need help before i ruin it... [Archive]

MARTINSR

Jan 8th, 02, 6:44 AM

CHris, I am very concerned that little GRINDER is going to cause a lot of damage! Those little GRINDERS (that have been flooding the market the last few years) spin VERY FAST, I think about ten or 15 THOUSAND RPM. They are designed for GRINDING welds and things like that, which is ALL I use mine for.

The mention of "discoloring the metal" gives me the hebe jebes, that would be WAY, WAY , WAY to late! You can warp a large panel with a hair drier if you wanted to.

Does the paint NEED to be striped? I am going to copy and paste a post from another sight (hope that is not a no'no) from a guy who put it very well on the subject of stripping paint. This is the most misunderstood aspect of painting, bare NONE. If you do plan on stripping, use a DA or other "osolating" sander with 40 grit to bust through the top then switch to 80 then to get the last stuff of, 120. DO NOT stay in one place long, sand a large area down evenly, say about two square feet. Anyway, here is Pete's post......

LOOK EVERYBODY -> here's the deal. Automotive finishes are a dual function item. A = Protection & B=Aesthetics

The foremost ("A") is the most important factor.The other,("B") AESTHETIC appeal is a wind Fall function. We use the different styles, colors, methods, etc. etc. even "tricks" to get a stand up / stand out finish on a vehicle.

There seems to be a "fixation" over stripping everything to bare metal, & beginning over. In some cases that may be necessary, but I promise you they are the exception,not the rule in refinishing.

It's ridiculous to take most vehicles down to bare metal. Especially with little/no practical experience refinishing, or Prepping, or with "home owner" tools and equipment to actually do work with, or without a good place to do it in.

This does not begin to consider the mess,accumulation of debris in the air, & shop, residual dust & particulates, & health issues. Nor does it consider a small window of time one has before oxidization starts on ALL exposed, raw metal.

Most important of all, it does not consider the fact most people can NOT lay down a base as good as most OEM factory paint departments do. This is not to say all OEM paint jobs are "premium", they're not, but far more are, than aren't.

Old finishes which are just "dull", usually are a good base for refinishing over. It's only when the old finish is checking, lifting, chipping, coming off, or decomposing the complete removal is indicated. Plus only where it's failing.

If a finish is simply "dead", or "flat" appearing, or has oxidized etc., or when there is separation between coats, A stripping may be needed.

The other criteria is when paint is extremely thick, over 12 mils for example,removal may be required. But "thick" paint can be "DA"'d very thin, very fast.

So I generally avoid stripping anything completely to bare metal. Only if the original undercoats are coming apart, & doing it all over the vehicle. I have been doing this for a long time.

If original paint finish is adhering well,not breaking up, is nothing but old, dull, dead, or the wrong color, I salvage as much of it as I can.I only go to bare metal when I will be working metal, or where the paint is lifting off.

I believe most auto finishers will agree with this. This general pre-occupation I am seeing, to go to "Bare Metal" on general principles is not the best way to refinish autos.
Obviously some of us have credible experience in our field.

The lack of experience novices tend to have, makes them overwork the projects, believing they will ultimately get their best finish that way.

I say UNTRUE! The best finishes are dictated by what one starts with,how well one understands finishing /refinishing processes,what skills they possess,the material they choose to do a job with, their equipment, and their "set up".

All of these factors make up expertise which proficient painters have learned through years of doing auto finishing.
I've seen some great videos, read some good "How To's" and so forth. Regardless of that, I can not replace having done stuff,by learning about it from reading or watching videos.

I'm not down on those informative methods. In fact I use them to enhance my abilities, or learn new processes to apply to what I have learned from experience. However,I can say,knowing what I know, and doing what I do, would be very impossible from only reading & viewing videos about it.

Before anybody totally strips a project to bare metal, do what I do, ask somebody who knows about it. Fortunately I can ask myself, I do know about it. still, have to ask it, if I'm going to get the big $$, and do the best job I can.

The question is: Does this car need to go to total bare metal, or can I simply "spot" work it as I go. 95-97 times out of 100 I "Spot" work the body & strip only what I must.I tend to try to leave a solid job alone, but take the flakey ones/or areas off.

So in the final analysis, rather than strip everything, & make all that work, mess, hazard, grief, and urgency for myself, I evaluate to the best of my ability, then only do What needs to be done.
Generally I:
DANCE WITH "DA"/SANDING BLOCKS,than I do any objectionable
. . . ."DOWN & DIRTY STRIPPING BARE".

FORDBOYpete's opinion

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1965 Buick Gran Sport Convertible
1965 Buick Skylark H/T
"Fan of most anything that moves human beings"