<VV> paint stripping

[Cliff]

John, 

I've seen the stripper you mention at my local auto paint shop.  3M also
makes essentially the same thing with an arbor built in and it sells at the
local hardware store and flaps for about $7.50 each.  I have used about 1/2
dozen of them on the current project.  I started out using them to strip the
paint, but it is slow and tedious.  Now, I use the chemical stripper for 90%
removal and finish the job with the stripping pad.  I follow that up with
the DA orbital with 120 grit paper and find that my epoxy primer sticks just
fine.  

Having said that, I truly would like to do away with the chemical stripper
altogether.  Next time I will try the larger pads using my 7" angle
grider/sander. 

Thanks for the info. 
Cliff

-----Original Message-----
From: virtualvairs-bounces at corvair.org
[mailto:virtualvairs-bounces at corvair.org] On Behalf Of John Kepler
Sent: Saturday, February 16, 2008 7:51 AM
To: 'Dennis PLEAU'; n2vzd at aol.com; virtualvairs at corvair.org
Subject: Re: <VV> paint stripping



I've never seen a wire wheel rated anywhere the RPMs my die grinder turns.
When one of those wires comes of at 20K rpms, it could do some damage.
 
Dennis


First, I've been reading this thread from the road and haven't been able to
respond. 

Second, there are MANY wire-wheels with RPM ratings suitable for things like
4.5" angle grinders.....look at any welding supply shop.  I prefer the
"twisted wire" cup-type in a 4.5" angle grinder, and have a couple of
"dedicated" wire-wheel tools in the shop for body and welding work.  Welding
leathers should be a "standard shop tool" if you're doing any significant
metal work, and can be purchased reasonably at places like TSC or even
Harbor Freight....Carhart's seem to work for most Ironworkers, and ALWAYS
wear eye-protection!

Third, 3M makes a VERY effective high RPM paint-stripping abrasive gizmo in
sizes ranging from 2-2.5" for angled die-grinders up to 9" for big electric
angle-grinders....I use the little ones in angle-die grinders for hundreds
of things around the shop from removing paint to cleaning up wheel rims.
This pad looks like a plastic kitchen dish washing "pot-scrubber" with a
drive-stud for the grinder inserted, with a bunch of little plastic fingers
that strip paint like a sum'b!tch....and last damn-near forever (we did the
Kid's BMW 325i from top-to bottom with 2 of them!).  I get them from my
local body shop supply store.  If there's a "down-side", it's that these
aren't cheap up-front and often have to be ordered if you want big
ones.....my local shop carries them up to 5" in stock.  Don't know about any
of you.....but to my mind, $20 for a tool that works is rip-roaring bargain
compared to $10 for one that won't!

Fourth, I've tried chemical strippers and had nothing but trouble getting
paint to uniformly stick to the surface after treatment in spite of massive
efforts to clean and prep the surface afterward.  Again, don't know about
ya'll....but doing a job two or three times to get it right gets me in a
down-right murderous mood!  At the end of the day, they were more trouble
than they were worth.  YMMV!


John


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