Stripping Paint

[AirborneSilva]

What's the easiest way to strip pain?  Keep in mind I can't use a DA since I don't have a compressor.  My idea is to do a section/panel at a time then paint it with epoxy primer to seal it.  I have thought about a wire wheel on my 4 1/2" angle grinder but don't know how much that would heat up the metal, have also thought about chemical stripper but know that can get messy too...  Thanks guys 

[440]

Chemical stripper and a plastic putty knife is a good safe way as long as you keep it off rubber items. They make special paint stripping wheels for grinders. Also, the last thing you want to do is take an edge off a panel or soften the edge of a crisp body line.

[Dino]

The wire wheel won't do any damage to the metal as long as you don't do anything extreme.  To be honest, you are better off buying a compressor.  It makes life a lot easier. I bought one brand new for less than $200, end of stock, and you can find a ton on CL for little money.  Wel worth the investment.  You might spend more money on wire wheels, sandpaper and chemicals to reach the same goal.  Not to mention the labor itself.

Chemical strippers are messy but do work.  They won't get rid of bondo though.  Blasting is another option.  You might be able to find a good used setup.  Depending on how far the neighbors are, blasting might be the best option for you.  

Or you can go really old school with a torch, scrapers and steel wire hand brushes!  If you haven't done that before, I don't advice practicing on your own car.  

[AirborneSilva]

Thanks guys    I wish I could buy a compressor now and plan to in the near future (well in a few months anyway), but even if I found a relatively cheap one I would still have to setup a place to put it and an electrician to run the 220.  So, until I get my budget turned around (from personal issues that are being resolved), I am looking at a way to get something done with my charger....  Guess I could concentrate on the interior and for a while and live with the way it looks on the outside 

[Dino]

You can get a 110v compressor, it'll work.  You'll just have to take a beer break from time to time.   

No loss in trying to get it done by other means.  Pick a panel and try out a few things.  Let's say you pick the ds fender.  Remove all trim, mask hood, door, wheel and anything else with plastic and apply the paint stripper on the fender. If you remove the lose paint with a scraper then you can keep the mess under control.  When all or most is gone you can finish up by sanding.

Oh and there's some good electric da sanders out there.  I bought a small Bosch with 5" discs and it works great.  Think I paid $35 ish for it.

[1970Moparmann]

Chemical does work, just be careful.  Get yourself a good mask with cartridges for the fumes.  Also, when you are done with a panel, makes sure you clean the metal of the stripping chemical. 

I agree an air compressor is the best.  Don't be afraid of a 220 line, it's just wire.  If you need to run a line, depending on the conduit size you have, you can use it.  Or, if your state/city doesn't require conduit, it's even easier. 

I wound up running a sub panel in my garage and have everything I need now. 

[Troy]

I used the 3M Clean-n-strip discs for several years and they work well without heating the metal too much. You attach them to your drill chuck. Getting into corners can be tough but floors, firewall, and outer sheet metal can be mostly cleaned this way. They are $6-10 each depending on size but you probably can do a whole car with 3-5 of them. The biggest problem I ran across is the dust, sanding debris, and particles of the disc will get sucked into your drill motor and cause it to make funny noises and/or burn out after a while. I'd blow it out with compressed air regularly. A standard drill will throw the dust around but not very far (like some high speed tools) so it's reasonably easy to keep your work area clean. Definitely wear a mask.

If your car has original paint the "aircraft stripper" stuff works very well (and probably 5-10x faster than the sanding discs). You'll want to wear rubber gloves and a good vapor mask. Clean up is harder too - but the mess is very localized thanks to gravity. I only use this on outer sheet metal where the stripper can't seep down into crevices in the car. I use either a scraper, scuff pad or wire brush to remove the loosened paint.

Troy

[NHCharger]

Check out this handy little disc. I've been using it to strip paint/bondo/rust off my 68. It attaches to your electric drill. I won't use chemicals to strip any of the paint so I've tried several different ways. this is the fastest way I have found so far. They also make one that has a double pad so it's twice as wide. I stripped one layer of epoxy primer, two layers of green paint and the original primer off the roof of my 68 in about 2 1/2 hours.


http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_Paint-and-Rust-Stripper---4%22-3M_7101600-P_N3272_T|GRP2050____

[elitecustombody]

There is more than one way to strip paint.You can use razor or scraper to get most of it off,just have to try and figure out best angle and perssure.There is also dry paint stripper that won't make a mess.Make sure the surface is clean and roughened with 80 or 120 before any primer.

[71charger]

DA? sorry probably a stupid question but never had any experience with paint and body work.

[Dino]

DA? sorry probably a stupid question but never had any experience with paint and body work.

Dual action.  Like any other sander the disc rotates but in addition the axle the disc attaches to moves around as well so it makes for better, quicker and smoother sanding.

[bill440rt]

The "easiest" way? Have it media or sand blasted. It'll come back clean, bare metal with all traces of filler & rust removed. Blow it out completely, wipe it down, & prime. Of course, you'll need to disassemble the car almost completely.

IMHO the second easiest way is sanding with a large 8" DA with 80 grit. Removes paint quite fast. You'll have to use a smaller 6" in harder to reach or contoured areas. A strip disc works well on rust or filler. Compressor is required. There are larger 110v compressors that will do the job.

Lastly, chemical stripper. Yuck. It's messy, smelly, and will burn the crap out of your skin if you're not wearing proper protection. Any rubber trim, catwhiskers, etc will have to be removed or else if you get any on these parts you will quickly destroy them. It won't remove 100% of all paint or primer, you'll still have to sand it clean after neutralizing the stripper. It won't remove filler or rust, however body filler is porous & will soak up stripper so it will have to be 100% completely removed. If you don't remove all traces of stripper & neutralize it, it can react with your newly applied primer or paint leaving you to start all over again.