What I learned today...

mitch_04

Learnin'
Well, this whole bodywork and painting is a constant teaching experience. I figured I'd post a few things I learned today, maybe other newbies will feel better with there problems or maybe some of the old timers will kick in a thing or two they are still learning about.

1. 3M's gold sandpaper sucks at sanding bare metal.
2. Speed Blaster's work surprisingly well at removing paint in nooks and crannies.
3. Smooth out the backside of a weld BEFORE you have the front finished. It will blister primer and filler.
4. D/A sanders work much better at stripping paint...amazingly better... when they are locked into straight rotary. Really wish I'd figured this out sooner.

Maybe this will help a newb figure something out sooner, or make them feel better about something they have done. Or someone can just get a good laugh.
 
bare metal blue is your friend, zirconium abrasives are much better.

The other thing you need to worry about when trying to speed up stripping with a rotary tool is if you are overheating the metal, most of us dont need help making body panels wavy. DA will take longer but your metal will stay flatter.
 
The manual that comes with the sander doesn't say anything at all, it's pretty useless. I have a mud hog on it's way for paint removal, but I just tried the da locked yesterday and it was amazing how much faster. I have an angle grinder that I use with a 36 grit disc as well, but trying to get the scratches out is a total pain. That's where my comment on the gold discs not being very good on bare metal came from. Guess I'll wait and see how the mud hog works!
 
spinning a da wears out the paper fast. total waste of materials. no automotive paper will work. go to a machine shop supply and get some 60-80 grit if your determined to strip this way.
when i ran my shop i would show someone the door for locking a da. i have witnessed what happens when the counter weight flys off.
 
I use the razor blade method when I'm able to, but on the underside of the hood I'm working on there just wasn't many places where it worked. Also, it had some rust spots that would catch the edge of my blade and break it constantly. I used my spot blaster to get the nooks and crannies, but there were a few spots where the best option was the angle grinder or d/a. Thanks for the link, I had tried to find 80 grit discs through our store but we can't get them. Those will work well.
 
In time you will find that 3m and such make paint finishing paper or disc. Eastwood sells junk as does hf and most others. You have
to go to proffesional grade suppliers for stripping disc and such. They last 3 times longer .
 
We can purchase 3M, it's from a company that shares our suppliers warehouse. I had searched before for 80 grit angle grinder discs, must have missed them. I should clarify, the angle grinder is an air powered with 3" backing plate, quick change plastic screw in type.
 
shine;39502 said:

I'm not the original poster, just a lurker.
I went to that site but got confused. There are too many choices for someone that doesn't know all the differences.
I too will be sanding off paint to repaint a car. In the past I always had the car media blasted then painted it.This time I'll be doing it manually.
I have an electric 4 1/2" angle grinder/sander and an air 3" angle grinder.
What is the best paint removal disc for the electric sander/grinder?
If a flap disc what I need or something else?

The 3" uses the screw in discs. Which ones from that site work best for paint removal?

Thanks
Danford1
 
I dont know exactly what these things are, but http://www.mcmaster.com/#4729a12/=tyrwiu

but wow. People have read my camaro debackle, so after we stripped the car, our powdercoated wheel wells were terrible from the dripping of the solvents. I got a couple of these and they tore right thru the powder. Its some kind of synthetic, but harder than scotchbrite with such a wide open pattern there is plenty of air movement. Bare metal was almost immediate, and more importantly, not hot which is gonna cause you to get some waves on old sheet metal. Mind you, that was polyester powdercoat, I can imagine what it would do to automotive paint.

I would look into them, maybe find another source that has quantity discounts.There is 3M embossed on the plastic screw in arbor.
 
anotheridiot;40157 said:
I dont know exactly what these things are, but http://www.mcmaster.com/#4729a12/=tyrwiu

but wow. People have read my camaro debackle, so after we stripped the car, our powdercoated wheel wells were terrible from the dripping of the solvents. I got a couple of these and they tore right thru the powder. Its some kind of synthetic, but harder than scotchbrite with such a wide open pattern there is plenty of air movement. Bare metal was almost immediate, and more importantly, not hot which is gonna cause you to get some waves on old sheet metal. Mind you, that was polyester powdercoat, I can imagine what it would do to automotive paint.

I would look into them, maybe find another source that has quantity discounts.There is 3M embossed on the plastic screw in arbor.


$8.39 each.
I'm glad to read they work good and fast. That is what I want. If they last a long time then the price is OK.
Thanks
Danford1
 
the aggressive disc is a little better. the stripping disc are open and a loose mesh. they tear up pretty quick.
 
More lessons learned from another week of practice painting.

1. Metal flake is fun! Also, it seems easier to control tiger striping than with metallic bases.
2. Pour back the intercoat/flake mixture between every coat. Had to break down the gun and clean because of a clog.
3. When doing multi-layer flake & candy paint, allow excessive flash time. Had wrinkling on my last coat of kandy, had to start all over.
4. Don't rush... seems to apply to everything in life, yet so difficult to accept.
 
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