Blasting or stripping?

Unknown

Hi, I now have my 49 coupe disassembled all the way. I need to first pressure wash it to remove all the old grease off the chassis and then strip the car down to bare metal. Should I use a chemical stripper or blast it? If blasting is the answer what media should I use. I have heard of problems with soda coming back to bite you in the a$$. Any and all advise is welcome..Jim.

Unknown

Jim, If you are going to blast, you need to use a "soft" media such as walnut shells or plastic. Stripping is ok in certain instances, but won't remove the rust unless you take it to a pro shop such as Redi-Strip. I did use sand to blast several bodies that I have restored, but you have to be very careful and it takes a lot of time.

Bob

rambos_ride

Jimalberta wrote:

Hi, I now have my 49 coupe disassembled all the way. I need to first pressure wash it to remove all the old grease off the chassis and then strip the car down to bare metal. Should I use a chemical stripper or blast it? If blasting is the answer what media should I use. I have heard of problems with soda coming back to bite you in the a$$. Any and all advise is welcome..Jim.

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For me it always depends on the level of surface rust and the amount of paint.

A lot of surface rust pretty much necessitates media blasting or acid dip. Are you thinking of doing the media blasting yourself? I would suggest taking it somewhere to be blasted but make sure they use plastic or some media other than iron oxide or silica sand (the 2 cheapest media and the potentially the most damaging if used incorrectly)

Multiple paint jobs build the mil thickness up to point where media blasting can be detrimental due to the extent of time it takes to get to the bare metal. In this case acid dipping or paint stripper is what I would do.

Either way it’s a messy, hazardous, and time consuming job and if you have the ability to “let this part of the build go…” I really recommend spending the 500-1200.00 and take the car somewhere local to have the stripping work done. In the long run you’ll be way ahead of the game and get it done a whole lot sooner!

My car had only 1 coat of paint - but lotsa surface rust so I have been having mine media blasted with plastic bead.

I'll have about 800.00 into all the parts and the body but it is so much nicer to go drop a door or fender off and come back in a day or two and get something in bare metal and ready to work.

SamJ

I recently had a '54 Dodge Station Wagon professionally blasted with walnut shells. The result was outstanding, but the process only took off the paint down to bare metal. It did not remove rust. Fortunately, there wasn't much of that. What there was was clearly exposed. The blasted surface took the primer nicely. The nice thing about walnut shells or plastic is that panels do not get distorted due to heat.

[Deleted User]

blast to remove paint then dip to remove rust, most likely not going to do either yourself. if you had all the equipment to do this you wouldn't be asking what should i do. so you would have to send it out to be done which is going to cost bucks in my area its thousands. then to paint is more bucks then this then that pretty soon you have a car you are keeping for ever because you can't get your money back out of it.

sometimes it isn't what is better or worse but cost effective. i like taking a car to bare metal myself even though i don't think everybody does this.

Unknown

Frankmn, If I strip the car then and get it down to bare metal, is there an acid that I could spray on only the rusty parts instead of dipping?

[Deleted User]

oxy solve from eastwood is what i use.

Unknown

I have heard that the soda is vary hard to get completely out of all the nooks and crannys and if it is not all removed it will cause problems with your paint.

[Deleted User]

don't know about that but the last car i stripped to bare metal i stripped the whole car down took off every part and i can't think of where there could have been a nook or cranny, unless you still have something put together.

Unknown

Since I started with a pretty much rust-free car, I didn't see the need to take the rear quarterpanels off the car. Seems either someone sprayed undercoating inside the quarterpanels from the trunk and rear seat compartment, or this was done at the factory during assembly, because from the drivers seat back, it has a heavy coat of undercoating, all through the insides. (my guess is the first) Anyway, I'm going to use "aircraft stripper" to remove the 2 coats of paint that are on the car. One place I "DON'T" want the stripper to get to, is the seam where the quarterpanel bolts to the body. I'm afraid that if I put the stripper on this seam, the gasket will absorb the stripper, and that might come back to haunt me after I spend all the time on the new paintjob. On the seam, I used a paint remover wheel, made by 3M, that I got at Wal-Mart for about $6. The attached picture shows the seam, after about 5 minutes work. This wheel ate through the 2 coats of paint quickly, and didn't damage the metal. Just remember....there's more than one way to skin a cat....or.......car.

Unknown

Hmm, thats not bad for 5 minutes work. Why not strip the whole car with it? Did the metal get very hot with that tool?

Unknown

Jim I used a professional in Oklahoma City. The only medium they offer is aluminum oxied, little pieces of aluminum. It is real agressive and cleaned every thing great. It does not heat the surface you are blasting. we had the front loose pulled it off, and the back fenders, cleaned every thing inside and out. Cost $900 ,but saved all the hand work. We then sprayed every thing that was not to be body color with POR 15. Hopefully we won't have rust coming thru the paint in later years.

rambos_ride

Jimalberta wrote:

Hmm, thats not bad for 5 minutes work. Why not strip the whole car with it? Did the metal get very hot with that tool?

Those disks/wheels are great for knocking everything off but not on open part or on flat panels - the speed and small surface area gets the metal too hot and will warp the panel.

Perfect for edges like Wes did and door jambs, rain gutters, pinchwelds, frames, bumpers...you get the idea...

Better wear good eye protection - and they are expensive and easy to go through a bunch of them if you really bear down it.

