Hello! I plan on refinishing my truck to get a nice clean surface good luck and send us a picture of that True Fire for the readers
to airbrush true fire on and I understand it would be best to gallery when you’re done.
strip the paint down to bare metal. I’m not looking forward Hello gentlemen. I’ve read the last two editions of your mag-
to the mess of sanding all that paint off, would it be easier to azine and have really enjoyed them. This is a little off topic,
remove it with paint stripper? Thanks. Dave T. , N.Y.
but I hope you have some information to help me out. After
Dave,... I wish you given me a little more information. Depending
finishing a car for a client, and before I could deliver it, the
on the age and condition of the paint, it may not be necessary
roof and hood sustained some small dents in a hail storm,
to go right down to bare metal, but for the sake of discussion,
mostly dime size or smaller. He has taken the car for the
we’ll assume it is. There are pros and cons to every method,...
time being, but I’m going to have to fix this for him. A friend
with sanding it’s the dust, but chemical strippers aren’t cheap
suggested taking it to a paintless dent repair specialist. Is
and can be equally messy,... they also need to be done in a well
this possible? It might save me a lot of work and money if it
ventilated area.
is, or is this just a pipe dream? Thanks.
Start out by removing everything that you can including mirrors,
AJ
mouldings, door handles and anything else that you can get
PDR does work fairly well on small dents,... but there are a lot
off,... then mask off any areas that you don’t need to strip. I like
of variables that can effect the outcome. First and foremost is
to tape over any cracks or crevices like between the hood and
the experience and ability of the PDR technician that does the
fenders to keep the stripper from running down inside and ruin-
job. Like everything else,... you’ve got your good ones, and,... well
ing the paint in there. Specific instructions for individual strip-
you know! The next concern is how much the vehicle’s metal
pers vary somewhat, depending on whether they are paste or
was stretched on impact. Pushing on overly stretched metal
liquid. Buy a heavy-bodied stripper especially made for automo-
can further distort it causing waviness, and can lead to other
tive use and pour the stripper into a disposable can so you can
paint problems. Also paint that is brittle may crack during the
apply it with a chemical resistant brush. Don’t work the stripper
paintless dent removal process. Some vehicles coatings take
into the surface too much, in fact you should only brush in one
years to reach a brittle stage, while other paints emerge that
direction. Agitating the stripper will actually reduce its potency!
way from the factory. Depending on the amount of paint that
Once the upper surface of the stripper skims over,... it holds the
you applied on your custom paint job, this could be a factor. An-
chemicals against the paint, so don’t disturb it once its on. Bet-
other, is the location of the dents. Usually the ones on a hood
ter yet,... cover the treated area with 2-4 mil polyethylene and
are pretty easy to access by removing the hood pad,... but the
secure the film at the edges. The chemicals that break down
ones on the roof my require removal of the head liner, a lot
paint films will evaporate prematurely if you don’t. This step is
bigger job. You may also need to do another block sand and
particularly important if you’re stripping factory-applied primers
polish when the job is done to remove tiny imperfections from
or multi-layered paint systems. If you are stripping a really tough
the process. I wish you luck, but you must keep in mind that
finish, you can also try a couple of other tricks. By abrading the
it will only take one dent not coming out properly,... and your
surface with 40 or 60 grit sand paper,...(you basically only need
customer may want it repainted anyway. Thanks for the letter.
to break the surface of the paint film), the stripper will work
Hi, I’m going to be switching from medium solids clear to a
faster since the surface area will be increased. And assuming
high solids clear in the near future. I use two infrared heat-
you’ve applied the film mentioned earlier,... you can just leave
ers to cure my paint and I’m wondering if there are any pre-
the stripper on the surface longer .... up to 2 hours is O.K.
cautions I need to take when using them on the new clear.
When you remove the plastic film just scrape the panel down
Dean P.
with a putty knife. I like to tape a cardboard box onto the panel
Actually, high solids coatings require fewer precautions than
and just scrape everything right into it. Use a scotchbrite pad
the medium solids paints. You should always allow convention-
on sharp details or crevices. Paint strippers are water soluble,
al medium solids paints to flash off adequately before applying
so you can rinse the panel to stop the chemical reaction and to
heat. Too quick an application of any kind of heat to medium
clean up the mess. I usually run a sander over the panel with a
solids paints, and you run the risk of skinning or the harden-
coarse paper just as a final clean up and to give my primer a
ing of the paint’s surface, causing solvent entrapment and all
good surface to hang onto. You don’t want to leave that panel
the solvent popping that goes with it. Your high solids paint
bare for long,... so get some primer on there before it starts to
will stay open longer, allowing solvents to escape before the
rust. I probably should have mentioned this up front,... but these
paint begins to harden. Pretty much all high solids paints can
products are very corrosive so make sure you are wearing cov-
be zapped almost immediately. Be sure to check the manufac-
eralls, gloves, and eye protection,.... Work safely!Well, there you
turer’s recommendations about curing since there’s always a
go,... six of one,... half a dozen of the other, lol! Either way strip-
chance for an oddball occurrence. Thanks for writing Dean.
ping paint off can be a lot of work. You may not need to strip the
That’s it for another issue folks,... please send those ques-
entire truck depending on the condition and age of the paint,...
tions to kickskorner@sympatico.ca .
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