paint stripping at home

[FrankM83]

Hi all
what is the best way to paint strip a car at home? I used paint stripper then wirebrush drill, but was told this will scratch the metal! but someone else told me it's good it scratches the metal as the etch primer will adhere to it and the following coats of base primer will cover the scratches.

so which is right?

[tysonn]

There are fine and coarse wire brushes of course!If just removing the stripper residue a fine one will be ...er... fine.Far better with an angle grinder mounted type though.A good,heavy primer filler will fill any scratches.I can recommend Lechler green ti.It covers anything brilliantly and is very easy to flat.beware some cheap primer fillers,they set so hard its difficult to flat and hard work.
Mick

[drivewasher]

Here you go have a read of this

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/paint-stripping.htm

[FrankM83]

many thanks

[tysonn]

Have to agree with the efficacy of the fibre disks!They're fantastic.I used them a few years ago to strip a couple of Riley RM wings and they're BIG.Didn't use stripper first though and wouldn't either as it would throw paint stripper everywhere!I used them dry.No chance of scratching the panel either.They do throw up a lot of paint dust but any painter is used to cleaning up fallout.

[FrankM83]

these discs are great but very difficult to obtain here!

[Barry Brown]

Hi Frank,

Those carbide discs are worth it if you can get them shipped to Malta. However they do wear out quite quickly if you are on rusted metal so best use them on repaired panels with no further rust.

For rusted panels where you want to get rid of the paint and scaling I use a twisted wire rope rotary head in a small angle grinder. At 10000rpm it rips through everything but, and this is a big but......
DO WEAR PROTECTIVE GEAR, clamp the piece to a bench when working and do not allow yourself to be distracted.
I had one 'jump' whilst stripping a very rusty air filter base plate whereupon it pulled down the elbow length welding gauntlet from my left arm and shredded the overalls underneath. It then took a 1.5"x 0.75" lump out of my forearm 2 layers deep.

Paint stripping has never been the same since the EU regulations ruined Nitromors.

[tysonn]

Another proviso with the wire brushes is they fling off wires that embed themselves in your body,or your clothing where they embed themselves in your body at a later date.Very effective though as you say.

[FrankM83]

Thanks for the help guys,

these discs are great if only I could find to buy! I used one for a straight grinder which didn't last long on an angle grinder! but it did a hell of a good job!

[Barry Brown]

I use a version that fits in a standard drill.

http://www.screwfix.com/p/oakey-paint-r ... over/72889

RS Malta website has them as.... (very expensive)
http://mt.rsdelivers.com/product/saint- ... 65825.aspx

[tysonn]

I tried a drill mounted one and was disappointed.Didn't have the speed or torque to do it justice I thought.

[FrankM83]

thanks for that I found the driller type from Wurth @ €17 but don't think that on a drill these would work as good :S still can't find angle grinder type :S

thanks guys

[tysonn]

Must admit they've gone up in price since I last bought some(luckily I was so impressed I got 10).These are about the cheapest I could find.No idea of quality though:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3-x-115mm-coa ... 0715559936