Projects CHEAPEST AND EASIEST WAY TO REMOVE PAINT?

HI All, I just got this 33 chevy cab into my garage, and it is pretty banged up.. I want to get this thing down to bare metal, and I know if I have it blasted it would make it even worse. I am looking at these "rapid strip" disc made by Norton. they are a woven type disc that are flexible. I am also thinking paint stripper... what route would you guys go to get this done the easiest and the most cost effective? these disc are like 8-9 bucks a piece, and I have yet to go down to the paint shop to price stripper. don't know how many discs I will need nor how much stripper to do this whole cab. any ideas guys?

 

Find a local media blaster who is good with sheet metal and call it done

 

do you want cheap or do you want easy? they don't go together.

 

Looks like only primer on the truck. Those discs should work fine. I think stripper isn't worth the mess it makes.

If you are worried about the cost of taking the paint off don't even start. It costs way more to put it back on.

 

its probably some type of primer I am sure. I started to remove with a flap disc, but it seems too aggressive. the sheet metal is pretty pitted. I figured the stripper would be a mess. the cab is not like a 68 Cadillac so I don't think it will take too long to get the job done, but just want to get this thing down to bare metal to see what I am working with.

 

I just use a DA and 60-90 grit discs. For me that is as easy as it gets.

 

Very true, but it is pretty effective and when done correctly, it's reasonably affordable.
The best sander methods will still leave primer/paint in the rust pits.
Do it in small sections at a time and cover each application with thin plastic sheeting.
This traps the heat in, and works best if not done in the direct sun, that dries the stripper before it has a chance to work.

 

this is one of the only times in my life where i will say using a stripper is a bad thing

 

I am going to buy a couple discs and a small amount of stripper and see what works best.

 

You have two separate questions. Cheapest would be for you to sand it all off by hand..labor intensive.
Easiest would probably have it dipped at a Redi-Strip....not cheap.

 

redi strip is expensive , how about soda blasting ? its easier than media blasting on the metal and will only take the paint and light rust off and it can be done at home and its easy to clean up . yes the body will have to be sanded before you apply primer but it will take the paint off to the metal .

 

yeah.. just got a quote for "dustless blasting". 600 bucks. not going that route. going over to the paint shop to go see what stripper they have and what stripper discs they have OR recommend.

 

It's been a number of years, but I used Kleanstrip Aircraft Paint Remover on my mother's Oldsmobile. It worked very well, water clean-up. I wore gloves, etc. Used plastic putty knives to scrape paint off. I would use it again.

 

most of the shops use tal strip ( mar hyde) . do not know if its California legal , any good methyl chloride paint stripper should work . if the paint is heavy put some plastic wrap for food (saran wrap ) over it as it will hold the chemical vapor in better so it will peel the paint off . and the tal strip will wash the paint off with water then dry off the clean metal and oxyphos it ( marhyde sells a simular product ) to protect the metal from rusting

 

http://www.citristrip.com/

Worked well for me on my '41 and smells good.

 

I used the hamburger pattys from harbor freight. there cheap and work pretty good.

 

See IF you can find a couple of energetic neighborhood kids looking for something to do this summer, tell them you'll give them 50-100 bucks each if they'll sand that truck!
(NO power tools though, unless they know what they're doing.)

Give them a pile of sandpaper and some sanding pads and walk away. Make it fun for them and grow some interest in the hobby at the same time. They might suprise you!

 

This reminds me of the time I told my better half I had to get back out to the garage to get the stripper off the hood. I almost didn't make out alive! We still laugh about that.

 

If you buzz over the whole cab with an 80 DA before you strip it it works faster. Also, strip it in sections as in doors 1st, then the left cowl, rt cowl, etc, etc... Lay down some cheap hardware plastic sheet or cut up some big boxes as floor covers to catch the mess. A visit to your local body shop might get you some of that cheapo foam sheet they ship body parts in too. I'm too lazy to clean the shit off the ground. I'd rather roll it up and toss it out...

Quick edit, a gallon of "Aircraft Stripper" goes for about $30-35 around here. Some are more, some less.

 

I agree with "mrfliboy", I've used Citristrip on a couple of model A's and it worked great.. You can leave it on over night and strip it in the morning...

 

thanks guys for the advice. looks like the consensus is to use the stripper. got some good ideas. I will let you know the outcome! its been out in the weather for some time now. I want to strip this cab inside and out. if you can see the inside, its pretty rusted as well. I am thinking of sealing the whole inside and outside with some POR15 as well.

 

Mullet do you WANT this car or project???
You GOTTA blast that thing!
Interior shots tell the story! Dustless blasting is the ONLY way to go.... if you want to save that hot rod!!!
Use protection: face, eyes, breath in from a bottle or fresh air system!!!! If using the fresh air sys like a Binks keep the pump in a CLEAN room that is not exposed to any media or fumes.
Find someone who has that machine and PAY them. Don't be silly here. Remove as much from the body as you can (dash, gauges, steering wheel, etc. prior to blasting. Do NOT dip it!!!!! I do acid dipping... it eats too much of the rusted material. Leaving large holes that one cannot fill. (Spraying a wet coat of Phosphoric acid {No Muriatics} will help to stabilize the raw metal for a while after light blasting. Do not directly blast any media on flat sheetmetal!!! It WILL warp! I do it several times lightly and alternate it with the Phos. sprayed from a spray bottle in a 15% solution. If you still see rust than go back to the light blast routeen again alternating with the phos spray.
Next use a acid inclusive primer Usually golden-green in color. Rust inhibiting primer! (Another expense) ...first. Then you can fill with bondo or replace metal with formed pieces. Welding is an art to piece in new panels. That is why you do it the way I do (above).
These can be formed by hand if necessary.
We all started somewhere doing this. It is a learning process. A lot of pitfalls and cliffs if you are not careful. It is easy to ruin the car.
There are filler primers for filling the lightly pitted metal. Object is not to eradicate all of the rust. (holes are what will be left if you go too clean. The car surely will be inside dry afterwards I hope????
Good luck and we're here if you need us. (HAMB members)

 

X2

 

Light blast means to never directly point the stream at any sheetmetal perpendicular to the surface!!
Use a 30 degree angle glancing off of the surface. Frames and thick metal is ok to direct spray in blasting but not sheet metal especially FLAT (doors, trunk lids, fenders, quarter panels, etc.).

 

25 to 35 PSI air pressure.
Finished!!!!

 

I use purple 3M strip discs.
They don't heat the metal to much to warp it, and will take down several layers of paint, like a knife through butter.
Only draw back, is they disintegrate fast if you use em on edges.
Cheapest way, is doing it by hand with sand paper.

 

Chemical stripper like aircraft and such wont take that rust. Get it blasted by a pro. couple hundred bucks but well worth it

 

Cheapest and easiest ? Set it on fire, that'll get it all off.

 

I am going to hack at it with some good ol elbow grease... how in the hell did they take it off before "dustless blasting" ???

 

a couple gallons of stripper. a whole hella of a lot of sanding discs, a respirator, and a cold 24 pack should do the trick...