Anybody use American Strippers out of Sacramento? http://americanstrippingsacramento.com/ Looking to finish Nochop.
Sandblasting about the most fun you can have with your clothes on. I sandblast in portable shelter. Only cost $100 product to do this '48 sedan delivery
There is merit to the suggestion about doing it yourself. It boils down to cost of equipment and materials vs. cost to have it done. Other factors include future use of the equipment, is this a one-time job or will you be able to amortize the cost over several jobs. Plus, do you have adequate space and time to do the job. Also, learning to sandblast without damaging the panels is a factor. In my case, I did my own sandblasting on a small car but used American Stripping when I restored a 1948 Dodge fire engine. The panels had up to ten coats of latex brushed-on paint(long story there) so I took the easy way out and had someone else do it. Just a few things for you to think about. Which ever way you go, best of luck.
Commercial set up for overall body and frame is the best way .Send it out. Small parts better by a smaller machine try to contain your dry material and re use it need a screen to take out debris. Preparation is key. Scrape of all old tar _asbestos coating?Small propane touch and wire brush heat it up till it flames 2 in putty knife need glove it burns when its hot!YOU WILL NEVER GET ALL THAT BLAST GRIT OUT OF THE CAR.I use Black beauty its coal slag from a power plant I buy 1 ton at a wack. Auto parts want $13 a bag 50 lbs so reuse is good, I sandblast to WHITE! I do not like half fast work.I have a tag along construction compressor 125 lbs constant pressure it consistent. Fine grit for light sheet metal course for frames suspension parts a commercial machine sprays a wider pattern and you do not have to drill it to get the rust out doing that on sheet metal will distort the metal.My guy blasts the entire body in and out then i go back and spray florescent orange marker paint where I want re-done of if there is rust your looking a Swiss cheese.I DA everything with 80 grit then epoxy prime it so it doesnt rust you have to HUSTLE or it will be brown. CHOOSE YOU OWN SEALER PRIMER WHAT EVER BECAUSE THATS YOUR Choice. Some guys put bondo over a primed surface. My opinion is do not! Baron Von Vasnic/ No Name No fame Customs East Coast
This is a one time deal, lack of space, compressor not adequate etc. lack of interest in doing it myself just to name a few. But I do intend on doing everything thing else. I built it in this form 15 years ago, would like to finish it. Fenders, paint, 324 Olds, steelies Olds caps, red and white rolls and pleats with 56 Olds steering wheel. I'm retiring in 6 days, getting some handshake monies, so I can build my Dream car. Wish me luck boys, wish me luck
Look for someone that does the dustless blasting process. Being dustless is not the only benifit, the water also cools the metal and prevents warpage.
Call them up and get a couple of references to include private customers and body shop accounts. Shops/contractors that are good at what they do are more then happy to give you this info. Good luck with it.
We have used Precision Stripping and coating in Lodi for several cars with excellent results. A 55 and a couple of 40's stripped and had many pieces powder coated there as well. 209-333-1212
Yep , one of those little hoppers is handy for small jobs for sure. I have a decent 33 cfm 3 phase compressor ,which is what you need to get a decent amount of air at home. But no way would I tackle a whole car with it . Sure its slow and low on heat build up , but only suitable for small jobs. I have done doors and fenders ,which scrubbed up great over a few hours with patience. Remember this blasting stuff is full of silicone. If you dont have a decent compressor forget it. Air all the time is what gets the job done. I have access to used garnet from the local blaster , yep i know the edge has gone off it ,but for jobs the the garnet will go to waste at home , the garnet is free free free. Sharp garnet is sure quicker . Our local blaster did a whole 49 shoebox for us for $300 , the job was great no warpage and 1/2" filler removed easily in many (but most of the car) places all gone, all corners and panels were clean as we saw it before the etch went on. So for my money it was $300 well spent.
I retired 1 year ago and have been working on the roadster daily..........luv it! NoChop, I've been perusing American Strippers website and they look pretty professional. Looks like they do a lot of antique cars. They've been around for 30 years so they must be doing something right! I would contact them and voice your concerns. I'm sure you can come to some sort of agreement.
dustless website has a locator to find your closest vendor. will come to your house and do the job. won't take long on a coupe for sure. local guy near me wanted 600 to come to my house on the 31 coupe and that included a two hr drive to and from the city fwiw
Thanks for the advice, one thing I noticed is that a lot of media blasters don't advertise so thanks for the info. Now I have another conundrum. Sometime ago I had the deck lid striped by a young pin stripper at The Hot Rod Reunion (Bakersfield) around '95 or so. The kid at the time couldn't have been older than 10. Looks as if this is going to be removed.
Good advice, thanks. There are a couple of good builders in town, (sound of my hand slapping my forehead)