Razor blade stripping
Thread Starter
5th Gear
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
Razor blade stripping
Stripping original paint on my '77. Trying the razor blade method and it seems to go pretty good. Couple questions; anybody know about how many blades I'll go through for an entire car? I've done about 3/4 of one of the t-tops and used 4 or 5 blades so far. Also, are some blades better than others, or do they all come out of the same factory in China? :-)
thanks in advance.
thanks in advance.
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 13,082
Likes: 3,399
From: SW Florida.
just buy a pack of 100 and don't count them. stripper combined with blades works better. i got good results with this scraper with regular sheet rock blades. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Marshalltow...per/5001900261 and do not scrape over the bonding strips on front and rear fenders. the glass rejects the blade good. blade stays between body and paint. but blade digs into the filler they used to fill the bonding strips. gouges it up pretty good. just sand there watching for color change as paint layers leave.
Thread Starter
5th Gear
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
just buy a pack of 100 and don't count them. stripper combined with blades works better. i got good results with this scraper with regular sheet rock blades. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Marshalltow...per/5001900261 and do not scrape over the bonding strips on front and rear fenders. the glass rejects the blade good. blade stays between body and paint. but blade digs into the filler they used to fill the bonding strips. gouges it up pretty good. just sand there watching for color change as paint layers leave.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 10,662
Likes: 695
From: Danville Illinois
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Might i add to wear some safety glasses, when i stripped mine the paint just flew everywhere.
I just used HF 100 pack of razor blades with an extra long handle and it went pretty quick.
I just used HF 100 pack of razor blades with an extra long handle and it went pretty quick.
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 3,691
Likes: 833
From: WI
Gouging is the main thing to try to avoid as best you can. If the old paint is coming off real well, you're lucky. A lot of guys will take it down to the GM black (if your car still has the GM black) ...and leave that as a base. But either way. Show us an after picture when you get it stripped..
Highway Man
Joined: Apr 2019
Posts: 445
Likes: 188
From: Ca
My 71 had a crappy red paint over the original Ontario Orange. Took about 40 razor blades and took off both layers getting it down to the burnt red/brown original primer.
I found that newer sharper blades didn’t dig in. As they got dull, they would start to gouge. Lucky the factory primer was thick enough and I didn’t gouge too deep and I was able to block sand the primer off with no gouge marks.
Cheers,
Richard
I found that newer sharper blades didn’t dig in. As they got dull, they would start to gouge. Lucky the factory primer was thick enough and I didn’t gouge too deep and I was able to block sand the primer off with no gouge marks.
Cheers,
Richard
Last edited by Kidster71; Sep 18, 2022 at 11:33 AM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 2,071
Likes: 147
From: S Nevada
When I did mine, I made a tool to hold the razor knife blade at about a 45 degree angle. Then I rounded the corners of the blade to prevent them from gouging. Just a few strokes on a whet stone occasionally and I doubt I went through 1/2 doz. The whole car was done within a week. I hate stripper!
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 2,277
Likes: 1,997
From: MA/NH Seacoast
Just got done stripping mine. Used probably 25 blades. Used my pneumatic sander with 80 grit to knock down the rest of the stubborn paint and smooth the body out.
I think a pack of 100 blades at Lowes was $8. Only used 4 80 grit discs.
I think a pack of 100 blades at Lowes was $8. Only used 4 80 grit discs.
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 3,691
Likes: 833
From: WI
Some cars ...like mine have umpteen paint jobs piled on top of each other! LOL. Then ya kind of have to use stripper. It's fast, I've done several cars. Had mine stripped and washed down to the GM black in a day...not even a full day (outside where fumes weren't bad).
But if razor blades work on yer paint, it's a definite opportunity. But when it doesn't work, I wouldn't hesitate to use stripper -- in accordance to good fiberglass-stripping practices.
But if razor blades work on yer paint, it's a definite opportunity. But when it doesn't work, I wouldn't hesitate to use stripper -- in accordance to good fiberglass-stripping practices.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 2,285
Likes: 487
From: Salmon Arm, BC
