AWilson

Ok, I guess I am sold on stripping the car down at least to the primer. I know it is hard to estimate but other than any repairs, of which I have a lot to do, how many hours does it take to sand strip the car and get it ready for paint including block sanding the panels smooth.
I need a reference point so I know what I am getting into.

For instance is 100 hrs reasonable?

Also, is there any good info, or a thread on plastic media blasting. I have the pressure tank for the media and a 5hp compressor. Maybe this would save me time and provide better results? But I need to know how to do it.

porchdog

you will have to have it blasted. my compressor is diesel powered at 185 cfm with an 1 1/4 hose.

AWilson

thanks porchdog,

What if I just do it the old fashioned way and sand it down. See my original post. How much time is involved.

I assume I use 80 grit to get down there?

Scott Marzahl

Al,
If I were you and your son, I'd use some Durablocks and wet sand it down. You can use 80 or 120 grit. Using 80 will help straighten out any waves if that is your goal.

For the two of you, I would plan on each blocking a panel a day after work. The original paint/primer should come off pretty fast. Be sure to clean it well before you start.

Good luck.

porchdog

have you tried razor blading it yet ? fastest way i know of short of blasting. you can strip all the panels and sand the little stuff.

AWilson

Explain this razor blading stuff. How do you do it?

AWilson

I already ordered the durablocks. They should be here this week. The wet sanding will keep the dust down and the paper clean. Good idea.
I want to block sand it as straight as I can get it. Well, within reason anyway. There are diminishing returns with this process.
Looks like it has been painted over once. From the top down I see paint, primer, paint, primer, glass. Thats a lot of stripping. I'm thinking of taking Thursday and Friday off to see how it goes. I will post a picture at that time.

Mark G

I stripped my 81 right down to the GM black in a leasurely-paced weekend using chemical stripper. I took breaks, lunch and goofed off some. It was pretty easy. I did it outside starting early in the mornings so I didn't have any issue with fumes or sunlight. And my C3 had more coats of paint (and featherfill) than I had ever seen on a car! I used Kleen-Strip [brand] Fiberglass safe stripper (2 gallons), brushed it on with a cheap paint brush. I had to let mine sit for a while, then remove ...then use another coat. I did the fenders first alternating between them, then the quarters and doors, then the roof and hood. I used a scuff pad on the final step before washing with water (to neutralize). Then I let the car sit for a couple weeks before working on it (worked on other projects). I bought some Capt'n Lees stripper, but with the 'hide' of paint on my car it wasn't as effective as the Kleen Strip. Plus, it was just a lot faster going brushing it on than the spray bottle. If you do it, I suggest getting some heavy Nitrile gloves. My standard chemical safe green gloves didn't see to be as chemical safe as they said after handling the stripper a while. I also put down paper and once finished, just threw it in the burn barrel and put a match to it once it dried.

Doing it this way doesn't damage the fiberglass or round over any of the sharp edges, like top of fenders, that abound on the C3. Sanding with a DA can take the crisp edge off ...I don't know about media blasting, but I would think it might also. The media blasting might be a good way to go, but you would want to see other vettes the blaster has done. There have been some sad stories of badly blasted vettes. Also, for those with rubber-bumper cars, be sure to use a rubber-bumper safe stripper on them. I didn't and mine didn't do very well (needed replacing anyway).

So, stripping with stripper is one way to go.

As far as the rest of the hours go, it's hard to say. Depends on how much fiberglass repair and bodywork you need to do. Also, how much time you can devote to it each time and how fast a worker you are. I'd say a decent bodyman could have it in primer, ready to paint in about a week to 10 days, maybe faster if it didn't need much bodywork. Double or tripple if you pick at it a few hours a day. Good luck,

Mark G

AWilson

Mark,

When did you do this? If a while ago, I assume you have not had any problems with the finish topcoat yet?

What about citrustrip?

Mark G

I stripped it about 3 years ago actually. The vette project started out fast but slowed to a crawl when my wife and I had a child, then I was "promoted" at work, which turned out to be intense in terms of hours/stress. About a year ago I changed jobs (less stress, more time). So the project is going a lot faster now. But it's been in primer for at least a year, no problems. I don't anticipate any either. It sat outside in the sun on occasions when I needed garage space.

