The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Stripping paint... Is there a better way?

I'm stripping several 'checked' layers of old paint on a 70 C60 cab. Taking it down to metal.
I've tried chemical strippers (messy and slow), scraping (hard work) and a disc sander with 80 grit.
The disc works the best but man its still slow and messy. Plus, there's several areas I can't get into with the disc.

Am I just a sissy or, is there a better way?

Hire some one with a dustless blaster system.

To quote a certain Blues Brother. .. "whada ya want for nothin... rrrrruuubbbbbber bizkets?"

Welcome to the twilight zone. Those 3M stripping disks work great and a die grinder helps get the tight areas but in the end a sand blaster is mighty handy. What ever it is short of paying someone else it's gonna take some time. More time than you imagined...

I use a Harbor Freight poly carbide disc on my grinder. It works FAST and strips right down to the metal but cannot get into corners or really tight areas. So it is not the final word. For me, I strip what I can with the disc because it's fast and cheap and my labor is free. The tight areas will need sandblasting. A few light passes over the already stripped metal will give it a good texture and reduces the heat that would be created by sandblasting alone. Check my signature and view recent posts on my BLOG. I recently stripped several panels.

When I stripped my pickup bed, I used a wire brush in my angle grinder. It worked OK, but trucks sure have a lot of surface area. Are the poly carbide disks faster?

Yes

Wow! I'm going to have to get some of those disc.

I'm now using the flap type disc, the one with multiple layers, and it takes me around an hour and a half to do the bulk of one door. Then there's the spots I cant get to...
But, At that point I'm worn out.

I believe a big part of the problem is the fact that there's so many layers of paint. I'm seeing at least four different colors. All that paint really loads up the disc. I keep it moving fast to keep the heat down and make multiple passes.

I don't know of a mobile sandblaster in my area. I wonder whats the going rate to blast a cab down to bare metal?

With the HF poly carbide disc, be sure to wear a dust mask and dust will get everywhere. So do it outside. Try to keep the disc fairly parallel to the surface. It will last longer that way. Once you try it you will never go back to a flap disc for flat metal surfaces. Keep the disc moving so you don't build up heat. You can go back over heavily pitted area and remove a lot of the rust. Then go back over those pitted area with media blasting.

The disc will save you a lot of time.

Can you give me the HF item number? I searched their site and don't see a "poly carbide" disc.

Google: Harbor Freight poly carbide disc

The blue Norton Paint Stripper discs (Sears carries them) last longer than the HF ones, but both are better than anything else I have used.
Carl

Thanks. The HF website could not find it when I searched there.

+1 for the HF PC disc. I picked a couple up today as well as a new 4.5" grinder that was on sale for $15.

What little time I spent testing seemed to go pretty fast.

It took down an area about two feet sq to metal in about five minutes.

I'll get busy this weekend.

So then, you should be done with the cab by noon, since it's
only about 100 sq.ft. and that amounts to a little over
four hours.
The hood fenders and grill by supper and that only leaves the bed
for Sunday morning. Better get some primer for Sunday afternoon.
Yep, sounds like a plan.
dg

I'll let you know how that goes Denny.

I'm afraid my 'duty cycle' may be a problem.

Dan

3m Bristle brushes work great for paint removal, easy to control and flexible

they come in 1",2",3" & 4 1/2 cup
they also have small bristle brushes for small areas

I sure wish they had those polycarbide disks back when I restored my '29 Ford pickup in the 60's. I went thru sandpaper disks and wire wheels by the dozen. More than once the disk went whizzing over the hedge to the neighbors's yard.
I picked up a polycarbide disk at Lowe's, and MAN does that thing work nice . I haven't used it much yet, but it's gonna get a workout on the '51.

This?

http://www.harborfreight.com/4-1-2-half-inch-nylon-abrasive-wheel-94017.html

Yep

The one I picked up was item number 60571. I notice they carry another one, # 94017 also. I don't see what the difference is.

I think I'll pick up some of each and see how they compare.