Whether you are stripping paint from a small section of your classic car or removing paint from the whole car all at once, below is the complete guide to the most popular automotive paint stripping methods out there so you can choose what's best for your car.
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Some methods are low budget DIY and some are expensive. For example, drop-your-car-off-and-have-it-done-for-you solutions or dipping solutions, ha ha. Seriously, you can dip your car too.
Automotive paint strippers aren't as good as they once were due to EPA and safety regulations. One key ingredient, Methylene Chloride, has been banned for use in paint strippers.
I found that these products still work, but they take much longer to eat into the paint. Here's the industrial one that I prefer:
Paint Stripper for CarsBuy On AmazonAbout $50/Gallon
Plan on using one or more gallons of the paint stripper above to strip an entire car.
Before the product above, I used aircraft stripper from Klean-Strip. Their new formulation is not impressive in my opinion, but if you want to try I suggest you buy a quart or pint size first.
Also check with your local or online automotive paint supplier for full strength paint stripper with MEK. Apparently some states still offer stronger solutions, but you won't find them in retail big-box stores.
Do NOT use the method above for fiberglass or plastic parts. The stripper can damage the gel coat and the epoxy resin that creates the fiberglass structure. If you are working with fiberglass or plastic, skip to the mechanical or blasting methods below.
It's important not to mess with the chemical once it's applied to the surface. I find that the chemical works best in areas that I poured the chemical.
You want the chemical gel thickness to be about 1/8' which is kind of hard to do on vertical surfaces. If you plan on removing the doors anyway, it may make sense to remove them first so the stripper can work horizontally covered with a plastic sheet.
I will typically pour enough chemical in rows about 8-10' apart and then gently pull the chemical with a brush for even coverage. Remember not to over brush it!
Often, the paint will soften but not scrape off easily. This is where I like to combine the chemical strip method with mechanical methods, such as a surface conditioning tool or a strip-it disc. See Mechanical Methods below.
You will see in the pictures above that the hood to fender seams were taped up. This step is critical for the perfect paint job. You do not want the chemical to hide in any seams and then leak out in a few years to destroy your new paint. Do not use paint stripper on hemmed door skins or anything that may trap acids!
Sometimes a little 'elbow grease' is need to get the job done safely. Since automotive paint strippers are not as good as they used to be, a good DIY alternative is mechanical paint removal.
Luckily there have been some improvements in this area lately. Two great products now replace the heavy sandpaper option.
Works great on low speed sander such as the Makita with a plastic backing pad.
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Designed for automotive paint removal
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Both the strip-it disc and surface conditioning tools utilize a woven abrasive medium that will not clog up like sandpaper. Both will mow through Bondo, paint, and even light surface rust. You will be left with a clean shiny surface that is ready for epoxy primer. Most primer manufactures suggest an 80 grit abraded surface and these both get close enough to that.
The price and availability of this woven material has come down substantially in recent years. The large 7-8' discs can be hard to find, but they are out there. Click here to buy.
I believe that the typical 4.5' angle grinder is a bit too fast and it will wear the woven discs out quickly. That is why I prefer the Makita sander at about RPM. One 7' disc will strip an entire car if you don't push to hard and let the tool do the work.
I believe that the typical 4.5' angle grinder is a bit too fast and it will wear the woven discs out quickly. That is why I prefer the Makita sander at about RPM. One 7' disc will strip an entire car if you don't push too hard.
As mentioned above in the chemical stripping section, I like to combine both methods. Soften the paint with paint stripper, scrape off the easy stuff and then use the mechanical method. If the paint doesn't come off in large balls, then it may be time to add more stripper. Softened paint usually doesn't create too much dust if done correctly. If you want to see this method in action , please click the video at the bottom of this article. This video shows me stripping my Porsche 911 in only one day.
The one limitation I have found with woven material tools, is that they don't work very well on undercoating. They can clog and bog down.
A lot of car enthusiasts prefer to tow their project car to a professional sandblaster. Professional blasters use very high volume airflow that is difficult to achieve at home. If you want your whole car stripped with this method, a professional outfit with quality equipment is the only way to go. Some blast businesses will come to you with a mobile blast rig.
CAUTION: The high pressure abrasive media can warp large panels like hoods or doors if not operated by a skilled blaster.
If you are concerned about warping large panels, then use either chemical or mechanical methods first for those large, easy to reach areas.
Depending on the paint thickness and shape of the panel several different media may be needed.
The major advantage of sandblasting is that it is great at removing rust, especially on hard to reach surfaces. If you are restoring a very rusty car it's common to cut out the bad metal to expose inner cavities for the most thorough job. Often times this is for a full rotisserie restoration when the doors, hood, etc are removed for a full restoration.
If you do cut out known bad metal, then some bracing may be required so the chassis doesn't flex too much and permanently distort.
Automotive paint stripping can be extreme! You can dip your entire car in an acid sequence too to remove paint.
Clearly this method requires that everything must be removed from your car prior to dipping. It's also best to remove any plugs that may prevent the acid solution from entering hidden cavities and channels. Trapped air is one short coming of this method, so plan ahead.
For more pre-stripping machineinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.
Acid dipping a whole car is certainly a professional endeavor so make sure you ask lots of questions to whomever has the equipment to do the job right.
I like this methods for really rusty or thin metal cars such as the VW Beetle pictured above. The acid can remove rust too, so if you have a lot of pitted metal dipping can clean it.
