mechanical stripping of aluminum

[chargerharry]

Hi all. Quick question on mechanically stripping of aluminum. I have some fine spots that may be better to strip with some type of mechanical means (sandpaper wheels or etc) rather than paint stripper. Is there some kind of mechanical way to remove paint that won’t damage the aluminum underneath or tear off a rivet head?

Thanks

[Len]

Hi all. Quick question on mechanically stripping of aluminum. I have some fine spots that may be better to strip with some type of mechanical means (sandpaper wheels or etc) rather than paint stripper. Is there some kind of mechanical way to remove paint that won’t damage the aluminum underneath or tear off a rivet head?

Thanks

It's can be easy to damage aluminum with coarse sandpaper so we normally strip it with chemicals then clean it up with 180 or 220 grit sandpaper on an orbital sander. If you don't use chemicals then just use the sandpaper but it can take a lot longer.

[Blackmore]

The ideal way to remove paint from Aluminium is by using plastic blast media. This is used at low pressures between 15-40 psi (1-3 Bar), and will not damage the substrate whilst quickly and effectively removing the paint.

[Ronf]

The ideal way to remove paint from Aluminium is by using plastic blast media. This is used at low pressures between 15-40 psi (1-3 Bar), and will not damage the substrate whilst quickly and effectively removing the paint.

I've used both the plastic media and coal (black beauty) on aluminum with no issues. My personal preference is the Black Beauty, both of these can be found on the net in as little as 5 pound quantities. Ideally you want either a soft media or a media that disintegrates upon impact as opposed to recapture agents as they harder and retain their cutting edges. If you don't have a lot to do I would get a spot blaster and use one of these medias. Another choice, if the part is mobile, find a local blaster that uses soda blasting.


http://autobodystore.net/Merchant2/m...egory_Code=MB1


JUST NOTICED THIS WAS AN OLD POST, STILL GOOD INFO