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Paint Stripping [by: Halloweenking]
Hotrodders Bulletin Board: Knowledge Base: Body-Exterior: Articles

Usually, when doing a full custom car or restoration, you want to completely strip off all paint products from the metal surface, for any number of reasons -- from excessive paint build up, to the simple desire to correct any imperfections in the steel and leave a thin smooth layer of paint. Stripping paint can be done in many ways and often is stripped at least two different ways on the same vehicle. Below are a few different ways this can be accomplished.

1. The easiest way is, of course, by using a chemical stripper. When the stripper is applied, it reacts with the paint and lifts the paint from the steel, and can easily be scraped off with a putty scraper or any rigid (preferably metal) object. The chemical stripper is the easiest, however, it also requires many safety precautions. You must wear gloves and eye protection because the stripper will severely irritate your skin and could potentially blind you. After you have successfully scraped off all paint make sure to wash the steel with clean water to deactivate any stripper that may be left, then wash with a mild detergent. There is a special chemical stripper for fiberglass. Ask your local paint dealer. Chemical strippers should not be used on urethane plastic.
   
   
2. The second most popular application is using an abrasive. Some use sand paper on a dual action orbital sander. It's effective, however, if too coarse of a grit is used to sand off the final coat, the steel below can be scratched severely. Also, if left in one area too long it can result in warpage. Another abrasive stripping application is the use of Scotch-Brite cleaning and stripping wheels on an angle grinder. These cut the cost of sandpaper, and last much longer. If not used correctly, cleaning and stripping wheels can result in a warped piece. The third abrasive application is 3M's Radial Bristle brush. It cuts better than a wire brush and without the danger of flying bristles and it also keeps the cut constant. As the bristles wear, they expose fresh abrasive.
   
   
3. The most time consuming is using a razor blade scraper. With a razor blade scraper you can literally chip the paint off in strips. The thicker the paint, the better and faster it will strip. This is very messy and eye protection should always be used.

(Note: when stripping a car with lead-based paint use Method 1. If Method 2 must be used, work with a coal filter mask in a well ventilated area and you mustn't have any open wounds.)