Technical Paint Removal

Can anyone recommend a product that will actually remove automotive primer. I have some paint stripper that cuts right through the paint but doesn't make a dent in the primer.

 

take some 80 grit paper and scratch the primer before you apply the stripper,the paper will open it so to speak an allow the chemical to penetrate the primer

 

I use these...

 

I used a single edged razor-

 

I am using those and they will lift all the primer. Using them on my 48 chev. Got some 7" discs for .99 last week! I sandblasted my last project because I was unaware of these stripping discs and sanding discs just melted the 70 year old primer into the metal. Now I only sandblast the hard to reach areas

 

I recently used straight pine sol to strip a pair of license plates down to bare metal. It has to be straight pine sol, not diluted with water or anything else. I left the plates submerged over night in a large enough food storage container, when i checked them the following morning, most of the paint peeled right off. I took a scotchbrite pad to the stubborn spots and that also came off fairly easy. There's a how to do it on you tube, but I don't know the link.

 

There isn't any easy, or fast way to do this. except sending the car off to a blaster!
The reason it didn't work on your primer, is probably because the primer is lacquer paint. Stripper will bubble off enamels, though it takes a lot longer on catalyzed urethanes, but it just softens lacquer.
Scrape as much as you can off, then either wait until it dries, and sand it, or use those "strip discs", or scrub it with steel wool and lacquer thinner while it is still wet with the stripper.

 

If you're set on using the stripper, like someone said before - try giving it a scratch with some 80 grit, and find a two foot square piece of plastic car cover. Put the stripper on after scuffing up the primer, and cover it with the plastic to keep it from drying out quickly. After it sits for about 20 minutes, if you can't scrape it off with a razor blade, you need to cut bait. It's not gonna work. The norton or 3M clean and strip discs are magnificent if you've got a compressor that can handle running the tools required. I personally prefer to strip the 'flat' body panels myself, and have the nooks and crannies sandblasted.

 

Good advise here. I have a 30 year old lacquer job to do late summer and its a big car. My local soda blast guy warped the last job I gave him and Id rather spend a week doing it myself by hand than get it blanked up.And by the way,my marron paint back then was $52 a GALLON!!

 

Oven cleaner or naval jelly if you want to use a chemical. Otherwise a flap disc like mentioned above.

 

I have used Steel wool on the stripper after the primer has been softened up. Seems to work pretty good. Lots of elbow grease. Use gloves, long sleeves and a face shield. Aircraft stripper is nasty stuff.

 

I bought an eastwood soda blaster, works great, fun too, environmentally safe they say.

 

Brake fluid seems to remove everything it touches, especially when you don't want it to.

 

Air Craft paint remover works really well. Just make sure you don't get it on you as its highly acidic .