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Re: Undercoatings

To: "Andy Cost" <andycost@att.net>, <datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net>
Subject: Re: Undercoatings
From: "datsunmike" <datsunmike@nyc.rr.com>
Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2001 21:53:26 -0500
Andy,

The paint on my car is 10 years old now and all is still fine. The guy who
stripped my car used a high volume low pressure blaster using plastic media
and constantly moved the gun. There were no warped panels. But I am sure
there are a lot of yahoos out there who don't know what they're doing and do
warp panels.

There isn't one place within 300 miles of the NYC area that dips cars but
the place who blasted my car came to where my car was being painted and
erected a tent in their parking lot and then vacuumed everything up. Neat
and easy. I used waxoyl with a wand to reach into all the crevices and the
shop also replaced all the seam sealer.

I  do believe RediStrip uses an alkaline process but I may be wrong. One of
the main reasons, besides poor workmanship, RediStrip and others of their
ilk went out of business is because of the EPA. Same reason many plating
places went out of business in many areas including the LA & NY regions. And
the same reason all Detroit factories use water based paints. Highly Toxic
Runoff.

Hopefully the places that still exist are doing a good job but like anything
in life, it depends on who is operating the equipment and the mood they're
in. Hopefully they're smart and happy :)

Mike



----- Original Message -----
From: "Andy Cost" <andycost@att.net>
To: <datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net>
Sent: Wednesday, December 19, 2001 8:46 PM
Subject: Re: Undercoatings


> > 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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