Best way to remove paint? And some steps for bodywork

[Ranchero50]

Since I'm into the bodywork stage on the truck I have to ask what the easiest way you guys have found to get the old paint off without trashing the metal underneith or spending all day doing one panel? The '69 door I had to strip had five or more layers of paint on it and it came off surprisingly easy with a 60 grit flap wheel on the flats and a wire cup wheel on the contours, but I still had a good three hours in it and I noticed some divits where the sander dug in that'll need smoother back out.

I've looked around some other forums, but haven't seen this answered very well.

Jamie

[foghorn]

try this its what i use to do that with.

http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/klsar343-1.html




Foggy

[MaxKlinger]

Jamie,

Is your grinder electric or air powered?

I'm planning on disassembly and paint removal over the winter, probably doing front clip first. A friend told me to buy a good dual-action sander. Any suggestions?

I have a feeling I'm going to be buying a new air compressor because of this.

[RangerDave]

try this its what i use to do that with.

http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/klsar343-1.html




Foggy

If this is what I think it is, the Air force uses something similar. And it works very well. Should take things right down to bare metal easily.

[FORDification]

I've always been leery of using chemicals for stripping, as it can cause problems down the road for your paint if you don't get 100% of it cleaned back off....but that's just me. Plus you have the fumes, the mess, etc.

I prefer using a 3M composite stripping wheel in my angle grinder. It'll cut right through all paint and body filler without damaging the metal underneath...and they also remove rust, which chemical strippers don't do. Plus there's no messy clean-up, other than a few minutes with a broom and dustpan.

Here's a shot of the supplies I use stripping paint. I do about 95% of it with the blue 3M stripper wheel in the angle grinder and then get the nooks and crannies with a knotted-wire wheel. The other items sometimes come in handy for certain things.

[foghorn]

Keith just remember not every one will remember that heat can warp sheet metal. The striper can clean off easy with a water hose and a plastic bristle brush. They just have to remember to brush it in one direction only for best results. If they have mutiple layers i like to scratch the surface with a 36 grit disk on a grinder just enough to groove the layers. Makes it work a lot faster.




Foggy

[Jake11]

DA with 80 grit. Get good paper.

[MaxKlinger]

Keith just remember not every one will remember that heat can warp sheet metal.

How much heat is required to warp the sheet metal on our trucks?

[foghorn]

If its to hot to lay your hand on it then its way to hot. JMO This is why even when you weld you jump around. I like to jump around and quiench it also with a rag and cold water when welding. Also when sanding with a power sander remember to keep it flat so not to make a bowl like when feathering out grind edges in the paint or rock chips. Another pevee i have is when primming not to mask it where you leave a hard edge against the tape. When masking lay the paper over the work area and tape the end farthest away from the area your going to prime. Then fold it back this way it dont leave a hard edge. Even after block sanding the edge off when you paint this edge can come back and haunt you. I have seen it happen to many times. I always try to shoot with a low air pressure for several reasons 1 to keep over spray down 2 you get a better transfer ratio from the gun to the panel. 3 to keep my primer area as small as i can keep it and still let all my coats go just past the last one.




Foggy

[Jake11]

Mirka is good. You can get it online if you live out in the woods like I do.

[James72]

what about glass beading?

[FORDification]

Where are you going to find a glass-beading cabinet large enough for a cab? Glass bead has the consistency of flour, and without a cabinet it could only be used once, since you can't sweep it up and filter/re-use it. Plus it just wouldn't be aggressive enough.

[James72]

There's a heavy equipment painting place here in town who uses a mixture of glassbeads and walnut shells or sand, whatever suits you needs, and they will do a cab and box for $150. It's a quick way and most towns have heavy equipment painters.

[Ranchero50]

Wow, thanks for the replies and I hope that this can become a sticky or something since we all seem to go down the slippery road eventually.

As to the chemical stripper, I did the door panels and steering column with clean strip and washed / scrubbed it several times with scotch brite pads and water. The little bit of primer that didn't come off caused all sorts of grief with the new primers and paint. The '69 door had so much paint on that it had cracked and cratered itself and had to come off. The rest of the '71 only has two coats one but I know I'm going to have trouble blending / building up the primers where I welded / bondo'd the old mirror holes to the rest of the panel since I ground down to bare metal.

I'm using a 4 1/2" angle grinder with a 60 grit flap wheel for the flats and a wire cup for the contours. I wanted to get the composite disc, but couldn't find one locally for the grinder (I didn't want to fight with a 3/8" drill motor). I have a couple good D/A's, but the craftsman 6hp air compressor flew apart for the second time in six years of ownership so I'm down to a little 1.5hp compressor feeding that tank. Luckily I don't have much D/A work to do.

Foggies tips are really what I'm looking for: steps for removing old paint, how to lay bondo smoothly (mix ratios, squeegy sizes, how to hold them when applying, etc) and then girts to sand in and what patterns (30-60 cross pattern, with the panel, working, around ridges etc). I'm using a 4" x 11" floam backed grout trowel as a sanding block with 60 grit to work the bondo down. I got some 3m spray adhesive and it holds the sandpaper really well. It seems so much about bodywork is 'art' and not science that it's harder than it has to be. Even the books I've browsed at bookstores on the subject just plained sucked to the point that I didn't buy them (Who cares about candy colors and basecoat clear coat when the body looks like a 50 year olds rear end)

For me, this '71 F250 is a primer to get back into the restoration of my '69 fastback mustang that's been in limbo for the last ten years because I sucked at the bodywork. So for the '69's sake please give some advice and help.

Thanks,
Jamie

[69twotone]

Thanks for asking about this. I too hope this becomes a sticky would love to see all of the advice that everyone has to offer as I will be starting the same things you are doing next spring.