Sandblasting my '66 fastback

[copasspupil]

I am blasting my car tomorrow and then plan on using the following primers and paints for a ivy green with lemans stripes: DP90, K36 X2, DP90, DBC-white, DBC-500, DBC-green X2 and top it with DBU2002 X3-4.

My question is about the few areas of rust that the car has or had as of this week. How big of a spot is it better to patch it with fiberglass or decide on but welding it?

Do I sand down the car with 80 grit after the blasting? Then spray the DP90 or repair the areas first then place the initial primer sealer down?

Any help would be great,
Dan

[Phil V]

If you are not an experienced professional automotive sand blaster -- then DO NOT sand blast that car. It is very easy to heat warp the sheet metal on that car with a sandblaster to the point that the panels will be junk, not feasably repairable You won't even know it until the damage is already done.

[copasspupil]

I should have stated that I'm taking it to a blasting shop to be sandblasted. I'm not doing it and they were highly recommended by a friend of mine who builds good guys cars. He is just too $$$ for my pocketbook.

[Serge]

I would stay away from the sandblasting of body pannels. Unless the guys are doing it with wallnut shells or plastic, sand is too much for delicate pannels. You are betting your car on the competency of the sandblaster...which is a dirty job...which no one stays in for very long...

You can blast the undercarriage, the inside floor and any badly rusted area that will be replaced. But the exterior is easy to take down to bare metal with an 8 in buffer with 80 grit paper. You'll typically take it down to bare metal in less than a day...safely...there is no problem using a small blaster in your shop to get in the cracks and hard to reach places at low pressure. Those small blasters are nothing compared to the hose they use in commercial blasting place...they mostly sandblast truck frames and machinery...not delicate cars...unless it's a specialized media blasting shop that does resto...

Why use a black primer if the car is going green. I would use DP-40...although they say it's a grey green, it's realy grey...but a better undercoat I think for the green. I would not spray only DP90 in the engine compartment and undercarriage. It's just a primer, not a topcoat. The best plan is to shoot a single stage urethane in the engine compartment and undercarriage. You can buy a couple of quarts of Concept urethane (DCC9700, it uses the same hardener and reducers as the clears) black and shoot that within the recoat window of the epoxy. So, for under and engine compartment it's DP90 if you want to buy extra, but the DP40 will do fine if you want to buy a gallon, wait a couple of hours, or the next day then the Concept urethane. All DP should be hardened with DP402, fast hardner. Mix the epoxy well when you do a batch as the most common reason for epoxy failure is a lack of mixing with the catalyst...The Psheet says to put the mixed epoxy in the paint shaker for 5 minutes before spraying...that's alot of mixing...

One tip on K36, it gells very fast and becomes unsprayable real quick. So mix it in small batches, only enough to shoot right away. Mix and then shoot right away. If you see it starts to be difficult to spray to get a wet surface, it just jelled on you in the gun...discard it and mix a fresh batch.

I assume the DBC500 is for inside the car, that is inside the passenger area, inside the trunk, not for the engine compartment. Are you spraying white (stripe color) then masking the stripes? You can tape on the DBC white if there is no metalic in it. Just make sure its dry, wait at least one hour, don't rush it.

I find DCU-2021 easier to work with than the 2002...quality wise much of the same. Use DCX-61 as a hardener and choose your reducer ackording to the temperature you will spray at. Plan on painting at a certain temperature range and stick to your plan, wait for the right temp or adjust your reducer...

It's a good idea to use DX57 in your DBC, this is a hardener which will prevent the DBC from lifting if you ever have a sand through or you have to touch it up. Also, it will make the DBC more durable in the areas you forget to spray clear.

Can you tell I like Mustangs...

Keep us posted on the progress...
Serge

[Serge]

You can find them at the following address, these are mandatory reading before you start painting the car...

http://www.ppg.com/cr-refinish/phase1/frmProductInfo.asp?Cat=9

[Phil V]

DBC 500 is a mid coat binder clear. Why would it be used in the passenger compartment and trunk area ?

