Prepping bare metal question

RosharonRooster

RosharonRooster

Promoted Users
Happy new year folks. 2023 I want my car in color by end of summer. I plan to take the entire thing down to bare metal...I plan to use, whatever means necessary including the blue conditioning discs, 80 grit paper, wire wheels, spot blaster etc. My question is what would be the proper way to clean the metal before epoxy.. it is going to make a mess and the car is in its original 1960 checked lacquer paint. Is it advised to wash the bare metal with soap and water? Should I only use the water based wax and grease removed and not soap and water? Should I not use water at any point in the process? In the past I've cleaned bare metal with dawn dish soap and a red pad, then wax and grease it, soak it and let it dry then epoxy...I dont want anything coming back on me later on with this cars paint job
 
I have stripped a number of vehicles and by far media blasting is the best way in my opinion.
It takes way less time, easily gets into all the nooks and crannies and leaves the surface prepped for epoxy primer.
This section took a few minutes.
Left Inner Fender.JPG


Notice that it removes everything as you go:
Engine Compartment Left.JPG


Clean up with compressed air and a shop vacuum, making sure you blow everything out of the frame and interior pockets.
Media Blasting Progess.JPG



Two coats of epoxy freshly sprayed:
Engine Compartment Epoxy.JPG
 
Before I start a project, I do extensive hot water washing and use plenty of soap. Probably do this 2-3 times as a vehicle is taken apart. I have forklifts so I wash top to bottom.

When going all in as I call it, I get rid of / remove everything I don't want to paint over.

Then blast, then check it over, hit the spots a person misses then final blowing off / clean up the sand & spray epoxy.

After Blasting: I do not wash, sand, DA or prep with any chemicals. So far everything I have done has stood the test of time.

I try to do these jobs in nice weather. It is a bunch of time & work, so plan accordingly.
 
BBCFan has already stated this but, I'm going to reinforce his recommendation.

No matter how you remove the existing paint from the car, the absolute first thing you have to do is wash the car with Dawn dish washing soap. Not doing this first step can have dire consequences.

You can strip the car however you want, media blast, chemical, sanding or razor blade. Each of those techniques have pro's & cons.

Media blasting - pro's, quick. Requires blowing / vacuum off the panel. Then straight to epoxy.

Media blasting-con's......cost of equipment, messy. Requiring an open area to Media blast. Once you do it in a shop or garage, you won't do that again.

Chemical - pro's. Easy if the vehicle is taken to a vendor who has a tank to submerge the vehicle.

Chemical con's. If doing it at home, messy. Several application to remove paint as over the counter paint stripper are not what they once where.

Sanding Pro's. I can't think of one, lol

Sanding con's. Expensive material cost, messy if not done outside.

Razor blade - pro's. Cost effective. Can be performed in a shop or garage.

Razor Blade - con's, not as fast as Media blast.

My personal choice given my circumstances is, Razor blade. Blade the panel which will remove 95 to 98% of the existing paint. Then follow up with an 80 grit on a da to remove the remaining paint residue.

Also remember OP, your working with lacquer paint. Anytime you sand it, wear a respirator.
 
Only reason I see to wash something before hand is if it is extremely greasy, oily etc. I usually never wash before or after media blasting as the blasting removes everything. Washing afterwards makes a whole lot of flash rust. Trying to wipe it down afterwards makes a mess as the wipes will tear and lint on the surface. And it's hard to get that off. If you are recycling media, I guess there would be a chance of some contamination but as long as it is blasted with fresh media I don't see where it's an issue. I'll go straight from blasting to applying epoxy (after blow off and clean up of the media) Never had an issue. Don't plan on changing.
 
'68 Coronet R/T said:
I have stripped a number of vehicles and by far media blasting is the best way in my opinion.
It takes way less time, easily gets into all the nooks and crannies and leaves the surface prepped for epoxy primer.
This section took a few minutes.
View attachment 23543

Notice that it removes everything as you go:
View attachment 23544

Clean up with compressed air and a shop vacuum, making sure you blow everything out of the frame and interior pockets.
View attachment 23545


Two coats of epoxy freshly sprayed:
View attachment 23546
Click to expand...
This looks great. What process or equipment did you use. And would you do this on flat exterior panels like trunks hood or doors? I was planning on having a mobile sand blaster come blast all structural areas like floor pans inside and out, dash. Firewall. Door jambs...but I dont want him doing the exterior for fear of warping?
 
I blast everything. There’s a local commercial blasting company I take my stuff to and use their cabinets for big parts like fenders and hoods. They taught me to shoot the part at a distance and at an angle, and complete the stripping over several passes. Don’t try to dwell too long on any one spot and strip everything to bare metal on the first pass. As long as I go over the panel with light, multiple passes I’ve never had warping issues. They routinely blast bodies using the same technique.
 
Rooster, be careful with the mobile commercial blasters. Those guys are the ones I hear of most who warp stuff. You could get a blaster from ALC do your own stuff and be money ahead.
Warpage comes from a combination of air pressure and the amount of material. The commercial type machines are the ones most capable of warping stuff. The smaller machines like this one:https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_517_517?gclsrc=aw.ds&&utm_source=google_PPC&utm_medium=NT DSA Feed&utm_campaign=DSA Feed&utm_content=&gclid=CjwKCAiA-8SdBhBGEiwAWdgtcOx5GZmuYK4YbkjKmKzRmdCLjTMXMJX6ORaXRl-Qq-tZzMDhPWNPYBoCzN0QAvD_BwE
are less likely to warp as the amount of material ejectedm combined with the air pressure is less. Still possible but harder to do with the smaller nozzles.
 
