hole in it haha.

 

walnut blasting is the best.

any media is pretty good........no sand on sheetmetal, or it warps

i like the walnuts as you get the peened texture of sand without the warpage.

have used plastic over the years and it was great, but latley walnut shells.....


skull

 

I'd avoid media blasting, too much risk of damging the panels. Soda is risky business, almost impossible to get it all out of seams and crevices, and it absorbs moisture. Not good. If it were me, I'd use a chemical stripper and elbow grease. That's how I do it, it works for me. Your mileage may vary.

 

media blasting is great. if you are looking to strip it by hand then use 40 grit on a buffer to knock down the heavy stuff then come back with 80 grit on a da. if there is if there is a lot of layers of old paint use aircraft stipper because old paint plugs your sandpaper.

 

Thanks fellas only the door and decklid have paint the rest of the body is just surface rust??

 

media blast is the best to take off surface rust it will get in all the cracks you cant get in by sanding

 

If you use a chemical stripper tape over any body seams to avoid trapping the stripping chemical in the seams. It'll come back at the worse time, like after the final coat of paint. Make sure the stripper is neutralized and then finish off with sand paper or cheap, light weight sand blaster.

 

Sounds like we are on the same page on stripping paint. I found a little trick that blows through the paint. Heat the paint with a heat gun and then use a putty knife and it just peels off. I can take a door down to metal in about 30 min. I then hit it with 40 grit on an orbital sander to take the left overs off. Give it a try, I think you will be happy with the results. No messy chemicals and is cheap to do. Keith

 

I use 36~80 grit on a DA with the pad locked,,like a mini grinder. Then switch it to orbital and finish with 80.

Remember to use a face mask,,the paint may contain LEAD.

 

there is actually little to no risk to a panel with media......in fact ive never seen , or heard of a damaged panel using media. now sand, thats another story, you can reall mess them up with sand

chemical strippers tend to stay down deep in the metal in a spot or two only to arise and soften the paintin a small spot later. if its workin for ya, you must be getting it all off, but most will trap some.

i dont care much for soda either


skull

 

Media blasted.

 

Heating is a bad idea(for your health) i would use soda blasting or air craft striper it stinks but if you use a respirator and you will be fine.

 

Whatever method you use for removing the paint, probably won't work for the surface rust.
I like paint strip discs now. They even remove the "surface" of surface rust. You'll still need to dissolve the rust in the pits of the rusted areas, with something like Metal Prep, or Picklex.
Even careful blasting works, even sand, if you use low pressure, and work carefully, moving around quickly, blasting at a low angle, etc.
Media (plastic), soda, walnut, won't touch rust. You need to use glass bead, crushed glass, alum oxide, silicone carbide, or sand to remove rust.

 

Thanks alot fellas, taking all this in. So if I am reading this right media for the paint and da/orbital sandpaper for the rust? Thanks going to give them I try when I bring home my new toy.

 

Bib Overalls, what did u use for the media, glass, sand?? Cuz thats how clean I want it done. Thanks

 

You got me....