Starting the stripping process
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 160
Likes: 3
From: Bellevue Nebraska
NE Events Coordinator
Starting the stripping process
After a lot of reading on here, I'm starting the razor blade/heat gun stripping on my '79. Noticed several layers, seems to want to strip clear down to a last gray layer under black... is this normal and is this where I should be going to?
Here's what I'm looking at....
Thanks in advance for the input.
Here's what I'm looking at....
Thanks in advance for the input.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 19,294
Likes: 2,753
From: Charlotte NC
YES...the gray layer under the black is what you are trying to get to. How well is the heat gun and razor blade method doing. Sometimes I just use the razor blade and see what comes off without getting the body hot.
DO NOT try to get all the way down to the body...thus trying to remove the black layer with the razor blade is quite pointless. More damage can occur. Get off what you can without gouging of slicing into the body too much. Often times...getting the paint and body too hot can allow the razor blade to cut into it if you are not careful.
You might have to resort to chemical stripper once you get off all that you can by the razor blade method.
Thanks for posting a photo of what you were seeing. It was a great help in order to aid you in a response.
DUB
DO NOT try to get all the way down to the body...thus trying to remove the black layer with the razor blade is quite pointless. More damage can occur. Get off what you can without gouging of slicing into the body too much. Often times...getting the paint and body too hot can allow the razor blade to cut into it if you are not careful.
You might have to resort to chemical stripper once you get off all that you can by the razor blade method.
Thanks for posting a photo of what you were seeing. It was a great help in order to aid you in a response.
DUB
Last edited by DUB; Sep 27, 2013 at 07:01 PM. Reason: More info
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 160
Likes: 3
From: Bellevue Nebraska
NE Events Coordinator
Seems the heat is allowing large pieces to actually peel off by hand down to that black layer. Some places the gray is left. Once to the black is that when I go to the scotchbrite (think I read that somewhere on here) to get to a uniform gray? or is the black far enough?
Thanks again.
Thanks again.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 19,294
Likes: 2,753
From: Charlotte NC
When you get it down to the black. then it is either block sanding CAREFULLY or chemical stripper...which is where the Scotch-brite comes into play. I prefer using rough steel wool.
The idea is to get to bare SMC.
DUB
The idea is to get to bare SMC.
DUB
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 160
Likes: 3
From: Bellevue Nebraska
NE Events Coordinator
Ok, this razor blade kinda sucks 
Plus i've put a couple gouges in it when the blade skips on me. What is the preferred stripper to use instead of razor blading?
Plus i've put a couple gouges in it when the blade skips on me. What is the preferred stripper to use instead of razor blading?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,058
Likes: 27
From: Eastern North Carolina
,
Race Director
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 11,360
Likes: 382
From: Plano TX
After you get it down to lacquer primer with the chem strip, pour cheap lacquer thinner in a bowl and dip brown scotchbrite in it and scrub. That gets the primer off without damaging the panels. Keep dipping it in the thinner, the panel you're scrubbing has to be constantly soaked in it, otherwise the primer won't come off.
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Race Director
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 13,515
Likes: 12
From: Fisher, IL
I tied it all on mine....Didn't like any of them lol. Glad you're doing okay with your method.
Many coats on my car wouldn't get through the first layer with the razor blade.
Bought chemical stripper(spra strip) but it needed to go on thick or many many coats which I didn't like having to do.
Here's what painting the stripper on did...only stripped the areas where it was thicker.
So I bought a $25 undercoating gun and sprayed the stripper through that onto the car...THICK!
then used the razor blade to get the gunk off like butter. Followed it up with the rough steel wool and a little more stripper as lube.
I tried the lacquer thinner dunking like Zwede mentioned but it was useless for me. Was even spraying that stuff through the undercoating gun to get it on thick... Ended up wetsanding the body by hand with 220grit very carefully not to go too deep.(I know this was not the preferred method but it worked for me...)
(body down to primmer) Yours must either be different for your year or a different color... I'm guessing it's not the same since your razor blaze was able to get it off...which would be impossible on mine.
Many coats on my car wouldn't get through the first layer with the razor blade.
Bought chemical stripper(spra strip) but it needed to go on thick or many many coats which I didn't like having to do.
Here's what painting the stripper on did...only stripped the areas where it was thicker.
So I bought a $25 undercoating gun and sprayed the stripper through that onto the car...THICK!
then used the razor blade to get the gunk off like butter. Followed it up with the rough steel wool and a little more stripper as lube.
I tried the lacquer thinner dunking like Zwede mentioned but it was useless for me. Was even spraying that stuff through the undercoating gun to get it on thick... Ended up wetsanding the body by hand with 220grit very carefully not to go too deep.(I know this was not the preferred method but it worked for me...)
(body down to primmer) Yours must either be different for your year or a different color... I'm guessing it's not the same since your razor blaze was able to get it off...which would be impossible on mine.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 11,360
Likes: 382
From: Plano TX
That's the thing with stripper: You can't paint with it. You have to apply it as a thick blob. Never use brush strokes, moving it around makes it stop working. The less you move it around, the better it works. And like you say: it needs to be thick.
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 13,515
Likes: 12
From: Fisher, IL
But even dabbing was taking 2 or 3 coats to get it thick enough to cut though all the layers. the undercoating gun was worth it's weight in gold....load up, spray on, and watch it melt.
I'm curious to try the heat gun/blade method again since I started in an area the previous owner had done repairs to and I wonder if I had tried a different area if it would have worked like the OP. Or if it's because mines a '69 and that primmer is killer.