stripping paint

[rtinniste]

So my truck has seemed to turn into 3 different colors now. I want to primer everything so it matches for now. My neighbor just restored a model T and used aircraft stripper and seemed to work good. The media blaster wants $900 to blast my cab bed and tail gate and seal it or $600 bare metal. Sanding just seems like a mess.
My bed and tail gate were stripped before and covered in surface rust so I might be stuck media blasting that.
Do i just need to quit being a cheap ass and have it blasted or is there a cheaper alternative?

Whats the best way of going about this
chemical strip
media blast
aircraft stripper
sanding
harbor fraud sand blaster

[Valarius_Starchaser]

First off its much better to just not be a "cheap a**" you said it not me and have it blasted by someone that knows what they are doing so to not ruin you original metal

But if you need to use stripper this is the best stuff I have ever used be sure to wear a face mask with proper breathing filters or you will get light headed quick

http://www.autobodytoolmart.com/klea...FZA2aQodey8FCQ

If your worried about a mess the stripper will make a bigger mess and will still require some sanding in small areas most likely

[crapy67]

If you think sanding it is a mess then don't even think about chemically stripping it with the aircraft stripper! Does it work? Yes, does it stink, burn your skin, make a mess? Yes and then you'll still need to sand it in spots, having it blasted and primed for the mentioned price seems like a good deal to me, and it's gonna be your best result in my opinion

[ptc]

Originally Posted by rtinniste

So my truck has seemed to turn into 3 different colors now. I want to primer everything so it matches for now. My neighbor just restored a model T and used aircraft stripper and seemed to work good. The media blaster wants $900 to blast my cab bed and tail gate and seal it or $600 bare metal. Sanding just seems like a mess.
My bed and tail gate were stripped before and covered in surface rust so I might be stuck media blasting that.
Do i just need to quit being a cheap ass and have it blasted or is there a cheaper alternative?

Whats the best way of going about this
chemical strip
media blast
aircraft stripper
sanding
harbor fraud sand blaster

If its one of those water blaster guys, check around on prices. Its a franchise gig and they are trying to payoff their equipment costs. some guys will do it cheaper depending on how much they are starving. Dont low ball them but deal with them. I have also found the reg media blaster guys to be a bit less cost than the water guys and they do just as good of job if not quicker and better.

The HF blaster costs $150 and media will run you about $13 a bag (50 lbs) and to do the outside of a complete truck will probably take about 10 bags. So for the cost of about $300 you can do it yourself and own the equipment!

Your choice!

[58CameoAZ]

Originally Posted by ptc

If its one of those water blaster guys, check around on prices. Its a franchise gig and they are trying to payoff their equipment costs. some guys will do it cheaper depending on how much they are starving. Dont low ball them but deal with them. I have also found the reg media blaster guys to be a bit less cost than the water guys and they do just as good of job if not quicker and better.

The HF blaster costs $150 and media will run you about $13 a bag (50 lbs) and to do the outside of a complete truck will probably take about 10 bags. So for the cost of about $300 you can do it yourself and own the equipment!

Your choice!

Black Diamond Media from Tractor Supply is just over $7 a Bag and works very well in the Harbor Freight Blaster, "But" Dont Forget, the thing needs
a good Air Compressor to keep up! I ended up buying a 7.5 HP Compressor
to end my frustration of not having enough constant air supply and that set me back over $2000 But well worth it in the end!
Allen

[73kay]

Originally Posted by 58CameoAZ

Black Diamond Media from Tractor Supply is just over $7 a Bag and works very well in the Harbor Freight Blaster, "But" Dont Forget, the thing needs
a good Air Compressor to keep up! I ended up buying a 7.5 HP Compressor
to end my frustration of not having enough constant air supply and that set me back over $2000 But well worth it in the end!
Allen

hahaha same here. I had the cheap $100 harbor freight compressor and did my whole c10 76 frame with it. Very frustating. I ended up getting the biggest 2 stage at HB for $800 and am so happy with it. Investment for sure, but sandblasting is a nice thing to have, but definitely messy.

[roger55]

My preference is to use a combination of methods.

