How to Remove Auto Body Paint With Sanding
When a car ages, one of the first things to deteriorate is its paint job, and often repainting a car can be difficult since not all finishes work well with topcoats. If this is the case, or maybe you just want a clean slate, scraping the paint to the metal is the way to go.
For this project, you will need:
- A sander
- A sanding block
- Sandpaper (80 grit disks for sander, 400 grit sheets for sanding block.)
- A dust mask.
- Prepare your tools. Attach your 80 grit sandpaper to your sanding device, and your 400 grit sheets to your sanding block. Set your sander to 1000 RPMs or less if possible.
- Go over the exterior of your vehicle with the sander. Keep contact with the vehicle light at first, and add pressure until the spinning disc begins to strip away enough paint to reveal the chrome underneath. If you see scratches in the chrome during this process, that is fine: it will help you add primer later in the painting process. Though you will be firm with the stripping process, keep the disk from rotating too quickly to avoid heating the paint or metal. Varying the location you're sanding can help this as well. Always remember to wear your dust mask during this procedure to avoid stray paint and metal flakes.
- Provide a hand finish. If there are sections of your car that are dented, or otherwise have resisted your sander it is often best to simply sand that section of the car yourself. Taking a wet, 400-grit piece of sandpaper on a sanding block, begin to sand these sections. Sand in a 'criss-cross' fashion, performing a few diagonal strokes in one direction before changing to the other direction to provide scratches that will help your primer hold and to lend an even look.