Best way to get old paint off

whats the best way to get the old paint off a car? i dont really want to use chemical stripper, but likewise i dont feel like sanding to bear metal all over the car(and since itll take me awhile to sand the whle thing the parts i have already sanded will start rusting)


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Sand-blast-(that) (th)-ing

I heard sandblastig works pretty good.....of course it can be pricey but it gets the job done well in a short period of time. Just make sure you go to a sandblaster who knows what he's doing cuz you dont want the sheetmetal on you car to warp/dent.

Mike

yeah, i was thinking, would i have to sand all the way to bare metal to paint it? could i just sand say through to the primer from the factory to stop flash rusting and just add new primer/paint/clear over that?

yeah, i was thinking, would i have to sand all the way to bare metal to paint it? could i just sand say through to the primer from the factory to stop flash rusting and just add new primer/paint/clear over that?

ps, what works best for sanding a car? would wood sanders with rougher sand paper work?

I have been working for the past few days on sanding off the damn surface rust that cracked through 7 layers of paint on my 67 Camaro. Prep guy way back then shoulda been fired. I started with chemical strippers and after the arm burns and mess realized the easy way was my air grinder, 6 inch disks at 60 psi with 80 grit sanding disks... cuts like butter... liquid stripper cut 1 maybe 2 layers of paint at a time, but you still gotta sand after it's "stripped". Good luck.

I was gonna go with sand blasting, but heard too many horror stories of sheet metal warping from the heat, so I chickened out.

@grinder idea

y older brother owns a construction company so ive got like 6 of every kind of wood sander known to man that i could use is why i was wondering about them

edit: is it easier to sand the whole car and then replace rusted parts? or sand the area you need to replace the parts and then sand the rest of the car?

I've kinda been wondering that myself! I figured my first priority was to get rid of the rust (which I have) and then primed it to seal it for now. I will get to the spots as I can and gring again before welding new metal.

sand blasting doesnot warp the metal but to make the car not rust just spray a primer over the rust and if you dont want to use chemical stripers your only other option is to take a hog and sand the car

I always recommend that the work be done panel by panel. As you strip each pane, complete the work on that panel and prime before going to the next. That way you will have a bunch of small projects instead of one monster. It will also prevent the rust from taking over the panels that you have already stripped.

I regularly read posts warning not to sand blast panels due to warpage. This past weekend I sand blasted the hood for my 67 Mustang. There is no warpage what so ever in that panel. I believe that the problem with warpage is due to excessive pressure and holding the blaster in one place too long. I use a small blaster sold by Sears. I have a 5 HP compressor that puts out 125 PSI. I keep the gun moving like I'm painting, and don't want runs. If you do it with a large tarp down on the ground, you can reuse the sand several times. The outside of that hood was down to the bare metal(had been repainted once) in about 1 hour.

id use stripper, least expensive, fast, less work. wont damage sheetmetal like sandblasting will

checmical stripping is really dangerous though isnt it? like if you gett eh stuff on yoru skin you can get like a serious chemical burn?

eh. it builds character, i dont see how you woudl get it on youre arms though. use gloves. like the rubber ones for electric work, there pretty thin and still go up to your elbow.

um for the sandpaper i've used sandpaper to take chrome off of my hood ornament and it did a pretty good job. but i had a soft metal

I agree with adtkart. I've probably got the same Sears sandblast kit.

I use "blackblast" for the medium which is a product packaged in Minnesota and sold here in Wisconsin by Menards (a store just like Home Depot). I've done my entire car, frame, fenders, hood, trunk, entire body, etc and never had warpage. Right now I'm blasting the Ford rear end.

I bought a cheap hood to wear which keeps the sand off my head and protects my eyes (although I also wear glasses under neat) and I also wear a breathing mask so I don't breath any dust.

Have fun with whatever you do because it's all part of the buidling process.

Fred

i stripped off all of the crap on my intake from my 472 with dollar general oven cleaner. it went through grease, rust, and paint. make sure you wash it all off before painting, and wear a mask, i didn't and i wish i did, it's some strong stuff. i also used it my oil pan, its works pretty well. David Harroald

[QUOTE]Originally posted by adtkart
[B]I always recommend that the work be done panel by panel. As you strip each pane, complete the work on that panel and prime before going to the next. That way you will have a bunch of small projects instead of one monster. It will also prevent the rust from taking over the panels that you have already stripped.
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This is the way you should do it. adtkart is posting from experience. not i've been told or i heard or i read etc. etc..

Troy
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The main reason sand blasting distorts sheetmetal is because each grain of sand acts like a tiny hammer. Each time it hits the metal it stretches it. Don't hold the blasting nozzle at right angles to the work, use it like you were hosing down the yard with a hose pipe. I only have a small blaster but I haven't had any problems using it this way.

SDS Jap, Do you really need to take all the paint off?
Post the question on the Exterior Forum and ask the guys.

Hellz