The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Takin' my truck skinny dippin' ?

No not that way! I have read about commercial dipping using chemicals and electrolysis to remove paint and rust. I like the idea of removing the rust that I can't get to and starting with all steel to repair rusted areas. I have checked out the Canadian Redi-Strip website and the process seemed great. I'd like to dip my cab and body panels before doing all of the rust repairs. My problem is that I live in upstate South Carolina and would like to find a facility close to my part of country. This leaves me with two important questions.
1. Where are any facilities that can do this in
my neck of the woods?
2. Have others had good or bad experiences by
doing this procedure?
I always get good advice from other Bolters!

Luckily, you don't live in California. Google for a Redi-strip near you.

I have heard storys of rust problems from the inside out as now the paint is stripped from hidden areas and you can't reach them with a new coat of paint. I have also heard of stories where some of the chemical oozes out of hidden areas to ruin your new paint job.

Keep in mind, the process will remove paint product and rust, so that big rusty hole that was covered by bondo will now be revealed! Think possible Swiss cheese.

I agree with what MNSmith said and what I read
in the other posts about chemical dipping. I see you are from South Carolina.I live outside of Columbia S.C. I found someone in the area that soda blasts. He will do the whole truck or bits and pieces. I had my 46 1/2 ton soda blasted and I am well pleased.
Now waiting to paint. Let me know if you are interested in the soda route?

There are several Redi-Strip locations in the US along with some other firms that use a similar method. I'm redoing my first project, a '50 Chevy. I've known about chemical stripping for years and have used it on gas pumps and antiques I've restored. I talked to a number of people about which method is "best" chemical stripping or media blasting. I was divided between blasting and Redi-Strip. There is a Redi-Strip in Indianapolis so I decided to give them a try. I took in a bedside that had some rust and I wanted to see what type of results I could get. I took the other bedside in equal condition to a local blasting house. After receiving both parts back and considering my numerous discussions with others I concluded the following:

RediStrip is a bit more expensive but gets into those hard to reach areas and doesn't leave a sandpile on the garage floor when you get the part home. The rust is virtually gone and the panel is clean. However, I would not recommend this for any panel where you have hem flanges or joined panels. An example would be a door assembly (outer and inner panels). It's really tough to get any remaining chemicals out of these areas where there are seams that overlap. Blasting cleans up the metal but is a bit more harsh and it's really difficult to get the grit out but there are no issues with remaining chemicals. You migh leave some rust behind in those hard to reach places.

To quote a fellow 'Bolter when I ask this question "It depends on what you want to do". Personally, I'm using Redi-Strip on the straight panels and blasting the doors, cab, and hood. It's really up to you. Frankly, I think both methods will get you where you want to go. Good luck.

I used Redi-Strip and they did a really nice job. There are a lot of stories around about the chemical staying in hard to get at places and I think that the stories flawed. As I found out with my doors, there are areas where the metal is pinched over another piece, such as the door edges. No blasting or chemicals can get in there. When you open up the seam to replace the skin, there will be rust in there. People experience rust along there sometime after the whole job is finished and blame it on the chemical stripper. In reality there is no process that will remove that rust.

i like to shoot some WD40 in those seams after they are finnished and the paint has fully cured.