Thread: Whats the best way to clean off paint and rust

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Hello, Does anyone have any thoughts on what is the best way to strip a car. I Just aquired a 1966 chevy el camino and are going to restore it. I want to strip it and build it up from the chassis. Would sandblasting be the best way to strip this car down to bare metal or would there be a better and more efficient way.

Alot of guys use a media like crushed peanuts shells or something simuliar to blast the metal instead of sand to avoid heating&warping the panels.

Sand blasting is probably the worst thing to do. As goat says, there's a very high chance of warping and embrittlement. Plastic media blasting is an excellent method, but in the hands of a hack that too can cause some damage, though not as much as sand.

Another alternative, albeit messy, but won't damage the metal, is "aircraft stripper". Available from any wholesale automotive paint jobber in gallon cans. And even though their wholesale, they still sell to the public.

...Cab drivers strip car bodies.??

I usually use aircraft stripper to strip a car to bare metal. You have to use a thick coat. Don't spread it around with the brush. Rubber gloves are needed as the stripper will eat your skin. Eye protection is a good idea too. If you don't wear goggles at least keep a water hose handy to flush your eyes if it splatters. It's hard to keep your eyes open when you're spraying a hose in them. If it happens once you'll be convinced to wear goggles.
I scrape the paint off with a scraper that uses single edge razor blades. Some cars can be stripped with just the razor if the paint is old and brittle but even these cars have some areas that won't let go without stripper. I never tried Formby's but I think it's the same as aircraft stripper.
I use a spot sandblaster on rust spots. It has a rubber tip that you press against the panel to keep the sand contained and keeps warping to a minimum. It's slower than a regular blaster but you don't have abrasive sand getting into all the cracks and crevises That doesn't come out till you're spraying paint. It's even worse if it gets into your engine or bearings.

Chemical acid bath if you have someone near by that does it. Expensive, but the best way to go if you want to get all the rust, even the rust you can't see.

Blasting with walnut shells is a good medium. Not much heat build up with this method. Plastic beads are good, a little more heat generated. Glass blasting is also another medium you might want to look into.

If you can find a good blaster that doesn't blast everything in one day, but insteads, moves around the body / parts and takes his / her time with small areas so the heat doesn't build up and warp the metal, say over a period of a few days.

Sand is a definent no no.