I do have a very large compressor and that's pretty much a must to do it the way I prefer.

#1. Use a 4 1/2" angle grinder and these stripping discs:


Order at least a dozen of those discs. But, take it easy with those discs. Use them with car and they go a long way. Catch an edge and you will wear it down pretty quickly.
Here's a good place to buy them:
http://www.roarksupply.com/product-p/4.5cleanstrip.htm

#2. Follow the stripping up with a heavy duty 6" D/A sander using 80 grit sanding discs.

#3. For all the areas you can't get to with numbers 1 & 2, Use a pot blaster with fine Black Diamond media from Tractor Supply. Since you will only be doing edge areas you couldn't get to in the first steps, you don't have to worry about warping.

[Wingnut Way]

Let's not "blast" any outter panel...at all....ever, only thing I would remotely trust is the baking soda blast for an outter panel. Even then I'd be skeptical. Heats up panel causes warpage, waves etc. Body guy would be pissy. Chassis components, yea no doubt blast em. But for outter body panels I'd have the body stripped and have it acid diped. If that's not available around you I'd have them sand blast floor boards top and bottom, inside cab, door jams, rockers inner fenders, inside bed, tail gate, coar support, and inside of doors being careful not to blast towards the outter skin. Then I would strip all the outside sheet metal by hand with pneumatic tools, or stripper. Personally I'd go pneumatic.

They strip planes with some sorta dry ice pressure washing system that is supper neat but I have yet to see it in person or know anyone who does it professionally.

Good luck!

[roger55]

Originally Posted by Wingnut Way

Heats up panel causes warpage, waves etc.

It's not heat that causes warpage from blasting. It's the peening of the surface which expands the metal.

[Wingnut Way]

Sounds good! it's a no no. And also 3m makes these disks, round the shop we call em finger disks but I know that's not the correct term, 3m makes em. Work great for stripping door jams and hard to reach areas. I always use the green ones

[roger55]

Originally Posted by Wingnut Way

Sounds good! it's a no no. And also 3m makes these disks, round the shop we call em finger disks but I know that's not the correct term, 3m makes em. Work great for stripping door jams and hard to reach areas. I always use the green ones

How fast do these things cut and how long do they last?

[58CameoAZ]

Originally Posted by Wingnut Way

Sounds good! it's a no no. And also 3m makes these disks, round the shop we call em finger disks but I know that's not the correct term, 3m makes em. Work great for stripping door jams and hard to reach areas. I always use the green ones

Seen these at the paint supplier before but have not used them and did not know what they were really for, Do they work on many layers of paint?
Thanks,
Allen

[Wingnut Way]

So these disks, from my understanding now, we're developed by 3m for cleaning gaskets off of intakes and heads while in the vehicle still. Apparently they were having problems with mechanic's cleaning gasket material and debris with 3m scotch bright pads, small metal shavings from the pads were entering the motor and causing bearing failures and problems. So these were developed. Now nobody jump down my throat about that story but that's what I have always been told.
As far as how much paint they will remove, I've taken out thick body filler with them, so as many layers as you'd want really. They work really well. More pressure you put on em the quicker they wear. I just let the disk do it's job.
Hope it helps excuse my spelling

[58CameoAZ]

Originally Posted by Wingnut Way

So these disks, from my understanding now, we're developed by 3m for cleaning gaskets off of intakes and heads while in the vehicle still. Apparently they were having problems with mechanic's cleaning gasket material and debris with 3m scotch bright pads, small metal shavings from the pads were entering the motor and causing bearing failures and problems. So these were developed. Now nobody jump down my throat about that story but that's what I have always been told.
As far as how much paint they will remove, I've taken out thick body filler with them, so as many layers as you'd want really. They work really well. More pressure you put on em the quicker they wear. I just let the disk do it's job.
Hope it helps excuse my spelling

My Son just Graduated from UTI and was accepted into the Cummins Diesel power generator program and the instructors there had told him the same about engines that had failed or broken due to the Roloc disk's being used on them. they told him that they were to only use plastic scrappers when removing any gaskets on an engine. from what he said they had done numerous test and found them to be a big culprit. My Son works at Empire Cat now and they told him the same to only use Plastic scrappers on there gaskets also.
Allen

[Wingnut Way]

Glad to hear that and congratulations to your son! I went to NADC myself, auto body course tho. Show how much times have changed, guess I should only use a plastic scraper from now on. Last I heard no scotch bright and no roloc scotch bright, now no finger disks 😔. Next we will have to remove gasket material with are fingernails lol.

