acid dip

Post by **les** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 9:53 pm

Has anyone done this to any panels to remove paint, if so, is there a place in the south east that they know of, please?

Post by **MoggyTech** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 10:01 pm

Google didn't kick back any in your area, but I can tell you that acid dip stripping is a lot kinder to the metal than media blasting. The thing is, the acid has to be washed away, and all of the places I've seen this done, they use high pressure water, so the car needs to be dried and then the metal sealed with epoxy primer to prevent rust forming. Of course that's complete car dipping, if you just need to do individual panels, then Auto Nitro Morse will do the job just fine.

Post by **les** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 10:10 pm

Thanks mt, nitro is such a mess to use, thought I would pay for the dip, it's just panels, so they can be easily neutralised after. Must be somewhere around here that does it, will do some more seaching!

Post by **jonathon** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 12:00 am

We have had four cars acid dipped so far and its in my opinion the best way forward for a resto job. Be warned though even what seems to be a good car can hide all sorts of horrors once dipped.
If you go down this route you must have the car E coated, this is expensive at around £795 plus vat but it means that the car is totally covered with a protective layer, if you go for etch priming only the car will rot out, even waxoyle will not help as your car will be rotting from the inside out.
We use SPL in Dudley who are very good, the process costing on average £2000. The E coating is done on the Aston Martin production line.
You will need to drill loads of 8mm holes into the car to avoid air traps, we now know all of these, and be prepared for a shock as all of the lead loading is lost in this process. I can show you pics of a dipped car and an e coated one if someone would be so kind as to post them for me.

Post by **bigginger** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 12:02 am

Send 'em over

a

Post by **jonathon** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 12:09 am

I'll do it tomorrow Andrew if thats okay, too kn------d tonight

Post by **bigginger** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 12:14 am

Cool
a

Post by **bigginger** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 5:57 pm

A few pics from JLH, then

a

Post by **jonathon** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 5:58 pm

Cheers Andrew

Post by **mrbenn** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 6:30 pm

Wow. Certainly finds the rot spots!

Post by **bigginger** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 6:49 pm

...and some more after e coating

Post by **MoggyTech** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 7:50 pm

Hmmm,

Looks like the E coating has reacted badly to the area where the acid has removed the lead loading on the rear quarter panel. Other than that, definately the way to discover just how much metal the tin worms had munched away, quite scarey actually.

Post by **jonathon** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 8:27 pm

No reaction MT its just the remains of the lead under the E coat, there is quite a run on the other side , not a problem as this whole area has to be dressed back and skimmed.
Its certainly an eye opener

Post by **youngun** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 9:33 pm

Oh blimey, that looks so clean and rust free......Im busy worrying about paint prep at the mo. I have a whole car to strip inside and out with only an angle grinder, orbital sander and a pitifull little shot blaster!

Lord Help me!!

Post by **ASL642** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 9:10 am

More sandpaper!!!!!!

Post by **Alec** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 5:46 pm

Hello YG,

as far as an angle grinder goes I have found these stripping discs very effective at removing paint and rust.:- http://www.frost.co.uk/item_Detail.asp?productID=9341

Basically they are a plastic mesh on a disc with the mesh impregnated with abrasive. Very quick and they do not clog like flap discs or the like. They do wear quickly though.

Incidentally I was at this years Race Retro at Stonleigh park and there was a Birmingham company there who do abrasive blasting using Bicarbonate of Soda. They claim it is far kinder to car bodies and will not cause damage as more severe media can. www.soda-blast.co.uk
Have you any experience of them Jonathon?

Alec

Post by **jonathon** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 7:57 pm

We had a customer arrive in his car which had just been soda blasted by the company in B'ham. Luckily but alarmingly he had only just had the engine bay done. My alarm was that no masking had taken place the wiring braid had been destroyed and only partial areas were blasted to bare metal. The car was covered in soda inside and out and I was amazed that the engine was still running as the filter had not been covered. My opinion, a total waste of time and effort.The cost over £300.
I'm sure that if a car was striped correctly first then this soda process would remove paint, but its useless on rust ,sealer, and under seal.
Save your money and go for the acid dip.

Post by **youngun** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 9:00 pm

Acid dip isnt even a remotely viable option with moi im afraid.....looks like the hard way then a lot of zinc primer, or etch primer im not sure which is best for a bare metal respray???

Post by **jonathon** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 9:16 pm

Some Zinc primers do not allow etch primer, and will specify a standard prime instead. I'd be tempted to use weld through zinc/galve spray only between two layers of steel, and etch prime all other surfaces.
When stripping floors of both the original paint and stone chip try using a very sharp 1" wood chisel to scrape off the paint. Do not however use this on external panels as it will distort the steel.

Post by **Spag** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 9:23 pm

Maybe try Medway Galvanising In Sittingbourne ? they have big hot acid vat...