Sanding Louvers...Advice, tricks...help?

Does anyone have a good techique or trick to sanding louvers? I am going to be sanding the 162 louvers in my hood sides on the roadster soon and any advice, tricks, or technique help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Have fun.

The only real trick is beer. Put on your favorite music and a comfortable place to sit with the panels in your lap.

 

All of the above +++++++++ More beer !!!!!!!
And ya better know what yer doin when ya paint 'em.
Or your doin it all over again !!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Yep what he said!^

 

Just been through this. 205 in the boot lid. Lots of beer, and just pick up the 1's ya missed in the morning.

 

Are there any chemical stripping companies still around or has the EPA gotten rid of all of them?

Charlie Stephens

 

Just f n do it n think how cool it will look when your done!

 

Wear some mechanics gloves or you might regret it in the morning.

 

Great time to commit a crime....no fingerprints after you're done!!

 

Some kind of gloves for sure. I wish I had a good suggestion for sanding the louvers but I still haven't figured out a good method for sanding the 120 in my hood and I've sanded them several times over the years.

 

Paint stick w/ sandpaper on it ! The fingers like it a little better !!!

 

Sandblast 'em

 

I'm doing that exact thing today...308 or those bastards..

The only thing I have found that helps is 3M makes a Softback Sanding Sponge in fine, superfine and megadamnfine. (superfine is fine enough to paint. part # 02602) They help ALOT, but it still sucks...my thumbs and index fingers are toast and I still have one more round of sanding...

Good luck, -Abone.

 

So whats on there at present. Primer or old paint, if primer try some scotchbrite.

 

Thats a good suggestion, and I would use the super fine, those things are great.

 

Here's a trick I did years ago.
Wife came into the shop 1 morning and asked if she could help with anything.
I said, sure.
The decklid ( over 300), hood sides (over 200), and hood top (140)
had been sittin for about 2 weeks waitin 4 me to set them up to shoot.
Handed her a bucket of water and sum 400, told her to get after it.
The great gal she is she did it.
Took her 2 days.
That was 20 years ago --Everytime she see's a louvered part in the shop or a louvered hood, side panel, or anythig lovered,
I hear this under her breath--"FUCKIN LOUVERS"
Enjoy yourself.

"If it was sooooo easy everybody would have em"

 

Bandaids or super glue...and after an hour or so, be prepared to talk to yourself about weird schitt. Maybe that's just me.

 

Thanks guys for the suggestions...especially the part about having beer. The panels are primed and bing prepped for paint. I like the idea of using a scotch bright pad.

 

Here is my '34 lid after the first round of primer.



I lightly sanded the non louver areas with 80 on a flexible long board to get it straight. Then, I did the louvers and the rest of teh lid in 180 to smooth it and get it ready for the second round of primer.

What you can see in the pic are the last of the high spots and bare metal areas around each louver. All this will covered with primer in the next round and the third will make sure everything is perfect.

The only good thing about the second and third round of primer is yo ucan use the fine and superfine 3M pads..they are WAY easier than sandpaper, but it still is no fun at all..

Load some Metallica in the CD player and get a rack of cold ones and get to it. (DON'T set beer cans on the car..it can leave little rings in the paint...)

Good luck, -Abone.

 

I don't do allot of paint prep, but when I have to sand them I generally use scotch bright pads in lots of different grades. The other weird thing I do is before pulling my gloves on, I take a strip of duct tape cut into small (say 1/4" wide) strips and wrap the ends of my fingers. Just the tip will do. With some of the gloves, I find that the material cuts almost a quick as the skin under it. It helps, trust me.

 

Take the pain. Accept the pain. Become one with the pain.

 

yep... prepping for paint is a bit easier than color sanding or the cut and buff portion.



Never this close together again...

 

^^Jeezus! How did you get in there to clean those!!?

 

The whole time I was cussing the person that came up with the idea to put them that close together. The bummer is it was me... :roll eyes:

As bad as it was, it does look worse in the pic than it really is, though it does suck. And even when they are farther apart, you really have to watch those edges.

 

Started sanding the louvered panels tonight. I used a scotch bright pad and it worked grea... I also incorporated a six pack of my favorite beer into the process. Thanks again for all of the replies and helpful tips.

 

And I thought 16 louvers was a pain in the ass! Didn't know about the beer part, that is where I went wrong. I hate sanding and louvers just makes it that much more fun!

Mike

 

Some good tips guys! I'm DREADING doing my deck lid. I put these in myself by hand with a die set i made, so although they are pretty damn close, they are not uniform like a machine does..
Ought to be a lot of fun.
Thanks for the idea's and advice.

Tony

 

Great stories, only did this on five or six cars and since I had a "hook up" for louvers there were a LOT. I don't drink enough to do it any more...............LOL

 

I put 168 louvers in an O/T TR6 once....I got lucky, the guy that did the louvers had me buff all the paint off the area where the louvers were going before he started punching.

 

I always strip both sides before I punch. And I usually recommend they do it before bringing it to me. Saves a bunch of money.