Cleaning and parts paint prep?

[skratch]

I guess I'll post this here too since the body shop doesn't seem to get a lot of traffic.

I'm trying to get some small parts cleaned up and ready for paint, but the wire wheel is getting old real fast.

I was wondering what, other than sandblasing, do others do to strip parts prior to painting them?
And what do machine shops use when hot tanking engines? They always come back ready to paint and that's the same levelof prep I would like to achive with these parts.

Oh yeah, these are usually just cast parts, hubs, knuckles, adapter plates, some aluminum like the 208 case. . .

 

[mudjunkie 82]

oven cleaner work's well stripping paint

 

[fwdjunky]

Find a local sandblasting shop and let them do the tedious stuff. I just got my D60 housing, cover, dust shields, hubs, knuckles and axle shafts done. Only cost $105.00 and if you ask they'll leave the masking tape on the bearing surfaces so you're ready to paint as soon as you get the peices home. Seemed pretty cheap to me considering the hours I would have spent to do the job half as well at home with a wire wheel.

 

[cybrfire]

You can get an aircraft quality stripper from most places that sell body working supplies. Works good for taking off old paint and grease and such.

 

[Corey 78K5]

I know You asked for something other than sand blasting but thats what I do. I get a 100lbs sack at the local hardware store for around $8.00 and use one of those $15.00 sand blasting guns. I just use a five gallon bucket to hold the sand and stick the pickup tube in the bucket. I use an old welding helmet and welding gloves with coveralls to cover Myself. I do it outside where the sand doesn't hurt anything. You would be amazed at how much You can do with 100lbs of sand.

 

[skratch]

Thanks for all the input so far guys.

If I had an air compressor the sand blasting at home would be my first option.
The axles I may have blasted some where else rather than kill myself trying to clean them.

Right now it's just small parts and I'm trying different types of chemicals to get them clean enough for a good paint job.

 

[ryoken]

check your local phonebook under "sandblasting".

you'd be amazed at how much they can do in an hour or so with a 1000lb unit. most blasters i know run 60 to $100 an hr. they're mobil usually and sometimes they have their own yard to do it in if your prefer not having a sandbox in the yard.

when i used to restore cars i would rent a 200 lb'er from the local rental place complete with towable compressor. you can do a whole car in a day... tho most places dont seem to be carrying them anymore and are more expensive these days...

also, most machine shops will usually have a blast cabinet. $10 to do a manifold last time i had it done i think. could probably get a bunch of small parts done relatively cheap i would think...

 

[skratch]

Thanks, tha's something I'll have to look into myself as well. /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif

 

[MTBLAZER89]

Here is something I use. For larger parts (knuckles) I use a large cast pot on my turkey fryer base. Low heat fill the pot with greased lightning or castrol degreaser. The combined degreaser and the heat pretty much takes everything off. Simple green also works well for this except it doesn't get paint off as well, but it isnt flammable either. Have to be careful and keep an eye on this so you don't burn down your house. For smaller parts I bought my wife a new crock pot and took the old one. I put it on low and fill it with the same solutions. Couple of hours and walla cleans everything up nice. /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif


Keep a fire extinguisher handy I am not responsible for any damages. /forums/images/graemlins/histerical.gif /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif /forums/images/graemlins/peace.gif

 

[Cmoe]

Call your local radaitor shop and ask them what they would charge to leave them in their tank over night. The boiling fluid that is in those tanks take of all the grim and paint. Before you paint the parts anyway you do it make sure you wash them with paint prep....

 

[diesel4me]

A local contractor doing some work near me on an old house restoration was using a new kind of pressure washer that allows you to liquid sandblast with it somehow---I didnt get to see the machine as it was in the back of a box truck,but I assume the sand is introduced downsteam from the pump before the nozzle with a "Y" fitting,but I was impressed with the results--the foundation he was stripping was as clean as new,and no clouds of dust everywhere.
I once sandblasted a large wrought iron fence and railing with a rental gas compressor,and a pressure pot sandblaster. The woman next door to the job(a good 250 ft away)came over screaming about the dust on her freshly washed mercedes,and her house,and threatened to sue me for damages--I spent the next 2 days cleaning her car and vinyl siding for free--I got 500 for the job,cost me over 200 for the rental of the equipment and another 100 for black beauty sand,ya,that was worth it.That ended my sandblasting career.I am very interested in this new water/sandblasting setup,the only drawback I see is metal parts freshly blasted will flash rust again real quick,unless maybe you dry it off with the air hose.Would definatly prevent problems like the one I just told about! /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[ryoken]

hydroblasting... thats how we strip bottom paint off boats.. nice for keeping down the dust... we've done metal too... not bad if you blow the water off when your done. sometimes ya get that superlite rust when dry, but it comes off easy with a scuff pad or sandpaper..

the latest craze seems to be baking soda. /forums/images/graemlins/eek.gif

 

[73K5Kid]

Got my 3/4 ton axles now what?

wrong post.

 

[chevysmithz71]

Didn't want to start a new thread so I hope I can steal this one. ha sorry

Is there any different preping to painting chrome pieces. I'm thinking my grill and surounding pieces. Any different paint to use or just sand good and shoot it?