Prepping for paint job and need advice

[mikester]

Thanks for all the information guys. I will be stripping the car with an electric DA and 80 grit paper. I need to read up, check pricing on and figure out what paint brands are readily available to me. Last time in to Advance Commercial, they have the Exalta line, supposedly it replaced Dupont? Did a dealer search for U-pol and it's available close by as well. Have a bunch of research left to do before I get going, and a bunch of family/house stuff to get sorted and finished up as well. Thanks again!

Whatever you wind up using, go to the manufacturers website and print out the product data sheets. I do that with every product I spray. I have a binder in my garage with everything Ive sprayed over the past 10 years.
They tell you every detail you'll need to know. Pressure, tip size, drying times, what its compatible with.

 

[pagrunt]

they have the Exalta line, supposedly it replaced Dupont?

Yes Axalta is DuPont Performance Coatings but was changed to that name after DuPont sold that part of the company off. Axalta was originally it's own company before getting merged into DuPont some years back.

 

[jlcustomz]

If SPI doesn't have a local jobber, you can buy direct. They don't offer a large range of paint colors, but their primers , clears, &paints compare to stuff costing way more.
If you haven't tried a stripping disc on a grinder yet, then do so.
Or do it the super slow way.

 

[roger1]

... I will be stripping the car with an electric DA and 80 grit paper.

I suggest you don't do that or it will take you an annoyingly long time. An electric D/A doesn't have the stroke or power that an HD air-powered one does. I have a long stroke HD air-powered D/A and a big compressor and I still don't strip that way. Takes too long even with 60 grit discs.
The 4 1/2" stripping discs I showed work extremely well on a 4 1/2" electric angle grinder. If you keep them flat as possible and don't press too hard, you should be able to strip your entire car with about 6 to 8 of them. In one day too.
Here's where I buy the ones I use:
https://www.roarksupply.com/Pearl-4-5-x-7-8-Stripping-Disc-p/pearlstripdisc.htm

After stripping with those stripping discs, prep the metal for epoxy primer using your D/A and 80 grit.

 

[xylorex]

I suggest you don't do that or it will take you an annoyingly long time. An electric D/A doesn't have the stroke or power that an HD air-powered one does. I have a long stroke HD air-powered D/A and a big compressor and I still don't strip that way. Takes too long even with 60 grit discs.
The 4 1/2" stripping discs I showed work extremely well on a 4 1/2" electric angle grinder. If you keep them flat as possible and don't press too hard, you should be able to strip your entire car with about 6 to 8 of them. In one day too.
Here's where I buy the ones I use:
https://www.roarksupply.com/Pearl-4-5-x-7-8-Stripping-Disc-p/pearlstripdisc.htm

After stripping with those stripping discs, prep the metal for epoxy primer using your D/A and 80 grit.

has anybody used the eastwood contour tool? looks like it uses the same type of material as the strip discs you use, but it uses a drum instead of the disc.

ref: https://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-contour-sct.html

 

[jlcustomz]

Saw one in use on that Vegas Rat rods show. Looked easier to control & also good for doing straight graining patterns in metal.

 

[57 Handyman]

Mike,

I completely understand the desire to do the job yourself...it is rewarding in the end! However, using either air powered or electric DA with 80 grit or more aggressive discs, requires a lot of discipline and patience. I say this because two things happen with this combination: thinning of the metal and heat. Both are the result of a lot of contact with the painted surface. With either an electric or air powered DA in whatever disc sizes, it will take several boxes of sanding discs to remove all the surface paint and any underlying substrates. One of the biggest mistakes hobbyists make when removing paint is to not change the disc often enough. As the disc wears out, the operator may begin to apply more pressure and that action leads to creating more heat. Any metal heating will lead to panel warping...not what is desired especially on hoods, roofs, or trunk decks. Using too aggressive sanding discs will end up thinning and gouging the metal surface which leaves a wavy panel.

The best way to strip your whole car is to find a dustless blasting vendor in your area. Dustless blasting uses recycled glass, a rust inhibitor, and water. The job gets done in 1-2 hours with the rust inhibitor providing you with 48-72 hour window in which to apply 2k epoxy primer. But the sooner is always best!

I would suggest checking your local area and asking what a vendor would charged. I believe it would be well-worth the effort when you consider time and material costs.

Good luck!

 

[Ribbedroof]

Dustless wet blasting...$450 for a 70 Buick GS hood top and bottom about 2 months ago. Can't imagine what they get for a whole car.

 

[xylorex]

Dustless wet blasting...$450 for a 70 Buick GS hood top and bottom about 2 months ago. Can't imagine what they get for a whole car.

my dad just got a price to acid dip his triumph spitfire body...... $3000!! seems a bit high to me, but thats just my opinion.

 

[roger1]

Mike,
I completely understand the desire to do the job yourself...it is rewarding in the end! However, using either air powered or electric DA with 80 grit or more aggressive discs, requires a lot of discipline and patience. I say this because two things happen with this combination: thinning of the metal and heat. Both are the result of a lot of contact with the painted surface. With either an electric or air powered DA in whatever disc sizes, it will take several boxes of sanding discs to remove all the surface paint and any underlying substrates. One of the biggest mistakes hobbyists make when removing paint is to not change the disc often enough. As the disc wears out, the operator may begin to apply more pressure and that action leads to creating more heat. Any metal heating will lead to panel warping...not what is desired especially on hoods, roofs, or trunk decks. Using too aggressive sanding discs will end up thinning and gouging the metal surface which leaves a wavy panel.
The best way to strip your whole car is to find a dustless blasting vendor in your area. Dustless blasting uses recycled glass, a rust inhibitor, and water. The job gets done in 1-2 hours with the rust inhibitor providing you with 48-72 hour window in which to apply 2k epoxy primer. But the sooner is always best!
I would suggest checking your local area and asking what a vendor would charged. I believe it would be well-worth the effort when you consider time and material costs.
Good luck!

Ever tried the stripping discs that i provided a link to? No heat or thinning issues and relatively fast. Like I said, strip an entire car in a day using about 8 of the $5.99 discs on a 4 1/2" angle grinder. Follow up with a quick pass with 80 grit discs on a D/A and the car is ready for primer.