Paint stripping without a D/A

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dartfreak75

Restore it, Dont part it!
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Hey guess I dont have a air compressor big enough to run a da so I'm doing my paint stripping with an angle grinder. I have some of the cheap flap disks but they dig in the metal to bad. I'm thinking about trying the Eastwood paint stripping system they have has anyone tried them? Do they work ok?
Or any other suggestions?
 
I would go ahead and bite off a compressor. You're should have one anyway with an old car.
 
You can buy an electric DA sander that takes the self adhesive sanding pads at Home Depot. They work very well and have the speed control roller button on them too.

Can change the backing pad to the hook and loop style sand paper if you can still buy that type of sanding paper in your area.
 
for body stripping Aircraft Paint stripper, but make sure you thoroughly rinse/neutralize the chemicals. For hard parts, I use an angle grinder with various wire brush attachments (cup shapes of various sizes, flat of various diameters, etc.)
 
I would go ahead and bite off a compressor. You're should have one anyway with an old car.
I have a good air compressor it's a hf 26 gal it just dont run my da long enough to be effective. Lots of downtime waiting for it to build back up.
 
I have a good air compressor it's a hf 26 gal it just dont run my da long enough to be effective. Lots of downtime waiting for it to build back up.

Yeah. I know what you mean.
 
I find it redundant to run a compressor to run a DA, when I can get an electric sander and cut out the middle man.

I have used electric Sanders for a few years now and they just work. The one I put in the link from HF takes the hook-it sand paper, so it's really the same as using a air powered sander. Imo
 
I switched to electric a few years back when my air compressor took a dump. Mine is a Black & Decker, it was around $25 at Home Depot. I've replaced the compressor, but never use my air powered sanders any more.
 
The aircraft stripper is good stuff cause it uses methylene chloride. But you need to be careful that you don't get it on you, and especially in the eyes. Like was said, wash it off afterwards. I also bought something called OSPHO that I put on my car after rinsing it with the water, it keeps rust from starting. Here is a link to my restoration thread, 1st page you can see some parts of the car that I stripped using the method I explained above. Hope this helps.
My 70 Dart
 
Have you seen the electric Eastwood contour sct surface conditioning tool. It’s a drum sander. Sometimes on sale for $199

Eastwood Contour SCT® - Surface Conditioning Tool

910627FE-9FFB-47A7-B776-BD5B24FA5B23.jpeg
 
I find it redundant to run a compressor to run a DA, when I can get an electric sander and cut out the middle man.

I have used electric Sanders for a few years now and they just work. The one I put in the link from HF takes the hook-it sand paper, so it's really the same as using a air powered sander. Imo
Thanks I will get one of those and try it out! I agree with the electric vs pneumatic. Pneumatic is great if you have a huge air compressor but one to actually run the way it should with DAs and sandblasted and even a good paint gun can cost thousands of dollars.
 
I find it redundant to run a compressor to run a DA, when I can get an electric sander and cut out the middle man.

I have used electric Sanders for a few years now and they just work. The one I put in the link from HF takes the hook-it sand paper, so it's really the same as using a air powered sander. Imo

I agree.....IF all you're ever going to do is run a DA. But there's paint guns, air ratchets, blow guns, impacts, and on and on and on and on. A good compressor just makes sense.

It's kinda like NOT having a welder. How would YOU like that? lol
 
I agree.....IF all you're ever going to do is run a DA. But there's paint guns, air ratchets, blow guns, impacts, and on and on and on and on. A good compressor just makes sense.

It's kinda like NOT having a welder. How would YOU like that? lol
I thought we were talking about sanding on cars only in this thread. For sanding only I don't see where the compressor needs to be involved.

All that other stuff you mentioned...... yes, a good compressor is a mechanic's friend. I do have a badass compressor that could keep up with any DA sander AND another tool at the same time, but I still say, why keep a compressor running with a DA sander when that is redundant.

I found the electric bill is lower using the electric sander too.
 
I blasted all of mine... I know, I know compressor not keeping up... But for some stuff, especially getting through the mud, I used the flapper discs and thought they work exceptionally well for paint and bondo removal. The epoxy primer seemed to love the texture of that surface. They do come in different grit too. Harbor Garbage had several
 
I have a 60 gallon upright 220V twin piston compressor now, but way back when i was working out of a T hangar on the local airport i had only 1 20 amp breaker running into the shop i made out of the hangar space. T hangar was great. A lot of storage space for $95 a month, on a secure location. I split that with a buddy of mine. Anyways, with a single 20 amp breaker i had to get creative. I had a crapsman 25 gallon twin piston compressor, and a china fright 110v compressor motor. I would run the compressor on 1 lung so it wouldent pop the breaker. Wait for it to charge up the tank fully, then hook up my DA and run it down. Took forever to strip and epoxy prime a 60 chevy i was restoring. So i worked 1 panel at a time, and primered it. Winter time was worse. Shut off the shop lights, and use a bernsomatic torch to warm up the compressor pump then turn it on, otherwise it labor too long and would pop the breaker. Had to get ingenious with shop lights as well. A power strip zip tied onto the ceiling beam running to the single light socket, and 6 short extension cords to six 4 foot flourescent shop fixtures with some light duty chains to hold em up worked well. Yeah having a compressor without enough volume sucks. I may try an electric DA just because it will give my 60 a break, plus the racket it makes when it runs.
 
for body stripping Aircraft Paint stripper, but make sure you thoroughly rinse/neutralize the chemicals. For hard parts, I use an angle grinder with various wire brush attachments (cup shapes of various sizes, flat of various diameters, etc.)
I agree but it is now banned in the US!:mad:
 
Thankfully i work in aviation then. I still have access to the stuff. Dont care for working with it though. If you dont neutralize it well, 6 months after your repaint it will bubble up under the paint in spots its left behind.
 
I blasted all of mine... I know, I know compressor not keeping up... But for some stuff, especially getting through the mud, I used the flapper discs and thought they work exceptionally well for paint and bondo removal. The epoxy primer seemed to love the texture of that surface. They do come in different grit too. Harbor Garbage had several
I'm gonna use a blaster for all the hard to reach places but open flat areas I figured it would be easier and cost effective to just da it off I'm working on the engine bay so there are alot of places a sander wont fit
 
Thankfully i work in aviation then. I still have access to the stuff. Dont care for working with it though. If you dont neutralize it well, 6 months after your repaint it will bubble up under the paint in spots its left behind.
Yea I am not a fan of that stripper. I used it to do my fenders doors and hood the first time I painted this car and it was an absolute nightmare half way thru I was thinking to myself dang it would have been easier to just sand the damn things. But maybe I had the wrong kind it was the stuff that advance auto use to sale in the big plastic jug. It would bubble the paint but it still wouldn't come off you would have to scrape and scrub and recoat and repeat. And the mess it made omg I'm still finding balls of gummy paint in my building 15 years later lol
 
Lock up that angle grinder . Not on sheet metal . Stripping discs or DA . Spend the money on good quality materials . You will thank yourself later . "cheap ain't good and good ain't cheap " You can always sell the equipment later and recoup some of the costs .
 
Since I'm sort of spread out, I have two twenty gallon 4 HP compressors located apart instead of one "big" one. The money investment would be about the same as one big one.
(Maybe a little more)
Except I've got redundancy, can hook up either place, use one to "repair" the other if necessary and hook them together for twice the capacity if needed.
(Air line verses voltage drop if you used a long extension cord)
Like for sand blasting and running high volume air.
Just throwing that out there.
I think electric is the way to go for most of us on the sanding thing.
Except that gets a little dicey if you are wet sanding.
 
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