Paint Removal
Paint Removal
Author
Discussion

Alan Whitaker

Original Poster:

2,054 posts

211 months

Sunday 11th April 2010
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Hi All.
As I am waiting parts I thought as its a nice day I would start sanding down the body, Just started to remove a really bad paint job, I think it was done by Steve Wonder, I spent 4 hours yesterday and only did from the front wheel arch to the door and I am done for, I have a orbital sander but the paint they used just clogs it up.
Anybody used any other products to remove paint or is it just a long slog of a job.


clarenceboddiger

1,398 posts

244 months

Sunday 11th April 2010
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I would have thought the long slog is the only way as I'm assuming chemical paint removers may soak into the fibreglass and cause you nightmares when the new paint is put on.

Alan Whitaker

Original Poster:

2,054 posts

211 months

Sunday 11th April 2010
quotequote all
Hi.
I was thinking on them lines myself, I looked into soda blasting again £ 800 a bit on the high side.
2 days hard work and I have got only a bit done, its the hard slog then


Thanks

Alan

phillpot

17,510 posts

212 months

Sunday 11th April 2010
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What grade disc's are you using ? maybe go a bit coarser to rip through rubbish paint and finish with finer or hand flat with wet n dry ?

Alan Whitaker

Original Poster:

2,054 posts

211 months

Sunday 11th April 2010
quotequote all
Hi,
I am using 80 grit and finishing with 180,

Alan

This is as far as I have done in 2 days, just using a primer as I go.

Alan

magpies

5,204 posts

211 months

Sunday 11th April 2010
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how about 80 grit followed by a bucket of filler laugh

Alan Whitaker

Original Poster:

2,054 posts

211 months

Sunday 11th April 2010
quotequote all
Hi Mick.

I was thinking of 40 grit but its mixing a bucket of filler and sanding all over again that puts me off, I have a few earley finishes this weel so by next sunday I may have one side done.


Alan

Barkychoc

7,848 posts

233 months

Sunday 11th April 2010
quotequote all
I know very little about fibreglass bodywork but do you need to take it back that far?
Or is it because you've primed it we can't seen some remains of the original paint?

Alan Whitaker

Original Poster:

2,054 posts

211 months

Sunday 11th April 2010
quotequote all
Hi Chris,
The primed area is back to factory body primer and gel coat, the original paint was ocean blue with another slight metallic blue sprayed over and a crap job it was. I just start where the primer finishes and sand back as I go. I have a painter who looked before I sprayed the primer on. Saves quite allot on the re spray if I get all the old paint off.

Alan

The guy doing the re spray says there was very little preparation when it was re sprayed and what was done was poor so the re spray all has to come off inc primer.

Edited by Alan Whitaker on Sunday 11th April 21:01

spludge

327 posts

248 months

Sunday 11th April 2010
quotequote all
I'm part way through stripping 4 or 5 layers of paint from a Vixen shell. All being done by hand using a cabinet scraper and 60grit silicon oxide paper to get down to the original primer. The 60grit paper cuts really well with very little clogging. Its all very slow and tedious but strangely theraputic at times.

If your shell has been waxed at any point it might be worth a little hand sanding with a coarse grit before attacking it with the power sander to see if helps with clogging.

If you can get hold of a copy of 'How to Restore Fibreglass Bodywork' by Miles Wilkins its got some really helpful guidance on repairs and paint removal.

K

Alan Whitaker

Original Poster:

2,054 posts

211 months

Sunday 11th April 2010
quotequote all
Hi.
I don't know much about paint and I have not found it theraputic yet but with a crate of beer it may come to me.
On the fiberglass I am ok I have 30 years with fiberglass and the last 10 with carbon fiber / kevlar and vacume bagging but the paint still has to come off.

Alan

Alan Whitaker

Original Poster:

2,054 posts

211 months

Monday 12th April 2010
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Hi
Big thanks to Spludge, got a scraper today and it works very well.

Alan

clarenceboddiger

1,398 posts

244 months

Tuesday 13th April 2010
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spludge said:
All being done by hand using a cabinet scraper and 60grit silicon oxide paper to get down to the original primer.
What is a cabinet scraper?

spludge

327 posts

248 months

Tuesday 13th April 2010
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clarenceboddiger said:
What is a cabinet scraper?
The ones I use look like this:


They are thin carbon steel which you have to sharpen regularly to get best results. I've found the curved (goosneck) one to be the most useful. There are also Bahco and Skarsten style scrapers and others which have handles and replaceable blades which I've heard of others using.

K

Alan Whitaker

Original Poster:

2,054 posts

211 months

Tuesday 13th April 2010
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Hi Spludre.
I got the first one, they are guite good.

Alan

clarenceboddiger

1,398 posts

244 months

Tuesday 13th April 2010
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Thanks, I am going to need one for next winter.

spludge

327 posts

248 months

Tuesday 13th April 2010
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I picked up a useful tip about sharpening these things. The conventional way, learned at school a looooong time ago, is to flat both faces and the edges with an oilstone to give sharp square and burr-free corners. Then you turn the edge with a burnishing tool, I use the back of a wood chisel, to create a burr which is the cutting edge. Plenty of refs on a Google search show you how.

Now I just flat the faces on an oilstone and then draw file a few strokes along the edges with a fine file. The burr created is rougher but works just as well, the marks in the primer come out when you sand it. Best of all its a lot quicker.

K