tropicmoon

guys:
i'm going to have my 64 painted and some body repair. i need some opinions on paint stripping. i just read an article that advised not to have a fibreglass body chemically stripped, as it seeps into the fibreglass and is difficult to remove.
any experience with this? media blasting? i want to get it done right.
dick

62Jeff

Welcome to the forum!

Although I have no personal experience with it, I'm on vacation killing time today and I read the forum a lot

Search the forum for Captain Lee's, Capn Lee's, or Cap'n Lee's stripper. Many here swear by it as an outstanding chemical stripper with no reported long term side effects on the paint.

BADBIRDCAGE

That is absolutely correct. The thousands of us who have stripped our cars to bare glass ourselves using a product like Captain Lee's Spray Strip and have had them painted are still waiting years later for that seepage of the chemical to lift the paint.

Seriously there are painters who insist on hand sanding only because they believe this. OR they may have had a bad experience with some type of chemical stripper in the past.

My experience is limited to a few cars but following the directions for the stripper had not caused a problem. As far as the product being difficult to remove I go back to FOLLOWING the directions. Work that small, one square foot at a time, area and it works really well. Dump a gallon on top of the car and scrape it off after it runs down will result in a big mess.

Texaspilot180

I stripped my 65 coupe to bare glass and while it was time consuming, not all that difficult. As suggested previously, do small areas. I started doing a small spot just to get the hang of it, then did larger areas but never more area than I could finish at that time. Apply the chemical stripper to that selected area, let it work per the instructions, then carefully scrape off the loosened paint using a plastic scraper, NO METAL or you will gouge the fiberglass. A second or even a third application may be needed to get through all the layers, then use laquer thinner with a scotch brite pad to clean off the remaining primer and residue, then flush that area with water to get off any remaining goo and debris. At that point you should have a nice patch of clean bare body showing. Keep working your way around the car until finished. With some care and attention to detail you will get it done. Wear chemical resistant gloves, put plastic down to catch the goo mess, and clean up afterwards. I always put fresh plastic down, used a large plastic coffee container with a handle for the laquer thinner, and went at it.

1snake

I've been using chemical stripper for years. The first car I used it on (my 1960 in 1985) still has the lacquer paint I shot on it afterwards. No problems so far and none on any of the other cars I've used it on and painted.

Jim

Kerrmudgeon

I've stripped my cars 3 times with acetone and lots of rags. It does not damage the fiberglass and won't affect the paint.

Mike Geary

Sure you can ruin a Corvette body with chemical strippers. You can also ruin a Corvette body with soda blasting, and probably even with plastic media blasting which is probably the safest method.

But chemical stripping is not black magic. Do a few square feet at a time and don't try to get EVERYTHING off with the chemicals. Just get down to the red primer and then remove that with lacquer thinner/scotchbrite pads. Or wet sand with 320.

The best scraper is a yellow Bondo paddle. Or a wooden spatula sanded down to a knife edge. A drywall compound tray is handy for scraping your implement into.

The old pro (Bill Headley of Upland CA) who taught me a few things actually would mask off around the area to be stripped. That way he didn't worry about getting stripper on clean, bare areas. Total control.
And he always used the yellow Aircraft stripper. Did 100's of cars with no issues.

Captain Lee's is fine, but I'd swear they've changed the formulation from years ago. When I used it in the 80's, I thought it was caustic based. Now it appears to be just a weak methylene chloride stripper.
Anybody else observe this?

tropicmoon

i've heard that capt lee is good stuff prior to reading the article. needed soom experienced guys to provide info on how things turned out for them. you've got my vote. we'll go that way.
thanks for your help. it will next be a silver blue, just like my first one in 64 when i was a brainless second lieutenant, all airspeed and no vector.
dick

1snake

I've never used Cpt. Lee's. Always used this stuff with ZERO problems - http://www.autobodytoolmart.com/klea...4-p-14857.aspx

Jim

Texaspilot180

I've also used this product with great results

BOB WINSKI

Not as strong as it use to be.

Tampa Jerry

I stripped both of my vettes with Capt. Lees. It works well and no one will do the same job that you will do. I stripped every part of the 6 layers of top coat and primer. I stripped the door jambs, the doors the bottom of the car and every scrap of paint in sight. I used denatured alcohol instead of laquer thinner. It is a little easier on the lungs. I also used scrappers from Red Devil. It is a scrapper and a scoop in one tool. I used coffee cans to hold the old stripper. It took my son and me about 100 hours to completely strip my 66. Did you ever get a chance to call Jim at All Makes? If you want to see his work, come by the house. I have the Vette and the Chevelle in my garage. His shop did both. Jerry

tropicmoon

jerry:
i'd like to see your cars. will give a good idea of what to expect. thanks for the invite.
dick

Corbrastang

Question-how long are those with good results from chemical strippers letting the fiberglass cure after stripping?

BADBIRDCAGE

The fiberglass was cured when it was painted at the factory. My last step in stripping the car was to finish off what factory red primer didn't release with Soft Scrub and a Scotchbrite pad. I also used the Soft Scrub and Scotchbrite to clean the bottom of the car and the interior.

When you follow the directions the chemical does not impregnate the fiberglass. It washes off.

claysmoker

I swiped the Soft Scrub/Scotchbrite to remove the primer idea from BADBIRDCAGE, and it works like wonderful. Highly recommended.

jdk971

tropicmoon, i would ask the person doing the painting how he wants it stripped. or at least
advise the painter how you did it. i have heard nothing wrong with chemical strippers. jim

Corbrastang

Im talking about letting it cure outside in the heat to let any remaining chemicals release that might have soaked into the fiberglass.

I ask because i just had to have the entire front end of a midyear repainted due to bubbles in the paint. The nose of the car was stripped with captain lees. The bubbles came all the way from the fiberglass under the primer. I had the car outside in the hot sun this past summer for the first time and i guess the heat made the chemicals start working their way out of the glass. So, i would assume that after using the chemical strippers, that the fiberglass needs a certain amount of time to "cure" so any remaining chemicals that might have absorbed into the glass can work their way to the surface and evaporate. Obviously water soaks into the bare glass, so clearly the stripper can as well.

65tripleblack

I've stripped the paint using a razor blade scraper similar to this:

http://www.google.com/products/catal...d=0CCYQ8gIwAA#

No solvents/no stripper required.

1snake

I've shot primer within a week of stripping without problems. I neutralize the stripper with water and then wipe it down with lacquer thinner. I've seen cars that have had the paint bubble that never had any chemicals used to strip them. Most of the ones that I've seen bubble were caused by improper prep. and/or paint application.


Jim