Paint removal question

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mkayers

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Is it ok to use one of those flap discs (60 or 80 grit) on a 4-1/2" grinder to remove paint as long as I'm moving it fast enough to not heat the metal up? 80 grit on my DA just doesn't seem to cut it. It has a couple layers it looks like.
 
if your going to dri strip it use 40or36 grit on DA or if your good you can use 24grit on a grinder but be carefull.if the paint is lose you could use razor blade in a holder.iv done them all and worked good . finsh the grinder way with 80 on DA...
 
If it's your first rodeo....I would stick with a DA and a courser grit. 36/40 grits on a grinder can be unforgiving to body lines for a beginner.
 
I just started on the Duster and used a chem in a rattle can titled "Aircraft paint stripper" and it just melts the paint off. Careful, it'll burn your skin and eyes if your careless with it. And bad too.
 
My car had a cheapo paint job on it before I bought it. I used Jasco Paint Stripper which went through the cheap paint quickly, which otherwise would have gummed up my sandpaper. I applied a second coat of Jasco when I hit the factory paint. The factory paint was much more stubborn and ultimately sanded most of it off with a DA and 40 grit paper.
The problem besides heating/warping metal, is that you introduce scratches to the metal, especially behind the quarter glass which has a lot of soft lead in it. The easiest way I found to prep this was to spray on Fiber-Fill, a thick primer, almost like a thin filler. It covers the scratches well, just be careful not to sand it too deep or else you'll start seeing your scratches again. The use your primer, wet sand, then paint it.
Can't tell you how many nice-looking cars I see ... that is until you get within two feet of it, then you see deep sand scratches under the paint. A shame considering how much time and sweat you put into the car to strip it. Take you time and be patient. As you get near the end, you'll want to rush it. That's when you need to take a few days off to clear your head. Good luck!

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I always liked using one of those razor blade scrapers. They will take the paint right off and leave the primer, it is dry, no mess with the aircraft stripper (used that stuff when I worked in the rod shop) you don't have to hose the car down after, and no burns when that crud eats through 3 layers of rubber gloves. When you get all the paint off you just hit it with the 80 grit on the DA and then go to town on the body work!
When I worked in the rod show I could have a whole car down to bare metal by lunch time I just couldn't touch it with my bare hands due to all the coffee I drank at the time. By the end of the day the car would have rusty hand prints all over it. Too much coffee will F up your body!
 
I am using an inspection scraper with single sided razors. You can get alot done, just find the right angle and scrape as long a section as you can remove. It should get you right down to the primer.
 
Last fall I stripped most of the paint off of my Demon. I used the cheapest brand of household paint remover I could find. Also only buy the small cans because that stuff looses it's potancy after it's opened.
Once the paint was gone I used my d-a with 80 grit. But here is the neat trick. A buddy of mine tirned me on to some stuff called PHIX. I'ts a zink based metal prep in a squirt bottel. This styuff will prevent any rust from forming on the bare metal. That car is just as clean today as it was back in September.
Yes using this method is a little messy but it did work out well for me.
Ted
 
I used a chemical stripper with success. I didn't have DA nor a sand blaster but had a grinder with a wire brush. That worked really well without messing up the metal but I did it mostly with the chemical stripper. The chemical stripper is real forgiving on the metal. I'm a novice by the way. lol
 
If you are stripping a large area I would use chemical stripper as a first step. Home Repot sell Kleen Strip for less then the Aircraft stripper and work just as well, get the xtra strength, they have 3 different ones. The only time I grind is to remove surface rust. Any time you open the pores of the metal you invite rust. Brush grinded bare metal with OSPHO to prevent rust from ever returning. Hope this helps.
 
It helps very much, thanks for all your responses. I'll head out & get some stripper today. It may be the messiest way but it will probably be the best way. Thanks again guys, that's why I come here!
 
Just make sure that you hose off ALL of the stripper (I'm sure that there is a joke in there somewhere) or it will raise hell with your paint later.
 
I use the aircraft stripper also it works great.....if I have stubborn areas I use my right angle with a 3 inch 36 or 80 grit depending on what im up against
 
360scamp said:
Just make sure that you hose off ALL of the stripper (I'm sure that there is a joke in there somewhere) or it will raise hell with your paint later.
Click to expand...

That's very true. Water actually neutralizes the stripper so it won't cause any problems later.
 
I just got my 70 duster down to original paint, with burn throughs.
I took that pos coat of paint that my ex had put on (yeah, I got the car back)with a 14" air file, 60 grit. As soon as I saw original paint, I moved the file.
then finished with an electric palm, 150 grit.
Smooth, only wet sand left.
 
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