[copasspupil]

I was told to use the 500 on the stripes - non metallic - then mask it off for the green coat, and finally top everything with the 2002.

[Serge]

You can use it as a clear in non uv application like on floors, in the trunk floor etc...If you have it it's a good idea for the stripes as it will protect your white from tape marks, but not absolutely necessary if your basecoat is not metalic.

Just 2 cents.
Serge

[copasspupil]

The white is a non metallic while the green is a dark green metallic.

Do you seam seal before the primer or after the first coat? I was thinking after the first coat of epoxy.

[Serge]

You need to prime before the seam sealer.

[copasspupil]

Thanks.

Every once in a while my eyes pop out of their head. I did again yesterday. I dropped the car off at the sandblasting shop and got to see a few nice cars: 3 '68 shelby kr500's one being a vert and a cuda convertible. My '66fastback looked pretty lame next to those. BTW, the shelby's were all own by the same guy.

Where do/did some people get the $$$?

[SCHOONER]

If you are not an experienced professional automotive sand blaster -- then DO NOT sand blast that car. It is very easy to heat warp the sheet metal on that car with a sandblaster to the point that the panels will be junk, not feasably repairable You won't even know it until the damage is already done.

Hi Phil V

I read you advice about "... if your never used a sandblaster forget it." You said something like that.

Well, before reading you WARNING and I appreciated the advice. However, I bought the blaster and now I'm STUCK :eek:

Here's what I'm going to do and let me know please what you think of my idea.

I'll go to a salvage yard get some junk fenders or part to blast till I get in down were I'm not WARPING THE SH/METAL.
What do you think?

I intent to do the under carriage of my ' 66 'stang using glass bead instead of walnuts or sand.
What do you think I should be using ?

THANKS PHIL V
GOD BLESS

Schooner:cool:

[casey]

Schooner , don't use sandblasting as a stripping method , it is much easier to learn to control it if you confine it to rust removal and tight space cleanup. The undercarraige work will be ok , not much danger of panel damage there. Stripping is best left to media blasters who use walnut or plastic or even soda. For basic paint stripping at the DIY level Lens low speed buffer attachment set up is good or resort to a chemical stripper. I've been sandblasting a long time and about the only thing I "strip" with it is wheels with all their nooks and crannies, besides it's a filthy job and you end up with grit in every bodily orifice no matter how well you protect them.:p

Ray

[ZRX61]

Well, before reading you WARNING and I appreciated the advice. However, I bought the blaster and now I'm STUCK :eek:
I intent to do the under carriage of my ' 66 'stang using glass bead instead of walnuts or sand.
Use Soda, shouldn't be more than about $80 in materials, that will take off all the paint & then you'l see where you need to use something a bit more abrasive.
The soda will remove paint, but won't damage rubber, glass or chrome parts

[Len]

I had a portable blaster come in and strip a car using soda and that would be my last soda strip. What a mess. Also, I believe it takes special equipment not the same blaster you use with sand. The best blasting I've ever had done was plastic media but that also takes special equipment.

[ZRX61]

I had a portable blaster come in and strip a car using soda and that would be my last soda strip. What a mess.
But you can just wash everything down the nearest drain, it's not hazzardous waste. In fact most cities like it to be washed down the drains because it neutralizes a lot of stuff thats not supposed to be there :)

[Ron H]

I highly recommend using the variable speed sander polisher for the large "flat" panels. If you have the pressurized type blaster here is what I would do. Turn your pressure down to about 50psi, then close the sand metering vlave about half way. It takes very little to remove paint. When blasting hold the nozzle at an angle to the area being worked. It is much simpler, faster and CLEANER to use the sander polisher. I have used both methods to strip my car to the point it is now. Also be prepared to have sand EVERYWHERE in your car. Iwould not recommend the sandblaster unless you are doing a total disassemble, or frame off resto.