You do need to ensure that the acids are neutralized properly before new paint is applied. Often this is done with high pressure water to flush away the residue and debri left behind.
I recommend heating the seams to boil any left over stuff in the spot welded seams as chemicals tend to leech out and ruin your pretty paint job. This may not happen for several years, so keep your fingers crossed.
Most dipping outfits will coat the car in a phosphate solution to prevent flash rust. Make sure that your primer manufacture says their product can be applied over a phosphated surface. Very important!
Another dipping method that I like is electrolysis. While it's not an acid, it does involve an electrolyte solution and electricity. This method is great for small parts and the process is self limiting, meaning that once the rust if gone the process stops. Electrolysis is great for small delicate parts that you don't want to abrade or texture with mechanical or blasting methods.
Watch this video which summarizes and highlights each of the above methods. Sometimes watching someone else work on their project can inspire you to give it a try.
Automotive paint stripping really comes down to cost, versus, time, versus quality. What do most of the high end restoration shops use on very valuable cars?
They use either dry ice blasting and/or mechanical methods. Mechanical methods ensures great paint adhesion so if quality and reputation is important to your business or project, then you must spend the time and money to do it right.
If you are tired of working on a rusty car and you feel like there is no end in sight, then send it to a media blaster. Many guys find that outsourcing the rust removal is a major win because they feel the car is fresh and ready to build!
If you have any questions in particular please leave a comment below and I'll do my best to get back to you.
pre-strip - do you need to get milk?
tonesaguyPosted 10/16/ 21:49 (#)
Subject: pre-strip - do you need to get milk?
Chilliwack, British Columbia
We are talking of going to prestripping in our milking procedure, and was wondering when best to do it, and if you actually need to draw milk or not.
OUr current milking procedure:
I was planning on stripping after the predip, and eliminate the prewipe, maybe just a quick brush to remove loose sawdust.
I do know that the main thing here is compliance, and Dad just doesn't seem to get it. He thinks the way to make money is to not spend it sometimes, he just can't see the forest through the trees sometimes.
Well, enough ranting, any ideas from guys who know better then me?
Thanks in advance for any and all help, getting really tired of treating cows for mastitis when it is totally preventable.
Glenn
J. Sheehan
Posted 10/16/ 22:09 (# - in reply to #)
Subject: RE: pre-strip - do you need to get milk?
Sunnyside, WA
Posted 10/17/ 06:23 (# - in reply to #)
Subject: RE: pre-strip - do you need to get milk?
Posted 10/17/ 07:02 (# - in reply to #)
Subject: Re: pre-strip - do you need to get milk?
Chilliwack, British Columbia
I like to think that our stalls are very clean and dry, we also lime everytime we bed down. it will also depend on the results of the milk test that we have submitted to our clinic to see what bug it is.Posted 10/17/ 07:29 (# - in reply to #)
Subject: Re: pre-strip - do you need to get milk?
Hutchinson, MN
I'm aware of the horror situations (not a story to the producer involved), I waited 7 yrs to get the model I think does it right. We had a few raw count issues soon after installation but got the problems with the wash system corrected and our raw count was 8,000 last month. SSC immediately went down to 100-200 range, we did suffer a jump over summer to 200-300 range, that I couldn't pin down as to the cause was. This fall it has dropped back to 100-150 range, I've treated an avg. of 1 cow a month for mastitis, since installation 8+ months ago, 50 cows milking, plus dry cows. DelPosted 10/23/ 21:49 (# - in reply to #)
Subject: Re: pre-strip - do you need to get milk?
SW Ontario
Delmarbe - 10/17/ 07:29
I'm aware of the horror situations (not a story to the producer involved), I waited 7 yrs to get the model I think does it right. We had a few raw count issues soon after installation but got the problems with the wash system corrected and our raw count was 8,000 last month. SSC immediately went down to 100-200 range, we did suffer a jump over summer to 200-300 range, that I couldn't pin down as to the cause was. This fall it has dropped back to 100-150 range, I've treated an avg. of 1 cow a month for mastitis, since installation 8+ months ago, 50 cows milking, plus dry cows. Del
P.S. I tried to add captions to the pixs, but couldn't figure that one out
Posted 10/26/ 00:12 (# - in reply to #)
Subject: Re: kinzepower
Hutchinson, MN
When you say fellow, do you mean you also have (or had) one? Where are you located? I'd be interested in corresponding with someone else who "gets it" about the potential for this tech. Very few fellow dairyman in my area even seem to care. I think robotics will do to the dairy industry, what computers did to the world. Del DelmarbePosted 10/26/ 07:15 (# - in reply to #)
Subject: Re: kinzepower
Hutchinson, MN
It hit me this morning! (long day yesterday, repairing the hitch on a IH 40 stalk chopper that had pulled loose of the frame) Could you be from near London, Ont. CAN If so, I was part of a tour w/ Jerry Claussens from the US in the spring of , that toured your farm. I remember mud, and your new barn at that time. If I'm right, I've answered all of my questions from last nite. What would you call the book, if you were to collect your stories and publish them? I'm also, absolutely positive my experience and yours have little in common. I'd heard you have sold your quota, would you ever consider buying some back? The technology has progressed nicely. If I was wrong I just told you a lot of crap that confused you so I'll quit. DelEdited by Delmarbe 10/26/ 08:41
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