RosharonRooster said:
This looks great. What process or equipment did you use. And would you do this on flat exterior panels like trunks hood or doors? I was planning on having a mobile sand blaster come blast all structural areas like floor pans inside and out, dash. Firewall. Door jambs...but I dont want him doing the exterior for fear of warping?
Click to expand...
I use a pressure pot blaster for the body and larger parts and a blast cabinet for the smaller items.
Lower Control Arms Blasted 1.JPG


I try to keep the pressure low and just enough to get the job done. I used crushed glass for media and shoot at an angle, like Lizer describes above. You would have to either have the pressure very high or stay in one spot way too long to warp a panel.

My blaster looks similar to this one: https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_17798_17798

Mine is customized a bit, since I hate those Deadman handles and swap it out for a ball valve. I have a funnel with a screen in it for reusing the media.
 
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'68 Coronet R/T said:
I use a pressure pot blaster for the body and larger parts and a blast cabinet for the smaller items.
View attachment 23550

I try to keep the pressure low and just enough to get the job done. I used crushed glass for media and shoot at an angle, like Lizer describes above. You would have to either have the pressure very high or stay in one spot way too long to warp a panel.

My blaster looks similar to this one: https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_17798_17798

Mine is customized a bit, since I hate those Deadman handles and swap it out for a ball valve. I have a funnel with a screen in it for reusing the media.
Click to expand...
What are you using for a ball valve? I hate my deadman valve as well. And it’s leaky.
 
I bought one similar to these but of a supposedly more wear resistant material. Can't remember where I got it right now.

Ball Valves

Miscellaneous ball valves for air compressors and other light industrial applictions. We carry various sizes from 1/4-in, 3/8-in, 1/2-in, and 3/4-inch.
www.portlandcompressor.com
 
'68 Coronet R/T said:
I bought one similar to these but of a supposedly more wear resistant material. Can't remember where I got it right now.

Ball Valves

Miscellaneous ball valves for air compressors and other light industrial applictions. We carry various sizes from 1/4-in, 3/8-in, 1/2-in, and 3/4-inch.
www.portlandcompressor.com
Click to expand...

What is your blasting system from the air source to the blaster? My next one I plan on renting a small engine powered compressor that can put out 80 CFM. My 80 gallon 5HP compressor gets beat on when I am blasting.

Wait... I am not restoring another car.... But if I paint a big block Barracuda I could get a '72 Demon 340 4 Speed and all the parts to assemble it worth $50k+ when restored....
 
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Starts here, goes through 20' of 3/4" copper that zig zags across the wall, then into

AirCompressor2.jpg


This and a short copper line leading to
Pre-filterWilkersonM30-06-S05.jpg

This refrigerated drier and then
Speedaire.jpg

through another 20' of 3/4" copper into the booth and a water separator/regulator. Then one last filter and into the air hose.

Overkill? Probably but it is what it is.
 
Similar other than a bit smaller on the compressor and I really need to run 3/4" around.. I am sure 25 ft of 1/2" hose is not helping.
 
'68 Coronet R/T said:
I use a pressure pot blaster for the body and larger parts and a blast cabinet for the smaller items.
View attachment 23550

I try to keep the pressure low and just enough to get the job done. I used crushed glass for media and shoot at an angle, like Lizer describes above. You would have to either have the pressure very high or stay in one spot way too long to warp a panel.

My blaster looks similar to this one: https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_17798_17798

Mine is customized a bit, since I hate those Deadman handles and swap it out for a ball valve. I have a funnel with a screen in it for reusing the media.
Click to expand...
Thanks. I'm going to do some homework work. I have some black media that I got at tractor supply a while back for my spot blaster
 
Black Diamond ??

Have the same "pot" and the ball valve at the tank bottom is a problem with wear if you throttle it down for less media feed,otherwise it drains your media quickly. At least my HF version does anyway. I tried the ball valve and it works but the media eats it alive and went back to the Deadman and a zip tie loose enough to slip on- off. It's a no win gig with whatever you choose. I just ball valve the work hose at the pot if I need it off. I also looped my initial 50'-3/4 copper with 4' long,sloped bottom loops with a tee and drain cock on each loop into a commercial A/C Accumulator with a drain valve along the shop side wall to the shops middle and branches wherever I wanted with drop legs and drains,separators/regs if needed at each hookup.
 
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You'll need a big tarp/s to collect it to recycle it. It's sort of pellet shape and the first use,it bounces all over hells half acre. After that,it cuts better basically to dust in the end. I just use a wide shop broom and sweep it up and a piece of wire window screen over the funnel for the pot. Think it's roofing granuals iir
I know some use glass and god forbid Sand but be SURE to use a good respirator with whatever you use. Silicosis is no joke and 'glass of any sort Will ruin your respiratory system. Be it Glass or Sand which is Glass btw. Goes for anything breathing Air in proximity too.
 
IMO the best cutting stuff is crushed glass. I have noticed a difference between it and coal slag. It cuts more aggressively and cuts rust quicker. You can reuse it but it gets less effective. I've given up on recycling it. Stuff is cheap enough to not have to worry about it.
 
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