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Re: Oven Cleaner: Not 100% sure, but i think oven cleaner will "EAT" aluminum if there is any on it?
sasquatch, proud to be a member of MetalworkingFun since Jul 2012.
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Sand blasting will warp thin sheet metal, as in auto body thickness. Bead blasting as far as I know is safe, the beads are lighter than sand so don't do the impact damage. What about paint stripper, not sure whats still available with all the new rulings. There were products that worked really well, one was called Aircraft Paint Remover, available from auto body supply stores, the home furniture paint stripper is next to worthless.
Free advice is worth exactly what you payed for it.
Greg
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thanks guys, Im gonna look into some paint strippers and see what I come up with
monkers, proud to be a member of MetalworkingFun since Nov 2012.
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Craig,
Go to an automotive paint supply and get "aircraft grade" paint stripper. It has more of the active ingredient, methylene chloride in it than the hardware store variety and will get the job done. You should also know that methylene chloride is very hazardous to use, so either use it outside (stand upwind) or with an organic respirator (the charcoal element type that painters use).
Oven cleaner will remove paint, but it's very slow and it will also attack aluminum. It's the stuff of choice for removing paint from plastic parts like automotive instrument panels and interior parts.
Sand blasting will also work very well, if you have the ability. It has the added bonus of removing rust as well as paint and leaves a nice surface for painting. The typical home shop blaster doesn't have the power to warp sheet metal. I sand blasted my entire Chevelle body including the hood and roof with no issues and I was using a borrowed 12 HP compressor. Where you get into trouble with that is with a commercial blaster who doesn't know what he's doing.
Tom
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You don't have to be commercial to not know what your doing. I had to replace the fender and door on a ford pickup. Wasn't even smart enough to stop on the first part.
Free advice is worth exactly what you payed for it.
Greg
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Greg,
I was aware of the possibility of warping when I did it, so I kept an eye on things as I went, especially on the large flat areas. Lowering the pressure and maintaining a shallow angle with the gun helped keep things from getting out of hand. It took a long time though so I'm not sure I'd ever do it again. I've stripped other cars since and using sanding discs and a body grinder was a lot quicker.
Tom
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hi well if its steel costic soder will remove pant but you will need a tank large inuf for the parte to fit in to if the parte is hevy gage steel way not get the heet gun out and burn it off
krv3000, proud to be a member of MetalworkingFun Forum since Feb 2012.
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Thanks guys. The parts are steel, they are the "shrouds" for my bandsaw. Tough spots to get to inside the shrouds with lots of old paint on it. No alum on them. Gonna check out some stuff this weekend at the hardware store.
monkers, proud to be a member of MetalworkingFun since Nov 2012.
I just got something called Citrustrip Stripping Gel at the Home Despot, to remove finish from some wood trim. Pretty effective, is biodegradable, safe for use indoors, no fumes, etc. I don't know how it works but it seems pretty good. I went out to the shop and dipped a piece of alumininum in it few minutes ago, so far it doesn't seem to affect it....might be worth a look...