> The problem with dipping is that EVERYTHING is removed including seam
sealer
> and primer applied when the bodies were immersed in primer at the factory.
> Oftentimes you can't reach all the areas to reapply paint or seam sealer
> after the bodies are welded together.
You are correct that everything is stripped by immersion. That isn't quite
a drawback though. Would you really want to do a frame off restoration and
leave 30+ year old cracked and hardened seam sealer? What about the rust in
those hard to prime places? Would you rather not remove it and just play
like it isn't there? Cars are not completely primed and painted from the
factory. Some places are too hard to prime even on the assembly line so
they just ignore them. There are special wands that bodyshops use to paint
inside cavities.
>The other problem is that if ALL the
> solvents aren't removed from everywhere COMPLETELY the solvents will
> gradually leak out and remove the newly applied paint. Many shops had this
> happen to them and they had to redo the entire car.
This is a bad wrap that was given to the chemical immersion industry by acid
dipping outfits. Places like RediStrip are a ripoff. They dunk the car for
a couple of hours and blast it with a power washer and then call it clean.
The finished product from RediStrip was very bad. There was still a lot of
paint and crud left on the cars and they didn't get all the acid out of the
car before sending it out the door. The acid also can't be completely
removed. It has to be neutralized by an immersion process. That is why
most of the RediStrip franchises are out of business now. I don't really
blame people for having such a poor(uninformed) view of chemical immersion.
> If the dip shop doesn't dip the body in phosphate or prime the body after
> stripping it, the metal will start to rust immediately due to the body
being
> damp from water and other detergents to say nothing of the insides of the
> door posts, rockers, etc.
You are right here also. There must be a two part process or the metal will
rust right away. I would not reccommend phosphate (phosphoric acid)
dipping. It makes a salt (Iron Phosphate) on the metal. We all know what
salt does to steel.
> PLUS dipping ain't cheap - far from it.
If you want the best finished product you will have to pay for it.
> After a lot of research I had my car media blasted everywhere and it
turned
> out great and well worth the $500 or so it cost (dipping estimates were
> about 2K from RediStrip for everything).
Media, sand, bicarbonate blasting seems like a good idea but it has
drawbacks too. It is very easy to warp the panels with blasting. It
doesn't remove rust. Rust forms pits in the steel. When you blast the
steel it removes a lot of the rust, but it also folds the edges of the pits
over. What you end up with is a very smooth looking rust free part. When
you put it under the microscope there is still rust living down in the pores
and covered over pits. The only way to get it out completely is immersion.
My bet is that the parts that you had blasted will form rust bubbles under
the paint within ten years.
> Some of you may disagree which is fine, but I still wouldn't recommend the
> dip method if other alternatives exist.
Each to his own. I don't want to start a flame war or anything. I do want
to educate the masses on the benifits and misconceptions of chemical
immersion.
> One more thing, dipping facilities are few and far between that can strip
an
> entire body.
That is right also. The one I am involved with is in Fort Worth, TX. They
have a unique three part process that is a non-acid stripper,
environmentally safe rust remover, and a water soluable rust inhibitor. You
wash it off before priming it. They can also prime the parts for you. They
have my new 68 2000 EP racecar right now. It will be going into the tank on
Friday and soaking till after Christmas. I have lots of "Before" pictures
and will be posting the "After" ones soon on my photopoint site. That is if
Photopoint ever comes back online. They have been down for a week now. If
anyone is interested in more information about Metal Rehab and thier process
let me know.
Andy Cost
69 spl w/U20 "Tetanus"
68 spl parts car "Rusty"
68 srl parts car
68 srl EP autocrosser that needs a good name
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/MyAlbums?u=1620884
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