Chemical stripping vs. media blasting. Which way to go?

[mytlo56]

Need to strip the paint off some fenders. There's good, solid metal underneath w/ no fill and there's only one layer of paint on em'.

For $20 I can buy some airplane stripper and have at it in the driveway...or I can pay $150 to have the stuff bead blasted.

I'm going to run these in bare metal and will hit them w/ the DA to get a nice shine. Which method will work better. Chemical or bead?

[Petejoe]

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I'm going to run these in bare metal and will hit them w/ the DA to get a nice shine

[/ QUOTE ]
Only temporary in the land of much moisture. Soon to be the patina rust color. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Alot of guys use a razor blade to remove the paint. I just had a friend who did his whole car this way. In hard to reach areas, use a high speed soft wire wheel and a face shield to dodge the wire spears coming at you.

[BigDdy31]

If ya wanna run'em bare, then I would go with the stripper. That way your scotchbrite pad or steel wool can give it a little polish while you strip. A couple of applications will probably be in order to get remaining paint and/or primer out of pits and such. Obviously this wouldn't be a problem with blasting but it also doesn't cost $150 bucks. LOL

I don't know about Seattle but down here in our humidity, we would have to clear coat those almost right away to avoid corrosion. On a warm, damp spring/summer day, I have seen stuff get the beginnnings of rust in a couple of hours after stripping if not coated.

How about a nice rusty colored primer instead? It might save your good sheet metal. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

[mytlo56]

I'm doing this on my Pan Head's tank and fenders. It's a garage dweller and the look I'm going for is going to be temporary until winter, when she gets painted.

Honestly, I don't mind a little patina anyway. It'll only add to the character of the 41 yr. old girl http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[roadstar]

Use the chemical stripper. Put it on thick and even. Let it do it's thing and scrape it off with a bondo spreader. Then for the remaining paint(trust me it ain't coming off completely in one application) put some more stripper on and get some thick rubber gloves and use water and coarse steel wool.

When you are done the metal will be nice and clean and not all scratched and gouged.

Plus I have noticed cars I have stripped in the past this way will not rust on the bare metal as quick as a car that has had the metal sanded or blasted.

[forsakenfew]

hey, did you pick up a new project? i may have to stop by and check it out.

[lownslow]

aircraft stripper is the way to go......i am actually doing right now as i type.....its out there doin its thing......the best imho is kleen strip aircraft stripper......get it at auto paint stores or even our local; auto zone and pep boys carry it yours may too.......have fun and wear a respirator and gloves.

[Just Gary]

Do the chemical stripper route. It's cheap and as long as you follow the instructions, it's hard to screw up badly. Furter, it's kind of a mindless task so and you can do it late at night, when you're tired and the rest of the family is in bed, so there are no interruptions.

Just be sure to wash up after yourself, get rid of ALL the newspapers & rags, and be sure to get ALL the stripper off the sheetmetal prior to bodywork.

[coupeHEAD]

mytlo, Alternative Blasters in Marysville, WA near Everett. $150 sounds like a lot for two fenders. $350 for a whole Model A Coupe. 888/900-0710. www.ablasterscorp.com (http://www.ablasterscorp.com) They do great work.