I got some Captain Lee's.


I'm wondering a few things.

1. What can I use to apply it evenly? Squirt bottle splashes too much I think and has uneven areas.

2. If I use a brush how can I get it so I don't have to keep cleaning the brush every 10min?

3. Once I start scraping it off I can get most of it with a plastic scraper. BUT...it still leaves a few areas that have some leftover residue. Just water and sponge to clean it up? Sand lightly? Can I use simple green or stuff to get it cleaned up?

 

I always use a cheap small chip brush. I get a box of them for like 5 bucks at the local harbor freight and just throw them away when I am done with it. The spray bottle is ok, but its just a matter of time before it gets to hard to pump and breaks. The brush works fine for me.

The plastic scraper works fine, the kind you would use for body filler. All I ever used for clean up was plain water, never a problem and I have used it for several cars.

 

Plastic scrapers to remove, I have always used a squirt bottle as well, but the pump will breakdown after awhile. I just used the ones from the dollar store. Water right after you scrape will nuetrulize the spay spa. Always have lots of water around to prevent deeper damage. The little areas with bits of paint left can be removed with fine steel wool and the spray spa, followed by water of course.

 

I have used it and it works great. What John and Punisher did is what I did.

 

I too used a cheap brush. I don't remember having to use more than one brush, and it did my car over a couple weeks. I also used a plastic scraper, and sanded by hand the leftover down to the bare fiberglass. I then rinsed with water. It was about 2 months from completion of stripping till when it was painted. 7 years later, no problems at all.

 

Dab the stripper on with the brush, don't try and apply it like paint using strokes. If you dab it on it is easier to get a thick coat, and the paint won''t tend to clump on the brush as much. Think "stencilling" vs "painting" and you'll be in the ballpark.

 

Yeah. I tried "painting" earlier and it had almost no effect on the paint. Very hard to get a thick enough coat with the brush I had.


Also...I didn't feel like water did a whole lot after to try and get things neutralized but maybe it did more than I thought.

Sanding left a huge smear of a mess...poured water on it now my floor is blue

 

My floor was a mess after I was done too. The water will neutralize the Capt. Lees almost right away. it seems to turn it back into hard paint again. You can still put more spray over it and do the area again.

 

That must have been what it did. I used water, probably turned it hard then wanted to try sanding so I was sanding wet paint that just turned into a slurry of nasty stuff... Need to stick with just Lee's and water...done.

 

Okay. Here's what I'm talking about. Sprayed it on, let sit 30min or so.

Most areas it basically slid off like melting butter.
BUT
Some areas where I probably didn't spray as thick were still a bit hard and the plastic scraper couldn't get it loose.

I then wiped with a shop towel and then wiped with water/sponge...

Just leaves a smeary mess of mostly stripped areas but not complete.

 

I got some thick rubber gloves and after I took off what came off easily with the plastic scraper, I put on a second coat and scrubbed off the remaining residue with Scotch Brite pads.

 

Don't neutralize an area untill all the paint is gone. You have to approach chemical stripping in small easy to manage areas and work only that area until it is clean. Scotchbrite (brown coarse) is a usefull tool for stubborn paint. Reapply stripper as required and work at it until all traces of paint are off. Then water wash only after you are happy and looking at a naked spot on the car.

 

Also reduce the area you apply stripper to by about half...it will make full cleanup easier. And get those wheels/tires away from the stripper... the caustics in it will eat the aluminum and the rubber.

 

Those spots can be removed with the spray and some steel wool. Let the spray sit for a few minutes then circle motion over the spots with the steel wool. Those spots are just like I had and found the steel wool worked great to remove. Keep using clean pieces of the steel wool. The scotchbrite will also work well, again keep using clean pieces to remove those left over spots.

 

Steel wool doesn't rust in the package because it has oil on it. I don't recommend using oily stuff to strip your car.

 

Looks like you did but don't put that $^!T anywhere near those seam lines. I'm using razor blades on mine this time.

 

Why? The stripper didn't seem to effect the seams any different than the rest of the glass. Pretty hard to avoid a seam that covers most of the sides...and the blade method failed miserably for me when I tried it.

 

Punisher-

I never use Capt Lee’s, I just use the cheapest stripper I can find.

I take a day when it is around 70-75 degree’s outside and I spread the stripper on the car. I then cover it with a black plastic bag and let it sit for around thirty minutes or so. I do larger areas because I usually have help with this. Once I have the car down to the factory red-oxide primer, I then take number three grit steel wool dipped in thinner and scrub the primer off. (it comes off very easy). Once the primer is gone I do the same thing to the entire car. After I do this I then do a water rinse multiple times. I've never worried about the body seams and just strip them like the rest of the car, it will work just fine and you'll be ok.. But.. If I hit areas where hairs are present I try to stay away from them and actually mark them with a marker pen so when completed I can go back to these areas.

While I would never advise anyone to do this, I do use a good clean metal putty knife vs the plastic scarper. Should you choose to use a metal knife, remember every divot you put in the glass is a divot that must be repaired, so stick with the plastic. I’ve done this job over and over and over again.

The areas you are having issues with just need a thick coat and then cover and let them set. Once you put the stripper on the glass do not move it around… let it eat and do its thing under the plastic. While the stripper is eating, go to a different area and work.

IMHO..

Willcox

 

You see the red-oxide in this pic on top of the fender? That's what you are after.. (unless someone beat you there). Looks like your making good progress though. Just take your time you'll be fine. It takes us aprox. 8 hours to totally strip a car and that's with three people working on it and based on how much paint is here to strip.

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I apply with a brush, heavily. Once it's on, don't touch it. Let it do the work. Use a bondo spreader to scrape it off. Once you're down to the primer, use a purple 3M scuff pad and lacquer thinner to wash off the primer. Use heavy rubber gloves. You'll go through a couple of pair.

Many ways to do it. I've NEVER had a paint reaction using Captain Lee's.