Paint Stripping Options?

[icesky]

Currently I am spot welding my whole chasis and would like to know if there is a quicker paint stipping solution for me. Currently I have tryed:

 

1. Sandblasting(Cant do it due to the sand spreading into the house)

2. Paint strippers but not too helpful on undercoating

3. Wire brush attachment to drill(too slow)

 

Are there any other methods in house that are faster

[Rollins240z]

Wire brush attachment to drill is the best method, and yes it is very slow. I have found no easy way, undercoating is a pain in the a**. They do sell an air tool that works well if you have a big enough compressor. They use it at body shops called an "eraser wheel" to remove sticky tape and decals, you can put a wire brush attachment on it for undercoating. Anyways, good luck

[RacerX]

!

[bjhines]

I seam welded everything.

 

That was one hell of a job. I can tell you what I used and why.

 

I removed the interior sound damping sheets by spreading crushed "dry ice"(frozen CO2) I purchased from a local grocery store. I used around 15lbs of the stuff. I crushed a pound at a time and just spread it out over a few square feet of area. The bond is realeased as soon as the temperature drops(within seconds). I used a scraper to "pop" large chunks off. Then I spread the ice around again so I could scrape off any remaining spots. A trick to this is to make a dam around the area you are working on to keep the ice where you need it as you scrape.

 

The seam sealer was a project of biblical proportions. There is a reason why race car builders buy unpainted bodies from the manufacturer. You WILL have built up your forearms and improved your grip when you have completed this task. I used scotch-bright and wire wheels to get most of the material off the surface.

I tried several approaches to getting the sealer out of the seams and ended up using a set of picks(like dental picks) with several bend angles to scrape and pull the material out of the seams.

The sandblaster can bore a hole through solid steel but it has little effect on the rubbery seam sealer. any attempt to blast this stuff out of the seams will erode the metal around it faster than the seam sealer.

Chemicals may remove this stuff. I forsee issues with stripper getting into the seams and making matters worse when welding.

 

After I pulled all of the material out of the seams I used a sandblaster to clean up the crumbs and remove the primer. There are areas that you cannot reach with a wire brush. I have been sandblasting outside. You can make a temporary blasting booth with 2x4s and plastic sheeting. It allows recovery of the media. You MUST use a respirator and a protective suit and helmet.

[warrenHLS3083301]

i use a wire wheel and an 4 1/2 in angle grinder works good on paint, bondo, and rust but makes alot of dust.

[z-ya]

I've heard that soda blasting is the easiest on your body panels. I know that sand blasting can deform sheet metal. My next project will be entirely soda blasted. The nice thing about baking soda is that it that it washes away with water.

[icesky]

Where can I buy soda blasting media? How effective is it? Also does it work in a sand blaster? Thanks Everyone

[z-ya]

I think you need a special machine to soda blast. There maybe someone in your area that will do it for you. I found a guy near me that will do a complete 240Z for $900.

[icesky]

Hi,

I was wondering if anyone here has experience with Kieserite media?

[nissun1]

not treating the metal after soda blasting can leave residue within the seams that can cause more rust issues down the line. I would suggest if you're goin down this route is to neutralize the residue left as much as you can. Imo i would do dry ice blasting but...who can find the right equipment?

[Zinpieces]

If your car is a shell, no carpets or other flammables and you have access to the underside without laying on your back you can remove undercoat, seam sealer and frame paint quite easily using a propane torch with a fan tip and a putty knife. Heat a small section of the undercoat till it softens and scrape right down to bare metal with one pass. Cleanup any residue with lacquer thinner on a rag. I did an entire floor-pan and one wheel well with one propane bottle. If it starts smoking you are using too much heat. The residue that falls to the floor will harden into clumps and sweeps up quite easily. Put cardboard on the floor for an even easier cleanup.

[nissun1]

If your car is a shell, no carpets or other flammables and you have access to the underside without laying on your back you can remove undercoat, seam sealer and frame paint quite easily using a propane torch with a fan tip and a putty knife. Heat a small section of the undercoat till it softens and scrape right down to bare metal with one pass. Cleanup any residue with lacquer thinner on a rag. I did an entire floor-pan and one wheel well with one propane bottle. If it starts smoking you are using too much heat. The residue that falls to the floor will harden into clumps and sweeps up quite easily. Put cardboard on the floor for an even easier cleanup.

 

yup ^ just dont get it too hot..high heat= warping: no bueno my friend!

[Neverdone]

This thread is almost 4 years old...

 

Just thought I'd throw that one out there.

[nissun1]

lol i kno any tip helps

[cockerstar]

This thread is almost 4 years old...

 

Just thought I'd throw that one out there.

 

And to find a 4 year old thread probably means he was searching

It's a pretty common task to perform during a restoration, so I don't see any problems with bumping an old thread to add more information.

 

I will be doing it this summer on a rotisserie, and my plan of attack starts out by stripping the sound deadener with dry ice. I've heard that this can help make the undercoating come off more easily. After that I'll move onto the undercoating with a torch and a scraper or a needle gun. I still haven't decided if I am going to soda blast on the paint, or use a chemical stripper and a DA sander to clean up what I miss.

[Nelsonian]

^^^ I would have to say your tool choice or method of the two you mentioned, depends very much upon the condition of your undercoating,(still soft and pliable, or hard and dried out). I had alittle of both and originally started with the torch, scraper method, but to get all of the now gooey uc off required working as fast as the heat would allow you to. The needle scraper sped up the process quite a bit. Pros and cons to both methods, (noisy, vibrating needle scaler, or horrible smelling, burning gooey uc). In the end, the tools of choice for me were the Snap On "crud thug", and the needle scaler and pnumatic chisel both purchased from china freight. Not a fun job but, makes all the difference in the world knowing what condition your metal is in. Best of luck either way...

[BluDestiny]

Just wondering, but how do you guys get the frame into a rotisserie? Just attach the ends to an engine hoist or something and do one side at a time?

[Nelsonian]

I actually bought a rotisserie, (Derick Weaver I believe it was), after searching and contacting everyone I could to buy, borrow rent one. For my situation, it was money well spent and allowed me to do the thorough job I was envisioning.

As it was a professionally built, and guaranteed well beyond the z cars weight, I had no fear bolting up and cranking it to the top. After making some needed plates for bolts, I connected both ends. Fronts bolted up where the bumper provisions are, rears the same. I had a friend on the other side raise his side in even strokes as to my side, which kept it from binding on its way up or down. I ended up cleaning it up when I was finished and traded it for very professional welding labor. Win, win, in the end. AS has been seen many times here home brewed rotisseries can be made for much cheaper. I just did not have the time frame and needed to get the rotis as soon as possible and begin working, as I was using someone elses property to strip the car.

[Philly_G35]

Just wondering, but how do you guys get the frame into a rotisserie? Just attach the ends to an engine hoist or something and do one side at a time?

We used one engine hoist to get it on the rotisserie, but it was difficult to find the balance point.

 

 

We ended up using two engine hoists to get it off.

 

[proxlamus©]

I used jack-stands.. a jack and 4x4 posts and a engine hoist

 

I would lay a 4x4 post horizontally under the chassis (so drivers to passengers side) jack up the car, mount the stand. Lower the jack, insert another 4x4 post, raise the car, mount the stand, lower the jack, insert another 4x4.. etc. I used an engine hoist attached in the rear to support the car in the event of an emergency.