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64 Originally Daytona Blue with one respray. It was painted sometime before 1974 as this was done before the second owner. I am pretty sure it is not a lacquer paint and I don’t think that is pertinent to my real question.
I think I am looking at some bare fiberglass, red primer and maybe a high build primer? Paint stripper did a pretty good job after roughing up the surface top coat. Is the material on top of the primer original?
I don’t see any signs of the dark blue. It is hard to imagine it was all sanded off before the respray. All the bonding strips are visible so that is a good sign.
On top of the red primer is the off white/gray. Is it a light filler? Just a primer? It seems too thick for a factory coating. It even scrapes off kind of funny. Maybe a skim coat of filler? Am I looking at factory finishes or do you think the car had been stripped way back and then repainted? In the jams I can find the dark blue under the lighter blue paint.
I have been playing with different areas to see how long to leave on the stripper and how much to apply. It seems like sanding the top coat really helps the stripper. I know the temps in Richmond have been in the 40's and 50's so it may slow the reaction. In 5 minutes the stripper is reacting pretty good. Can I expect the stripper to work even better when the temperatures are in the 60's and above?
The manufacturer does not give a lot of advice on application of the product.
There is really no way in telling why someone may have stripped off all the paint on the front clip but did not do it anywhere else. The main objective is to identify what you know is the bare fiberglass body panel and strip it to it and not be so concerned why panels were done differently if you are feeling like you are going down that paint
I have stripped so many Corvettes that I often times come across areas where someone applied body filler on UNSANDED PAINT and it is just what it is and I remove it down to bare fiberglass and repair any and all areas. Regardless if the bodywork that has been on there for 50 years....it is all removed.
YES...colder damp conditions can effect how well the chemical stripper works in regard to the speed of its ability to soften up the paint, primer or whatever.
Not knowing the process you are using and if you are using automotive grade lacquer thinner and rough steel wool to aid in removing the coating down to BARE fiberglass. All I can say is to be careful in your quest to try to get it down to bare fiberglass. I have a process I know works or me and has worked flawlessly in 30+ years with absolutely NO damage to the fiberglass. Like I wrote above...I do not know what method you are using. And constantly applying stripper on known bare fiberglass areas is not a good thing to do.
***EDIT***
The chemical stripper you are using is good to use. I use the Klean Strip chemical stripper NOT for fiberglass due to it is stronger and it still will not damage the fiberglass if you are WATCHING what is going on. The stripping capabilities of your stripper and the stripper I use are the same...it is only the strength is different. So fear in damaging the body is not there IF YOU ARE WATHCING what you are doing. When I get down to the red oxide primer or black sealer...THAT is when I apply a thin layer of the chemical stripper and use the lacquer thinner and rough steel wool to scrub it off. Like i wrote...I have a process that works for me and no problems in that method..
And YES...there are times and areas where it is easier and faster to block off the remaining primer than mess with the chemical stripper.
I know from when I did the car in the summer and the hardtop in winter was night and day time wise. Took a lot longer in the winter. The paint would bubble up in less than 5 minutes in the summer and last month in the 50’s it took at least 10-15. I did about an 18”-2’ section at a time. When the paint bubbled up I used a plastic bondo spreader to remove the paint, then applied stripper to the grey and while it was wet I used a 3m red pad to get to the red. The pads gum up at this step. Then I rinsed the area with water real good since the stripper is water soluble.
Next I dried the water off the paint in the next section and repeated to red. Once I was down to to mostly red I only used water and 3M red pads to remove the remaining red coat. Took some elbow grease and plenty of rinsing the pads at this point but worked well.
Using water to remove stripper is up to you. Even though the can say you can use water ...there is a better way that can offer more than what the water does,....but it may cost you a little bit more money but it is not like you are not going to need to have automotive grade lacquer thinner there to do work anyway.
But...LOGIC dictates that paint/primer is NOT water soluble. So...using automotive grade lacquer thinner and rough steel wool OR a red 3M Scotch-brite pad will begin to BETTER aid in removing the paint due to it does require a solvent to remove it. Because paint is petroleum/solvent based and not water based in this era of paint jobs. So with chemical stripping ability if the stripper and the addition of lacquer thinner and a rough scuff pad...the primer that is being softened by the chemical stripper will now allow the lacquer thinner to aid it in coming off rather easily...even though it may take a bit of scrubbing depending on how thick the primer actually is.
When you are all done...wipe of the area with CLEAN lacquer thinner and CLEAN paper towels. DO NOT USE shop towels...even if they are new. Use paper towels. I use Bounty myself.
Lacquer thinner will destroy and thin out the stripper...while water can turn it into a mixture that resembles snot and if you are not careful can linger and hang on and stay in areas like tight nooks and crannies.
Use want you want. I do not like water on the bare body for any reason.... due to NOW I have to contend with the water getting on the body and now have to be concerned if I have it dried out enough to do body work. Because if the body is cold...how long will it take for a wet bare fiberglass body was dried off by hand to actually be moisture free to the point where work can begin. And even if it was in the heat of the summer I still would not get water on the bare fiberglass. Why do it if you do not have to do it. While...if I use lacquer thinner I do not have that worry and I get allow it to flash off well and get started much faster. And YES..I also may wipe the body with CLEAN acetone and fresh paper towels which we all know flashes off much faster than water and does not leave a residue behind.
Thanks DUB I was hoping you would reply as I have read your prior posts on paint and stripping. I will have to proclaim you as the Burning Bush of Corvette Paint! The tip on the water cleaning was another new point for me. I took your advice from other posts and did test areas and I paid attention to the timing. Thanks again.
I know I have my methods which can differ from many others...and I am not saying that if the way a person does it is different than my method it is BAD...it just is different...and it may be okay...or it may not be okay. Who knows. All I do know is what I do.... and how I do it.... and how it does and has passed the test of time and no problems so I do know when I write something. I am only giving those who care about it the information to make their own decision...which is why I will often times reply to a comment and pass along what I do or have experienced in regards to a specific comment.. Not trying to **** anyone off...just letting people know what may not be read in the fine print when a person reads a label and does it like the can tells them to do.
I am glad that some of what i wrote is helping you in your chemical stripping process....and by you paying attention...the fear that you are going to screw something up really bad is more than likely no longer a concern to you. Which clearly shows....chemical stripping can be done and will not destroy the fiberglass if a person pays attention to what they are doing.
So all of the scare tactics and comments when chemical stripping threads get going are from those who obvious have no clue on what they were doing and jumped right in thinking it was going to be easy and take no thought at all. Big mistake on their part. And then they comment badly on chemical stripper being so bad for the body beacsue they did not know how to use it adn did not preform any TESTS.
From Dub
I am glad that some of what i wrote is helping you in your chemical stripping process....and by you paying attention...the fear that you are going to screw something up really bad is more than likely no longer a concern to you. Which clearly shows....chemical stripping can be done and will not destroy the fiberglass if a person pays attention to what they are doing.
I think we all take advice and then tweak it to our comfort level. My method has been to:
1 Sand the top coat to thin the layers.
2 Apply Stripper
3 Scrape - I am using a metal scraper with dulled corners taking care to not gouge the fiberglass.
4 3M pad with thinner and paper towels to wipe off the surface.
5 Repeat the Process.
CLEARLY the paint stripping process that you found that works for you is WORKING.
GREAT JOB and as you see.... there is nothing to be fearful of in regards to damaging any of the body so severely that it s a total loss and that area needs to be replaced or repaired.
Just goes to show 'others' that it does work if you pay attention to what you are doing.
01-24-2019, 06:01 PM
Need more help on what I am seeing here.
