How many layers?
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,583
Likes: 5
From: Richardson Tx.
How many layers?
I scraped off a layer of paint and see a gray surface but is it possible that there are other layers of paint under this one?
I want to get all of them off. How do you determine the # of layers that are on?
thanks
I want to get all of them off. How do you determine the # of layers that are on?
thanks
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,944
Likes: 22
From: Yooperville MI
Depends on how many repaints you have.
That's the dilemma you face when using the scraping method. You have to scrape mysteriously until you find the base material. This can be especially difficult if the paint adhesion is good. Some re-paint jobs come off in sheets, but others that were prepped well can be hard to break loose.
There is no "correct" way to strip a glass body, but I prefer the chemical method. Chemical stripping will take the paint down to the original primer if it still remains without gouging the body.
If your paint is difficult to scrape off, you would save a lot of surface repairs if you use chemicals. As you scrape you could be making ridges in the body and removing SMC if you are not careful.
If your paint is difficult to scrape, are you sure it needs to be stripped? Not having seen it myself, if you are looking for a nice driver quality paint job and your old paint is in good condition, you might be able to respray over it and get several years of durability. All depends on how long you plan to keep the car.
That's the dilemma you face when using the scraping method. You have to scrape mysteriously until you find the base material. This can be especially difficult if the paint adhesion is good. Some re-paint jobs come off in sheets, but others that were prepped well can be hard to break loose.
There is no "correct" way to strip a glass body, but I prefer the chemical method. Chemical stripping will take the paint down to the original primer if it still remains without gouging the body.
If your paint is difficult to scrape off, you would save a lot of surface repairs if you use chemicals. As you scrape you could be making ridges in the body and removing SMC if you are not careful.
If your paint is difficult to scrape, are you sure it needs to be stripped? Not having seen it myself, if you are looking for a nice driver quality paint job and your old paint is in good condition, you might be able to respray over it and get several years of durability. All depends on how long you plan to keep the car.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,583
Likes: 5
From: Richardson Tx.
In that case - what color is the base material?
When I occasionally gouge with the blade I see white/cream color below.
I wouldn't say that it is difficult to scrape though. There is a chip in the surface that leads me to believe there are more layers but I am not sure. see here:
Here is my first time scraping the hood: Opinions welcome
When I occasionally gouge with the blade I see white/cream color below.
I wouldn't say that it is difficult to scrape though. There is a chip in the surface that leads me to believe there are more layers but I am not sure. see here:
Here is my first time scraping the hood: Opinions welcome
Last edited by 79vetter; Sep 29, 2007 at 02:11 PM.
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,944
Likes: 22
From: Yooperville MI
SMC is a light grayish white color. The yellowish material could be epoxy primer. The chip in the first photo shows you have a thick build of coatings, paint and possibly filler in that area. Could the whole car be like that? It's possible. The car could have been sprayed with yellow epoxy and a thick film of Featherfill over the epoxy.
If I were you, I'd get the chemical stripper out. The chemical stripper will remove all of the paint without harming the body. Remember, you'll need to fill every gouge from the razor blade that got into the body. Those gouges will show up in your first primer coat. Chemical stripper won't touch body fillers, so once the paint is removed, you'll need to sand/grind off the filler.
With the chemical stripper you can move on with your project and stop guessing and worrying about how thick the coatings are and what needs to be scraped and what can't be scraped. I think it's the right choice for your application. Just my opinion.
If I were you, I'd get the chemical stripper out. The chemical stripper will remove all of the paint without harming the body. Remember, you'll need to fill every gouge from the razor blade that got into the body. Those gouges will show up in your first primer coat. Chemical stripper won't touch body fillers, so once the paint is removed, you'll need to sand/grind off the filler.
With the chemical stripper you can move on with your project and stop guessing and worrying about how thick the coatings are and what needs to be scraped and what can't be scraped. I think it's the right choice for your application. Just my opinion.