[badherb]

this works well for stubborn stuff, but I like the wire wheel it take off stuff and doesn't warp anything and they don't cost $600

[Wingnut Way]

They cut cut great and get where you can't in crevices, you could probably do 4 door jams with one before it needed to be changed. We always got the green ones roloc. I can get part # for you a little later if you'd like

[roger55]

Thanks for the info!
Roark Supply has them so next time I make an order I will add a couple of the green ones in.

I've been interested in going to a roloc setup for quite a while now. I don't even have an air angle grinder or arbor for them yet.
Can you give me advice on all what I should buy to be able to use the most common roloc discs?

[Hilljack51]

Might wanna look into someone soda blasting it too. Not sure what the cost difference would be between it and the sand, but it does seem to be a better choice for blasting body panels. A buddy of mine had it done on his fully assemble '69 F100 and it looked great!

[roger55]

2 issues with soda blasting.
First, it does not remove rust.

The second and more important issue is that it has to be neutralized completely or epoxy primer can't be used. Since soda gets into nooks and crannies complete removal and neutralizing is very difficult. And if something is missed, a very expensive paint job can be spoiled. It's just not worth the risk.
Some paint shops wont touch a car where soda has been used.

[ptc]

Its NOT SAND blasting..... its MEDIA... different course media dependent upon how thick the metal is. So warpage is REALLY caused by the operator NOT KNOWING what they are doing and not so much by the media blasting itself. To say NEVER do media blasting on panels is incredibly incorrect and just not true. its done ALL THE TIME and its done correctly with no warpage. Soda blasting is for non-ferrous materials like alum, copper, lead, and alloys .... NOT steel... its takes way too long.

As with anything.... if you dont know what you are doing you can do more damage....

[Wingnut Way]

I always use the 3" o.d. disk set up. The arbor backing is the same size, they do have arbors with smaller backings. The roloc is all the same in the middle so it's all interchangeable, from my understanding and experience. The arbor is like 15-20$ for a good one from snap on, your supply place will probably have them also. As far as the angle grinder, ima be honest I got a 1hp snap on that's over kill and sits in the box most of the time. I wait till there's a sale at harbour freight and buy 5 angle grinder for 10-12$ a pop. I put em all in my box and when one gives up I just toss it and grab another. I'm not afraid to abuse them at that price. I've had em last for a month and another over a year so it's hit and miss.

[Wingnut Way]

Lol you got alota variables in there, I'm not "blasting" any outter sheet metal panel with ANY blasting form. Ever, you can if you'd like. Not saying you can't heat up a panel with a da and warp it also.....kinda common sense. Common sense plays a huge factor. Each to there own.

[Wingnut Way]

I've fallowed up some "pro" media blasters.......it's easy to sat that when you're not the one cleaning up after the pros hit it. Let's just be safe than sorry. Never enough time to do it right, always enough time to do it over

[roger55]

I agree with PTC. It is done all the time and when the proper care is taken, panels don't warp. It's less risky with the heavier gauge of metal these old cars and trucks have too. I believe most of these old cars are 18 or 19 gauge.

I've sure heard horror stories where a professional blasting company has told a person that they know how to blast without hurting metal and then have proceeded to ruin a car.

But, I just don't find the need to blast large flat panels. It's just so easy to do with the methods I described earlier. Then blast everything else you can't get to. Warpage isn't a concern in those areas. Works out well.

Can't blast at home? No problem.
Remove all the paint you can with the methods I decribe and then take the car to a blaster and tell them to only touch the areas where paint and/or rust is left. Door jambs, floors, firewall, around windshield and backglass pinchwelds, and etc.