Is a 4" Grinder the Tool of Choice for Stripping Paint and Bondo?

[undermind]

I'm a complete Newb when it comes to body work. I'm lurking around this paint and body forum to learn as much as I can.

From what I've read, it seems that a grinder with a steel wire/cup is best for stripping paint, in addition to a paint stripper product. It seems that 4" and 4 1/2" are the common size. I like the idea of a battery powered grinder for ease of use. Any drawbacks to power or anything?

My project: I basically want to get my FJ40 prepped for paint. There's a lot of lumpy bondo work and a rattle can paint finish.

 

[Jetboy]

The BEST tool IMO is a commercial sand blaster. Stripping paint sucks - there's really no way to make it "fun".

If you can afford it, blast it. Grinders work ok. The pads that look like this

work great, but are $ and wear fast. I'd plan on using about 10 of them for a full strip.

Chemical stripper works OK. Not really fun to work with, but I've had good success with it.

IMO the only angle grinder to own is a paddle switch one. I prefer dewalts. We usually have 5-8 of them at the shop with different disks set up on them so we don't have to swap out disks everytime. Not practical for a home build though. Also if you do buy Dewalt, you want the 10 amp version. Yes, they are $100, and yes IMO well worth it.

I think the slide switch is dangerous. It's common for a grinder to catch on something and it only takes one time for it to jerk out of your hand and then it can be a dangerous situation. Just my opinion.

I've heard of a pressure washer based abrasive paint stripping, but never seen it used. Could be really nice to keep the dust level down.

good luck with whatever you choose!

 

[Splangy]

X2 on EVERYTHING he said.

Who's going to be painting it? If you are, than you must have a big enough compressor to run a DA sander. I would invest in one if you're going to be doing the body work yourself. Also, keep in mind that you and your painter will probably have far different opinions of what "ready for paint" means.

The BEST tool IMO is a commercial sand blaster. Stripping paint sucks - there's really no way to make it "fun".

If you can afford it, blast it. Grinders work ok. The pads that look like this work great, but are $ and wear fast. I'd plan on using about 10 of them for a full strip.

Chemical stripper works OK. Not really fun to work with, but I've had good success with it.

IMO the only angle grinder to own is a paddle switch one. I prefer dewalts. We usually have 5-8 of them at the shop with different disks set up on them so we don't have to swap out disks everytime. Not practical for a home build though. Also if you do buy Dewalt, you want the 10 amp version. Yes, they are $100, and yes IMO well worth it.

I think the slide switch is dangerous. It's common for a grinder to catch on something and it only takes one time for it to jerk out of your hand and then it can be a dangerous situation. Just my opinion.

I've heard of a pressure washer based abrasive paint stripping, but never seen it used. Could be really nice to keep the dust level down.

good luck with whatever you choose!

 

[Tools R Us]

Thick bondo makes a huge mess if ground off. I prefer heat (propane torch) or cold (dry ice), if possible applied to the back of the metal. If done correctly, it will pop off in big chunks.

 

[Splangy]

I would avoid torching a body panel. The heat can easily warp the metal or cause it to "oil can".

 

[Tools R Us]

I would avoid torching a body panel. The heat can easily warp the metal or cause it to "oil can".

True, but it takes much less heat to release bondo than is required to permanently deform metal. If the panel has thick bondo, it is likely already deformed? When the bondo was applied, the metal was likely ground on, more grinding only makes it thinner, so prefer to remove it on the least invasive way possible.