Best way to strip paint on LR / paint recommendations?

[Oilburner]

I have to re-do a LR 109 safari roof with 10 coats of house paint, glue, stickers, etc. I pressure washed most of the flaky stuff off, but the paint will have to be stripped somehow. The design of the Series roof makes it hard to take the paint off with a sander, and sandblasting warps the aluminum. I have used furniture type paint strippers in the past (home despot) with mixed success. Is there a product that works well for this type of use that you guys prefer? I guess I am hoping that Mercedesrover chimes in here, what with his body and paint experience. As I am doing this at home I am worried about toxicity and chemicals, but willing to use harmful stuff if it speeds up the job.

While we are on paint, is there a good self etching primer that you guys can recommend for aluminum? I used PPG's cheapo line paint and etching primer on the truck a year ago and it's already flaking off in spots. Most likely operator error but I am not impressed with the paint's toughness, it scratches very easily. I will ride-out the bodywork and touchup until it gets really bad and respray with something else, but for the roof I would like something better so I don't have to do it again.

 

[Hltoppr]

There is a newer technique using baking soda as the blasting agent. Apparently much, much less prone to warping...like none.

I've used aircraft stripper on an old M416 trailer to get off years of paint...but it was super messy and no fun....

-H-

 

[Mercedesrover]

For paint stripper I haven't found anything better than NAPA 6802. Buy it in quart cans as it goes bad a few days after it's been opened. A gallon can will go bad before you use it all. Us it in a warm but not sunny place. After you clean the big chunks off you need to wash the part down with water to neutralize it. Messy and toxic but it works.

For etching primer I use BASF Diamont DE17/DA18. Nasty stuff but sticks very well to aluminum. Follow with DP27 as a wet-on-wet sealer. Let it flash and you're ready for paint.

jim

 

[Oilburner]

Thanks for the advice, very much appreciated. I was hoping that there would be some miracle non-toxic, cheap and easy to use product. It's actually not that bad with a pressure washer, I usually slop it on, have a few sips of beer, scrape the stuff off, and then pressure wash the panel down to get rid of the rest of the paint, and repeat. What worries me is the runoff, it being pretty awful stuff diluted in water leeching into my driveway. Does anyone know if soda blasting can be done with a regular sandblasting pressure pot?

 

[Hltoppr]

I think the soda blasting is just the medium that can be put into any regular pot....apparently it likes to have a really good air supply, so a good compressor is a must.

...and no toxic waste being washed into the water system!

http://www.universalminerals.com/soda-blasting-sofstrip.shtml

-H-

 

[kevb]

If you have an air supply a high speed right angled windy and scotch bright pads are good if a little bit fiddly. have a look at aircraft tools on ebay.

 

[Crazyfish]

I've found Kwik, Marine Version to be very scary in removing paint. Do not get it on your skin.... Napa's self etching primer in a spray can has worked very well with my 109 for 4 years, always outside. I sanded and/or stripped to stable paint then painted.

The Napa paint is very forgiving, dries very fast and can be layered and sanded. My entire 109 was painted in the back alley over days. It's a back yard approach but works very well.

 

[Nullifier]

All my hotrods have been done with baking soda. I even had to have a set of door taken back down to metal after the finish work in a suicide door conversion was finished. (long story) never even batted an eye at warping. You should be able to find a place close buy that does it or sossible rent ******** you need from a tool co.