The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop chemical stripping vs soda vs sand

Is chemical stripping ok or is one of the other methods better? Trying to strip the truck cheap as possible.

I don't use the same method on everything because the condition of what needs to be stripped is often different.
Chemical works good on paint, but can be a lot of work if there is multi coats of paint and has no effect on rust.
Sand takes almost everything off, is messy, and leaves the metal rough if the blaster gets carried away and in some cases can even distort the metal.
Cost is not always the main concern because you sometimes have to use the method that gives the end result you're after.

I haven't seen what you're working on so I can't make that call.

Dan

my 40 is in the process of getting painted. the front chrome strip with the gmc inscription was partially painted. i told the painter i wanted to remove the paint and he said he doesent do stripping. i took the piece home with me and i went to work. i now know why he doesnt mess with that stuff. what a pain in the gear box that turned out to be not to mention the mess i had. the stripper does'nt remove paint like it does on wood. sad part is there's some blemishes on the part that was painted so it will get repainted. unless its a special piece i want to have redone ill never use stripper again.

51 ashton, are you saying that after useing stripper that i would have to sand anyways? worried about panal warpage with sand blasting, heard alot of bad about soda. Maybe sanding is the way to go.
More input would be appriciated. Thanks

Darin

Just a hint about chemical strippers.
They are not all created equal. Over the years I have found some are great while others do a half [censored] job and just make for more work.
It could be said you get what you pay for, but it did not always mean I had to buy the high dollar stuff.

Dan

no, im not saying you'll have to sand. only you can determine what needs to be done. what i was saying is i used stripper to remove paint on a chromed part where sanding was out of the question. as for the stripper is was an off the shelve at the hardware store that i had laying around from my stake wood project.

...big difference between wood/paint stripper and the chemical vat stripper used for metal.
Chemical stripping will get into areas that a sandblaster won't get. However, if they don't rinse very thoroughly and any residue is left, your paint will peal later on.

Also, the rust will still be there although the effort to sand it off will be much easier without the paint covering it. I had mine sand blasted by an experienced shop who knew how to blast vehicles and not overheat the metal.

So I have a fair amount of experience with stripping paint and im about as impatient as they come. Prices of stuff will vary per location but heres what id suggest.

Quickest and cleanest way would be soda blasting, it washes off, removes paint very well with the proper set up and will not remove metal or warp metal no matter how carried away a person gets. Plus metal wont rust after blasting until the soda is washed off. IT also will not hurt chrome or glass. Only down side is it wont remove deep rust, only scale rust of loose stuff. Easy thing is that you can just use a chemical rust stop after that then prime.

Id stay away from chemical stripping because its messy, slow and expensive, plus toxic! and pretty much you will have to sand after its all done to make sure no residue is left. unless its a very small part id avoid it at all costs.

Sand blasting, is very good but needs to be done carefully. Im not to believing in the idea that it will warp panels because ive heard yes and no on that topic but if done right it will leave the surface really clean and ready for sanding. only down side is when it gets into tight areas it never seems to fully leave those areas. always some coming out. So blowing it out of all of the nooks and crannies is a must and time consuming.

Now for the ultimate, Chemical dipping. not cheap by any means but if you want a super clean part then this is the way to go. It will remove everything off the part inside and out and will remove all rust. Only issue is that they wash the part afterwards so some small areas begin to rust if you dont get it sanded by and fairly soon after. other then that its awesome.
i think i paid about 80 bucks a door where im at here in CA. did both doors and both front fenders for about 400.


Over all id recommend soda, i have a small portable blaster and i love it. not big enough for big parts but soda blasting in general is just awesome besides the fact that it doesnt remove deep rust. This is where RUSTMORT takes over.

hope this helps and good luck

I just went through this debate and spoke with many autobody guys. Some have a preference for this or that. I started off thinking of getting it chemically dipped. It was going to caost me around $2400 for the entire 1/2 ton truck body parts. I was steered clear of this method due to the "leaking from seams and ruining paint" problem. I was then looking at getting it soda blasted. The problem with using soda is that you need to neutralize the metal before priming and if you do not do it properly, the primer will not stick to the metal. My bodyman told me he had lots of problems with this. He also said that they recommend washing it off with water and we all know that bare metal and water don't mix too well. Soda blasting was going to cost me $1400.