50C8DAN

I have been using my outside blaster for most of my Hudson, Studebaker and Jeep parts for many years. Small parts get glass bead blasted in my cabinet setup in the garage. I use Play Sand from Home Depot that I sift into the blaster to keep the rocks out. Never had any warping or other problems, just keep the gun moving and don't get too close or hold in one spot for long periods of time. Removes the rust and paint just fine. The Hudson metal is pretty darn thick and takes aggressive blasting very well. I would probably not be so aggressive with modern car sheet metal. At $2 to $4 a bag for sand it is pretty cheap job to do.

Unknown

I have been doing my 47 truck. We striped the paint with the aircraft striper and razor blades - then sandblasted it with the play sand. After that we sprayed it with Eastwood Rust Encapsulator. All the guys in local club sware by this and don't like por 15. We have guys stripping off por 15 and going with Eastwood Rust Encapsulator. Next it is going to the body guy for angel hair fiber body fiberglass and then some thin "ice" to smooth it out. the metal is real rough so this should give me a decent surface for painting. Here is a pic of the cab just paint stripped and waiting for sandblasting. Also a pic of the bed after the Eastwood Rust Encapsulator. Oh yeah also welded in a new cross member 2x6 channel to replace a rusted out one.

Unknown

I applied aircraft stripper, let it sit for about an hour, and used a putty knife to scrape off the gunk. It still had a bit of primer, and some filler bondo in places,(first picture) so I took the paint remover wheel and removed the rest. (second picture) The third picture shows me using the wheel to remove some paint along the trunk area. I too, like the Eastwood rust inhibitor. The underside of the car, along with the entire inside, has 2 coats of the inhibitor, 2 coats of rubberized undercoat, and 2 coats of gloss black urethane. I feel sorry for the next person that wants to take this thing down to the metal!(ha) I'm getting the paint out of the little spaces, like the drip wells now, then I'll spray a self-etching primer, and then start smoothing out the body. I wasn't in any hurry, and I got the entire car stripped in 2 weekends. Cost me about $60 in stripper, and another $35 in paint removing wheels. Of course, it helped that I started with a rust-free car.

Unknown

Cosmo@avaloncity.com wrote:

I have been doing my 47 truck. We striped the paint with the aircraft striper and razor blades - then sandblasted it with the play sand. After that we sprayed it with Eastwood Rust Encapsulator. All the guys in local club sware by this and don't like por 15. We have guys stripping off por 15 and going with Eastwood Rust Encapsulator.

Cosmo:

Does anyone in your club have problems sanding the Eastwood rust encapsilator. I stipped and sprayed my Commodore with it and the Eastwood wants to roll into little balls when I try to sand it. The Eastwood has cured for over two weeks. I finally got it all sanded and ready for Primer/surfacer. But was going to try something else on the next project, probably Hammerite's matte fininsh. It is very similar to Eastwood's but a little cheaper. Uncle Josh on the other forum has used it, I have used it in the past but backed away from it on this project because it was not labeled for automotive use.

rambos_ride

SRCraftsman2 wrote:

Cosmo:

Does anyone in your club have problems sanding the Eastwood rust encapsilator. I stipped and sprayed my Commodore with it and the Eastwood wants to roll into little balls when I try to sand it. The Eastwood has cured for over two weeks. I finally got it all sanded and ready for Primer/surfacer. But was going to try something else on the next project, probably Hammerite's matte fininsh. It is very similar to Eastwood's but a little cheaper. Uncle Josh on the other forum has used it, I have used it in the past but backed away from it on this project because it was not labeled for automotive use.

Did you use lacquer thinner to thin out the Eastwood Primer? If you brushed or sprayed without thinning you may have built up to much mil thickness.

The type of sandpaper you use makes a difference also - what where you using?

Another thing folks should remember about the encapsulating primers is that they are not meant to be a fill primer for exterior body pieces. It is not a high build primer and laying it on thick will cause you grief sanding.

Rustomleum Hammerite? I'd stay away from that for exterior surfaces. And good luck getting any body shop or paint supply place to guarantee your 1500.00 worth of top coat primers, sealers, paint and clear using Hammerite - they won't...

Unknown

Quote Rambo's Ride - Did you use lacquer thinner to thin out the Eastwood Primer? If you brushed or sprayed without thinning you may have built up to much mil thickness.

It was thinned 20% as according to the label.


Quote Rambo's Ride - The type of sandpaper you use makes a difference also - what where you using?

This might be a possiblity I know it was not wet or dry.

Another thing folks should remember about the encapsulating primers is that they are not meant to be a fill primer for exterior body pieces. It is not a high build primer and laying it on thick will cause you grief sanding.

It was only applied as a single metal covering coat.

Rustomleum Hammerite? I believe Rustoleum bought out Hammerite but it is not one of Rustoleum's original products. it is very similar if not the same as Eastwood's Rust encapsilator.

Quote Rambo's Ride - I'd stay away from that for exterior surfaces. And good luck getting any body shop or paint supply place to guarantee your 1500.00 worth of top coat primers, sealers, paint and clear using Hammerite -

I seriously doubt if Any paint supply place or auto paint manufacturer would guarantee any product over Eastwoods Encapsilator.

50C8DAN

I just bought some primer from: http://www.nomorerust.com/.



I talked to the owner and asked several questions as to how this is different from POR15, etc. and it was an interesting discussion. It is the same, yet it is not if that is clear as mud. Anyway, I will see how it goes. The guy will be at Carlisle right inside Gate 3 if you are going and want to check out his stuff. Note: unlike POR15 they recommend removing the rust not painting over it.