Problems with stripper are overblown in my view. Mistakes made mostly by noobie oversight. When I was in college I worked for a guy that restored straight-axle and mid-year corvettes (no sharks). Gosh, we did maybe 10 total restorations a year and some overall paint jobs. All the cars were stripped with Zip-Strip. I cannot recall a single time we had problems with stripper lifting paint. I worked for him for several years too, I would have heard about it given his picky customers. I know it 'can' happen, but we didn't have any problems. The cars would set for a couple weeks afterwards, usually not on purpose, but because we were working on another car or getting other parts ready. We just watched our P's and Q's and made sure we washed the surface thoroughly. We used lacquer which is very easy to have problems with stripper. I've also used it to strip metal cars in the past.

Mark G

AWilson

As far as stripper goes I actually like the idea. The reason is there appears to be a number of products used in the marine industry that are fiberglass safe. My assumption is that this is a normal way of repairing or restoring boat hulls. if they can do it why not us, at least for an old fashioned 68 glassed body.

I would think that you don't want to use it where there are cracks that expose the fibers but for good surfaces that you just want to strip to the glass, why not.

Also, I don't see a problem with blasting. I will find out today but I believe I can control a sandlbaster to remove everything except the original primer. If, again If this is correct, then I should not have any concerns with hurting the glass.

I will be trying some things today as I took the day off to learn about this stuff. I'll let you guys know. I guess I have to learn the hard way a lot of times.

crazywelder

I also support chemical stripping with Kleen Strip and/or Captain Lee's as well as other methods, depends on the car. But don't sandblast the body, you will destroy it in no time no matter how much control you think you have. A sandblaster will blow through the glass faster than you can blink.

I think you are worried too much about how long it takes to do some of these tasks, treat this project as a hobby with an approximate goal but no definite time line. Otherwise you are going to rush the process and end up with shabby work. Even though there are numerous methods for removing paint from these cars, none are bulletproof or quick. Take your time, do it right and enjoy the time spent working on the car.

AWilson

Ok you guys here is what I did. I decided to try sandblasting. The local abrasive dealer, AGSCO, has acrylic at $2 per pound. This actually seems to be the going rate. At this cost I would need to continually sweep it up, screen and re use. I didn't like this idea especially since I am doing this outside. The other media they recommended was coal slag. Coal slag is the junk they get off the top of the molten metal pots in foundries. It is a natural product. This material is used to strip metal surfaces all the time. The price,,,,, .12 a pound! 1/16th the price of acrylic. I bought 400 lbs. for $50.
The grit size is 40/80 which means a min and max grain size. All I have to do is sweep it up and throw it out. I guess I could try to recycle it but at this price it isn't worth the hassle of potentially plugged lines.

My equipment is my 5hp compressor and my cheap suction feed bucket blaster from sears.

I set the output PSI to my blaster to 90.
Here are some pictures.

It is important to understand the sequence to show the good control in the process. My car was repainted.

First remove the top coat.
Then the white primer coat.
Then the original top coat and in doing so it removes about 3/5 of the original rust colored primer coat. I purposely don't try to remove the primer coat.
Then I hand wet sand with 80 grit paper to remove the rest of the primer coat.

This is after 8 hrs of blasting and sanding. What is not showing is the other side which also has the rear quarter panel completed.







Another one. The dark spots are water.


Here is a picture of what I though was failed paint. It is on the more horizontal surfaces. I assume it is a result of the sun. I thought is was the paint failing but it is actually the paint and the glass.


Here is a good example of the finish I get after the wet sand. It is very smooth to the touch.
Also in this shot again you can see the failed glass above and below the seam. It is not from sanding and it is a little more rough due to degradation of the surface from the sun.


So I estimate I have another 12 - 16 hours to go. I love how well it gets all the paint out of the nooks and crannies. I am interested in your opinions. I guess it is slower than stripper but less controversial. Faster than hand sanding and easily gets into the corners.

porchdog

i use type6 acrylic to blast vettes. i use 35 to 40 lbs at the nozzle ( 1 1/4 hose - 3/8 nozzle ) but i still tape off all edges and peaks. even acrylic can knock off the edge. i use a lot of metal tape in sensitive areas. be careful my first rodeo cost me a lot of work

AWilson

Thanks for the advice. I will keep you posted.

Mark G

The key is you are going slow and taking your time, leaving a little primer on...rather than blasting through it (pun intended). Looks like you are doing a great job! You aren't seriously going to leave the mirror and door handles on for the paint job, are you? I'd pull all that stuff off including the front and side glass. Blast the windshield frame. Rebuild the door hinges and paint the jambs up while the doors are off the car.

Keep up the good work!

AWilson

I plan to take all that off, I didn't think I was going to do that much besides experimenting. But finding a good solution got me excited and I just kept going along the side leaving the top of the door as is! It may be a while but I will post more pictures once it is completed.