Question: Which sander/tool to remove paint to metal along the body line? (1 Viewer)

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Old Nick

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Howdy,

I'm taking my fenders (1988 FJ62) down to bare metal using an angle grinder with an 80 grit flap wheel (40 and 60 worked much faster, but seemed to severe). No problem taking off the paint on the flat surfaces, but slow going in the body lines.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a different/better tool for more detailed sanding?

Thank you in advance.
 
Maybe check out posts in the "paint and body" section or search for threads in this forum by @kelly saad . I think Kelly goes over some of the tools he uses to get to bare metal.
Thank you @2mbb ! I'll look through his posts (followed a couple of his build threads and they are amazing).
 
Howdy,

I'm taking my fenders (1988 FJ62) down to bare metal using an angle grinder with an 80 grit flap wheel (40 and 60 worked much faster, but seemed to severe). No problem taking off the paint on the flat surfaces, but slow going in the body lines.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a different/better tool for more detailed sanding?

Thank you in advance.
Ok, stop doing that.
Do you have access to air compressor? Best tool is a dual action sander, probably want to start with something alot higher
than 80 grit,. You want to remove paint, not make the steel as thin as aluminum foil.
 
Ok, stop doing that.
Do you have access to air compressor? Best tool is a dual action sander, probably want to start with something alot higher
than 80 grit,. You want to remove paint, not make the steel as thin as aluminum foil.
Good Lord, I don’t want aluminum
foil! Yes, I’ve got an air compressor. On the next panel I’ll pick up a dual action sander. This is the kind of error correction I’m after. Many thanks, @cruiserpilot .
 
Angle grinder is way to aggressive for stripping paint. D/A with 80 grit will get you down to bare metal quick enough without chewing up your metal.

Aircraft stripper is nasty chemical stuff but will blister and remove the paint in the cracks...again without tearing up the metal.

FWIW....taking down to bare metal is in may times making a lot more work for yourself. Some reasons for doing this.. last paint job was inferior and didn't adhere, lots of hidden and shabby body filler that you want to cut out and replace with metal. If you don't have a specific reason to sand to metal, I suggest you go to the primer and stop there. The go back over the it with something like 320 with the DA.
 
Thank you @g-man! This is all great advice, and I’ll follow it. Much appreciated. My plan is only to take the fenders, hood, rockers, dog legs and lower quarters down to bare metal. Paint on my hood was flaking off in chunks and the rest noted above are filled with filler, fiber glass and rust. I’ll be welding in new metal to those places. When I get my glass out, I may be forced to do some welding there to repair hidden rust under my old gaskets. The rest of the body will only go down to primer (except my gutters that I took down to bare metal when I redid the seam).
 
Aircraft stripper is good but I hear they have been required to remove the methylene chloride due to safety so it isn't as effective anymore. It used to really work well.
 

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