A friend is asking about removing paint on an old 1966 Mustang that they are restoring and they are debating the three basic options you have. Sanding all the paint off with a disc sander, Bringing it to a place to have it blasted or chemical stripping.
Many people who are repairing their first classic car will start off with a sander and even with an aggressive paper like 36grit on a 7 inch sander you are going to take forever. The other drawback is heat. Heat from a sander being used to remove paint to bare metal can distort the panel. Normally you would only use a sander when you are doing a repair.
The second method of blasting can be cost prohibitive for many people. However it is a really great way to remove paint and undercoating and get into areas like the under side of the hood that you can’t get to with a sander or even hand sanding. However it is a great way to strip a car down and the newer dustless blasting that uses glass bead and water can remove everything leaving you a bare car to work on. When considering this method also factor transportation but some mobile blasting companies can come to your home if you have a large enough property.
Finally there is chemical stripping and this method can greatly reduce the amount of sanding and hours it will take to strip your car. Unfortunately chemical stripping that isn’t done in a large tank can’t be used to remove paint in tight nooks. So forget trying to get into the underside of your hood or deck lid or other tight places because Chemical Stripping always requires follow up by sanding.
Preparing Your Vehicle For Chemical Stripping
The first thing you want to do is wash your vehicle and remove all the wax, oil and dirt from the surface. Sure chemical stripper is strong stuff but you don’t want it to have to fight the garbage on your paint.
The next thing you might want to do is abrade the surface of the paint with some 180 grit paper on a DA sander. Just hit it long enough to open the paint and scuff all the gloss off it. This will help with penetration.
All moldings and decals need to be removed. It is ok to leave the glass in your car but you really need to protect it. I suggest that you get a roll of 10mill poly plastic and cut templates for your glass and then you want to tape it in place with many layers of masking tape.
When taping around windows or things that can’t be removed you need to give yourself about 2 inches of old paint that you will not strip. This area has to be a buffer between the stripper and the molding which you will hand sand or disc sand. YOU CAN NOT STRIP RIGHT UP TO THE EDGE OF A MOLDING OR THE STRIPPER WILL GET UNDER IT AND CAUSE PAINT PROBLEMS AND RUST.
Tape all of your door to fender and door to quarter panel seam openings. Tape every seam between panels with a 2 inch masking tape and use at minimum 2 layers on each opening. YOU DO NOT WANT STRIPPER LEAKING INTO THESE AREAS.
Cover your wheels with at least 2 trash bags over each tire.. if you can remove them and put the car on jack stands then that is much better.
Also when doing wheel wells you want to stay away from the lip of the wheel well. Taping them off is not as important as doing all your panel seams and cowl and other openings but you don’t want stripper getting under the lip of the wheel well.
If you are applying stripper in your garage you need to protect the floor with a 10 mill plastic tarp.
SAFETY FIRST AND NO OTHER OPTION
This like no other job you will perform on your vehicle requires that you wear safety equipment. If you don’t you will have chemical burns. The likelihood of you having chemical burns will only be reduced even if you suit up.. you are still likely to have a few chemical burns by the time the job is done. Chemical burns on your hands, arms, stomach are not as bad as on your FACE, HEAD, OR YOUR EYES.. but they will last for months and may not heal fully.
EYE PROTECTION IS A MUST AND YOU MUST WEAR SAFETY GOGGLES THAT FIT TIGHT.. DON’T JUST WEAR SAFETY GLASSES. AND YOU SHOULD FOLLOW THAT UP WITH A PLASTIC FACE SHIELD TO PROTECT YOUR FACE.
Never wear the same clothes after stripping in them
Wear old clothes and wear a Painters Suit over top of them when you are stripping.
Some people strip a car and come back the next day and put on their old jeans and there is a spot of stripper still active on the leg and you get burnt..
Inspect and clean your eye protection
WEAR HEAVY GLOVES and only wear them once.
There are expenses .. don’t try to cheap out.. this is your life and if you don’t do this correctly you better just forget even trying.
Final Note
This is no joke.
After you get your first few chemical burns you will understand. You will say dam I could have lost an eye or burned my face or scared myself for life. AND THIS CAN HAPPEN.
BE CAREFUL… But no matter how careful you are you are still likely to get a chemical burn
Chemical Stripping is probably the worst job you will ever do.
If you do it with forethought and safety first it can be something you get through and dread ever doing again..
If you say screw that I won’t get hurt you are very likely to get hurt.
If you get stripper splashed on you IMMEDIATELY GET IT OFF
It is best to work with a buddy and you constantly check each other for splashes of stripper while you work.. YOU CAN NOT WAIT UNTIL THE WORK IS DONE TO REMOVE IT.. you need to stop and get it off your skin IMMEDIATELY. its no joke.
READ AND FOLLOW THE MANUFACTURER’S SAFETY NOTICES AND LIKE YOU NEVER HAVE IN YOUR ENTIRE LIFE BEFORE…. THIS TIME YOU FOLLOW THEM.. AND THIS TIME YOU DO BETTER THAN WHAT THEY JUST RECOMMEND.
You think I am being a safety sally? come back after your job is done and say that.