Paint stripping
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 281
Likes: 9
From: New England
Paint stripping
Well,I got a price of $750-800 to have my car Media blasted with plastic pellets,so I went out in the garage and decided to give the razor blades a try. Before I started the razor blade process I didn't have any body work to do. Now I do,where I gouged all kinds of grooves in the body. 
I threw the razor blades in the trash and made an appointment to have the car media blasted.I think it will be the best $800.00 that I spend in the process.
I guess if you have a paint job that's almost ready to come off from peeling anyways the razor blade will work, but not on a paint job that was done correctly from the start.
I threw the razor blades in the trash and made an appointment to have the car media blasted.I think it will be the best $800.00 that I spend in the process. I guess if you have a paint job that's almost ready to come off from peeling anyways the razor blade will work, but not on a paint job that was done correctly from the start.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 10,560
Likes: 439
From: Wellington, FL
St. Jude Donor '11 thru '25
Yep, you have to careful when using razor blades on Vettes to remove paint. However, if you're careful, it can be done. I did mine using chemicals but this is a little on the messy side. If you plan on prepping the car for paint, be careful when sanding as you can make the fiberglass waving if not done properly. Good luck! 
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 9,206
Likes: 17
From: Sewell NJ
Well,I got a price of $750-800 to have my car Media blasted with plastic pellets,so I went out in the garage and decided to give the razor blades a try. Before I started the razor blade process I didn't have any body work to do. Now I do,where I gouged all kinds of grooves in the body. I threw the razor blades in the trash and made an appointment to have the car media blasted.I think it will be the best $800.00 that I spend in the process.
I guess if you have a paint job that's almost ready to come off from peeling anyways the razor blade will work, but not on a paint job that was done correctly from the start.
I threw the razor blades in the trash and made an appointment to have the car media blasted.I think it will be the best $800.00 that I spend in the process. I guess if you have a paint job that's almost ready to come off from peeling anyways the razor blade will work, but not on a paint job that was done correctly from the start.
This is the main reason why I've always recommended chemical stripping over the razor blade method. I've stripped my car twice with Capt'n Lee's with no problems whatsover. I know some people have been successful with razor blades but you have to ask yourself if the risk is worth a savings of about $75 and a little labor.
Drifting
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 1,629
Likes: 4
From: Somers CT
I was wondering about the media blasting............I've read a thread somewhere that warns about the media blasting making tiny "hairs" on the surface from the abrasive nature of blasting the fiberglass. Think that might be a concern??
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 281
Likes: 9
From: New England
TopGunn,
I decided to go with Plastic media over Soda . The shop that I went with has done numerous Corvettes without any problems. They can very the amount of material they take off because it's such a low pressure 30PSI . They can take it down to the base primer or down to the gelcoat. I want it down to the gelcoat myself because I want to know what's under the primer. I don't want any surprises to after my new paint job, so to me it's worth a little more of my time in body prep after the blasting to have a little piece of mind knowing I'm not putting good paint over anything bad that might come up under the new paint later. I'm 61 years old and I only plan on doing this job one time in my life time. Plus I don't think I can afford $$$$$
to do it over again.
I decided to go with Plastic media over Soda . The shop that I went with has done numerous Corvettes without any problems. They can very the amount of material they take off because it's such a low pressure 30PSI . They can take it down to the base primer or down to the gelcoat. I want it down to the gelcoat myself because I want to know what's under the primer. I don't want any surprises to after my new paint job, so to me it's worth a little more of my time in body prep after the blasting to have a little piece of mind knowing I'm not putting good paint over anything bad that might come up under the new paint later. I'm 61 years old and I only plan on doing this job one time in my life time. Plus I don't think I can afford $$$$$
to do it over again.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 2,131
Likes: 4
From: May help you? You can sure as hell try!
This is the main reason why I've always recommended chemical stripping over the razor blade method. I've stripped my car twice with Capt'n Lee's with no problems whatsover. I know some people have been successful with razor blades but you have to ask yourself if the risk is worth a savings of about $75 and a little labor.
Captain Lee's worked very well. I had my car stripped in about a day's time. I suppose this can vary with how many coats of paint are on the car and my car had only one repaint and is a convertible so I didn't need to worry about the roof.
I've heard horror stories about media blasting as well as chemical strippers. However, I'm convinced that the bad experiences with paint strippers is due to using the wrong type. You must use "safe for fiberglass" which Captain Lee's states explicitly.
No matter what stripping process you use, your Corvette is going to need some kind of body preparation before repainting (read: bodywork). Even if it's only minimal filling, straightening and block sanding. A few razor scratches should be easy to deal with.
Drifting
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 1,629
Likes: 4
From: Somers CT
TopGunn,
I decided to go with Plastic media over Soda . The shop that I went with has done numerous Corvettes without any problems. They can very the amount of material they take off because it's such a low pressure 30PSI . They can take it down to the base primer or down to the gelcoat. I want it down to the gelcoat myself because I want to know what's under the primer. I don't want any surprises to after my new paint job, so to me it's worth a little more of my time in body prep after the blasting to have a little piece of mind knowing I'm not putting good paint over anything bad that might come up under the new paint later. I'm 61 years old and I only plan on doing this job one time in my life time. Plus I don't think I can afford $$$$$ to do it over again.