I ended up going with walnut shell blasting. It is gentle on body panels, does not heat up like sand and warp panels and the metal does not have any residue afterwards. You just need to wipe down the metal and prime it. It worked out fabulously and I was very impressed at how clean it got the metal...even in the areas that had a ton of bondo caked on. Walnut blasting ended up costing me $900. So in the end I saved a boatload of money (first time for everything in this project I guess!) and it worked out great. I highly recommend it!

Thanks for the update.
I have always thought walnut shells would be a good choice for blasting. However don't write-off sandblasting. Most body folks today are not accustomed to working the thicker gauge steel of the old trucks which are easier to sandblast without warping. Also, someone that regularly uses sand on vehicles should be aware of any danger and is not likely to damage parts.

has anybody tried glass or plastic bead blasting? How do they do on rust?

My curiosity compelled me to look this up.
It seems glass blast is safer to use, can be reused 30 times, and will work on rust and all the things we encounter in our restorations.

What is Glass Bead Blasting?
Glass bead blasting is a metal cleaning process that creates a clean, bright, uniform matte texture. The glass beads are applied to a surface using low air pressure. This process removes paint, rust and corrosion from all types of metals, from autos, trucks, equipment, machinery engine blocks, heads and intakes. Using the bead blasting process a surface can be cleaned without any damage. The beads come in a variety of sizes. The smaller the glass beads, the smoother the surface, larger beads produce a more textured finish.

Is Glass Bead Blasting safe for the environment?
Bead blasting is chemically inert and environmentally friendly. This method of metal cleaning is an acceptable method whenproperly controlled. The glass beads used in this process are made from lead-free, soda like type glass, containing no free silica that is made into preformed ball shapes. The glass beads can be recycled approximately 30 times.

What are the benefits of using Glass Bead Blasting?
Glass bead blasting is an effective process used in automotive restoration. Bead blasting produces a much smoother and brighter finish than angular abrasives. There is no dimensional change to the metal surface. Glass bead blasting leaves no embedded contaminates or residue. This process smoothes away any surface defects. You will be able to see every dent, stretch mark, file stroke, and every stroke of the sand paper. Glass bead blasting can also improve corrosion resistance.

Where is Glass Bead Blasting used?
Glass Bead blasting can be used on a wide range of materials including aluminum, stainless steel, copper, steel, brass, titanium, sterling silver, bronze, metal, glass, plastic and rubber. It can be used in the restoration processes of cars and trucks. Glass bead blasting is also an effective cleaning process on equipment, machinery engine blocks, heads and intakes. Bead blasting is a low cost process and can be used on decorative parts including: custom auto parts and custom motorcycle parts.

plastic bead blasting.... tried it myself. It will take off Paint but NO rust or much of anything else. I have a bucket full in my shop and it'll probably never be used!!
I had about 1/4 of one side on my panel to blast. Well, when I did the bulk of my panel with the find sand I had pushed the panel back in the shop with my bare hands. My hand print was on the cowl and it rusted from the moisture in my hand. Well, I took the body to a professional (22 years in business) and he PLASTIC blasted the 1/4 of side panel I had left and it took PAINT ONLY off. The plastic would not even take off the rusty hand print on the cowling. We tried a couple other things and plastic just don't get the job done. AND its very expensive if you have have someone else do it. Here its 100 and hour PLUS the plastic which appears to be ground up bumpers and tailight lenses.

Its fine blasting sand or glass beads for me.

Chemical stripping will take the paint and everything else and it will take off some of the good metal too if it is left to long. I know guys that have had their pro stocks done in the day and it was expensive then but did the job. I like fine sand and Black Diamond.
62Blue
Don

Thanks alot for the input guys. I am starting to think glass is the way to go. A guy here in tulsa quoted me about $2000 for the truck, dissassembled. I will buy a blaster and do it myself and save some money.

Darin

I just finished stripping the cab and doors on my '54 3100 and because I'm on a tight budget, I used a Poly Carbide Abrasive Wheel in my 4 1/2" angle grinder for the large flat areas. They strip paint REALLY fast and are available for about $5.00 each at HF. You could also use the Wagner Paint Eater if you don't have an angle grinder but the discs cost about twice as much at your neighborhood home center.

For the tight spots I used an inexpensive tank type sandblaster with 60 grit copper slag available at Ace hardware here in Arizona for about $10.00 a bag. It's a lot safer than sand, cuts better, and makes a lot less dust. I just sweep it up off the driveway when I'm done and strain it for re-use. And, it doesn't leave rust spots on the driveway if it ever rains here.