I decided to go with Plastic media over Soda . The shop that I went with has done numerous Corvettes without any problems. They can very the amount of material they take off because it's such a low pressure 30PSI . They can take it down to the base primer or down to the gelcoat. I want it down to the gelcoat myself because I want to know what's under the primer. I don't want any surprises to after my new paint job, so to me it's worth a little more of my time in body prep after the blasting to have a little piece of mind knowing I'm not putting good paint over anything bad that might come up under the new paint later. I'm 61 years old and I only plan on doing this job one time in my life time. Plus I don't think I can afford $$$$$
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Racer
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 259
Likes: 45
From: Columbus Mn
I've used Captain Lee's and I've also had the whole car plastic media blasted. Things went very bad with the plastic media blasting. Most of the edges were destroyed, many areas were blasted right through or thinned out, and the whole car had the texture of a sponge. The business that did it had a history of media blasting corvettes the owner even had one of his own and one that they displayed at shows. My best guess is some rookie was given the task of media blasting mine. It took an incredible amount of time to correct everything. I wish I would have stuck with the Captain Lees. That was my experience. Good luck.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 9,622
Likes: 16
From: absecon nj
Well i use the razor blade method all the time and have had great luck a few small nicks but nothing that cant be fixed.In fact im already in the middle of stripping mine now i got the hood done and ttops done in 15 minutes.Now i already did my car 10 years ago so it is easier on fresher paint.
Drifting
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 1,629
Likes: 4
From: Somers CT
Well i use the razor blade method all the time and have had great luck a few small nicks but nothing that cant be fixed.In fact im already in the middle of stripping mine now i got the hood done and ttops done in 15 minutes.Now i already did my car 10 years ago so it is easier on fresher paint.
Thanx.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 9,622
Likes: 16
From: absecon nj
Wow 15 minutes for a hood and tops! Any chance you could take a snapshot of the type of razor blade you're using and the method, like the angle best suited to hold it etc. The only chance I get to do this is in the winter and it's tough to rinse stripper in the cold weather.
Thanx.
Thanx.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,125
Likes: 15
From: Columbia Missouri
Drifting
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 1,629
Likes: 4
From: Somers CT
i use regular single edge razor blades from home depot,not the ones for a razor knife and start with a small chipped area and catch the edge of razor blade and hold it on slight angle and start stripping, then after a small area is cleaned pull it straight toward me laying flat and start taking off bigger sheets.I dont use a holder of any type this gives a better chance to dig in a cause nicks id rather hold it in my fingers and work slow.
Putty knife with heat gun also sounds interesting.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 9,622
Likes: 16
From: absecon nj
Intermediate
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 39
Likes: 0
From: Quebec Quebec
Hi everybody,
I'm stripping my vette with razor blades. Some places I'm on the gel coat and it was very easy to take off the paint, some other places a chunk of paint over a green stuff (primer?) is well sticked on the gel coat. Rear fenders are on a grey stuff (Primer).
I'm interested by the heat gun technique to take off the rest. Is there any danger to use heat on the fiberglass and gel coat? Any precaution to take?
Tank you,
Claude
I'm stripping my vette with razor blades. Some places I'm on the gel coat and it was very easy to take off the paint, some other places a chunk of paint over a green stuff (primer?) is well sticked on the gel coat. Rear fenders are on a grey stuff (Primer).
I'm interested by the heat gun technique to take off the rest. Is there any danger to use heat on the fiberglass and gel coat? Any precaution to take?
Tank you,
Claude
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 3,570
Likes: 1
From: Algonac Michigan
Hi everybody,
I'm stripping my vette with razor blades. Some places I'm on the gel coat and it was very easy to take off the paint, some other places a chunk of paint over a green stuff (primer?) is well sticked on the gel coat. Rear fenders are on a grey stuff (Primer).
I'm interested by the heat gun technique to take off the rest. Is there any danger to use heat on the fiberglass and gel coat? Any precaution to take?
Tank you,
Claude
I'm stripping my vette with razor blades. Some places I'm on the gel coat and it was very easy to take off the paint, some other places a chunk of paint over a green stuff (primer?) is well sticked on the gel coat. Rear fenders are on a grey stuff (Primer).
I'm interested by the heat gun technique to take off the rest. Is there any danger to use heat on the fiberglass and gel coat? Any precaution to take?
Tank you,
Claude
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,404
Likes: 1
From: Ansonia/NYC CT
So, I just got an L88 hood, and I need to strip the paint, and prime it. I am NOT doing the entire car (yet), just the hood, for now. I'm gonna be ghetto, and ride around with a black car and a gray primed hood for a while. For a small job like that, is taking a razer blade to it the way to go? Do I need to keep the work surface wet, or dry? Or does it matter? Also, an unrelated question...my old hood form the 76 has fiberglass type insulation on the underside...the L88 does not. Does it need it? And last, I thought the L88 hood had a ram air type gap where it curves under in the middle, but no gap. How would I go about cutting a gap, to make it functional? Thanks in advance, guys!
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 3,438
Likes: 41
From: Raleigh NC
St. Jude Donor '13-'14
So, I just got an L88 hood, and I need to strip the paint, and prime it. I am NOT doing the entire car (yet), just the hood, for now. I'm gonna be ghetto, and ride around with a black car and a gray primed hood for a while. For a small job like that, is taking a razer blade to it the way to go? Do I need to keep the work surface wet, or dry? Or does it matter? Also, an unrelated question...my old hood form the 76 has fiberglass type insulation on the underside...the L88 does not. Does it need it? And last, I thought the L88 hood had a ram air type gap where it curves under in the middle, but no gap. How would I go about cutting a gap, to make it functional? Thanks in advance, guys!
Here's a good thread with pictures.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...light=l88+hood
Also good information from one of our forum members:
http://www.corvetteforum.net/c3/mdsmith/l88.htm
As far as paint stripping, I would use the Capt'n Lees, especially for just the hood. I started with the razor blade and am moving onto the chemical stripping. I'm assuming you meant that you bought the hood from someone used, are going to strip it and prime it right?
Last edited by LeMans Pete; Jul 1, 2008 at 12:37 PM.