sanding

[dugie6551]

I have a 27 gal / 5 hp / 110V "walmart" compressor and it is not powerful enough to handle a DA sander. I do use it to paint with and I usually get about half the truck painted before I need to take a break and let the compressor "catch up". That is also about the time I need to refill my paint gun.

I use an electric palm sander and use automotive sandpaper. Time it takes depends on how much sanding you want to do; or how far down you want to go. If you are going to bare metal then yes it will take a long time to strip the whole truck.

Why do you need to strip the whole truck ?

I only go down to bare metal when I need to weld.

[OverBoardProject]

Originally Posted by rlith

Anything less than a 50 gallon compressor is useless for anything, especially painting. Painting should use at least 100 gallon or better

most of us don't have the space for a 100 gallon air compressor, and although it's slower than I'd like my (40 gallon) works fine for every project that I've done.

I've completely re-built 4 cars with it, and I know thai it'll work on the 2 hotrods that I'm building up now.

With painting I use a high volume low pressure paint gun, so it isn't as demanding.

I plan on using a holding tank while painting my rods this time.


My first (construction) framing company ran up to 30 nailguns at once with just 1 40 gallon air compressor with 1 holding tank

[movin2stereo]

Originally Posted by rlith

Anything less than a 50 gallon compressor is useless for anything, especially painting. Painting should use at least 100 gallon or better

Wrong.

[jerry phats]

Originally Posted by lowriderfan187

has any-1 actually sanded their s-10 how long does it take--i've sanded my s-10 its a 1989 and its single cab and long bed--ive been working on it for 2 months and im only done with the cab-does anybody know a best "tool" to use to sand im using a palm sander and it sucks-been through 50 pads or so-i wanna try and get it done before spring break-which is like 3 or 4 weeks from now

if your going to sand with a palm sander air is the only way to go with some 40 or 8o grit sand paper then go over it with 120,240,320,this will give you the smothness you will need to paint

or you can sandblast using sil 4 sand,you will need a high pressure aircompresser and face protection wear coveralls,probly two bags of sand,or if you strip all the accessories rubber around windows door handels and stuff you can use paint stripper very toxix works the fastest,scuff up whole vehecle with 40 grit then spread on the stripper with a brush then cover it with plastic this will help control the smell and strip the paint better,wait recomended time on can then scrap it off with a metal putty knife wear latex gloves then wash thourly,then let dry and sand with 240 then 320,

[dmbrisket 51]

stripper never works here, only on a hot summer day, you usually have to have some nice heat for that stuff to work, its not a winter project if you live up here

[HanktheHound]

I woulo also go with the DA for stripping paint, if your going to do filler work I'd use and inline. I usually start with 80 then go to 180. DA only takes 50-60 psi to run, if your compressor is weak then just let it catch up from time to time and grab a coke or somethin while you let the motor cool down. After your done shoot the primer then I would block it from there.

[OverBoardProject]

Originally Posted by dmbrisket 51

stripper never works here, only on a hot summer day, you usually have to have some nice heat for that stuff to work, its not a winter project if you live up here

How warm does it get where you live?

It's still pretty cool where I live, although it's dry and I'm trying a new stripper in the next couple of days. It just sayes to use in a well ventulated area out of the wind and sun... but no temp rating. If it works I'll tell you how warm it got.

[dmbrisket 51]

im farther south then canada, but only in michigan, it will stay cooler here because i live 5 min. away from lake michigan and the water helps keep things cooler here, on a really hot day we will get 80 or better, but its alwase a humid hot, you dont know heat untill youve had heat and humid, any day its hot enough for the "aircraft stripper" ive used b4 its miserable to be outside and not in the pool

[movin2stereo]

Originally Posted by jerry phats

if your going to sand with a palm sander air is the only way to go with some 40 or 8o grit sand paper then go over it with 120,240,320,this will give you the smothness you will need to paint

or you can sandblast using sil 4 sand,you will need a high pressure aircompresser and face protection wear coveralls,probly two bags of sand,or if you strip all the accessories rubber around windows door handels and stuff you can use paint stripper very toxix works the fastest,scuff up whole vehecle with 40 grit then spread on the stripper with a brush then cover it with plastic this will help control the smell and strip the paint better,wait recomended time on can then scrap it off with a metal putty knife wear latex gloves then wash thourly,then let dry and sand with 240 then 320,

40 is a little extreme and will make for more work when you try and sand out the 40 grit scratches.I only use 40 on mud work to rough it out,then I use 80 to smooth it up some and then I go to 180 and then 320 to finish it up.Only use 40 in this manner,if you try and use it for a overall you will hate yourself.

[movin2stereo]

Originally Posted by dmbrisket 51

stripper never works here, only on a hot summer day, you usually have to have some nice heat for that stuff to work, its not a winter project if you live up here

Stripper does need heat to work proper.The cooler it is the longer it takes.

[jerry phats]

Originally Posted by movin2stereo

It would be best it you had(or have)a air compresser.That way you could use a DA sander which is by far faster than hand block or electric palm sander.Just be careful with a DA,as in don't get close to glass or moldings.Also try to save if possible the factory primer.I don't know how in depth your getting with your paint job,but you can use a gray 3M scuff pad with some scuffing gel(or Ajax or Comet)to scuff up the paint (make it dull)so new paint can stick.This way is alot quicker but doesn't take care of scratches or chips or rust.

donat use scotch brite to sand flat open panels!
if anything use 320 if your going to repaint the panels,then use red scotch brite to get the hard to reach places
sincerly forth year autobody

[movin2stereo]

Originally Posted by jerry phats

donat use scotch brite to sand flat open panels!
if anything use 320 if your going to repaint the panels,then use red scotch brite to get the hard to reach places
sincerly forth year autobody

First off there,Mr.Autobody.Scuff pads do not sand! They scuff.Scuffing dulls(scratches) the surface of paint or clear so new paint or clear can stick.Don't tell me that you can't scuff flat open panels cause I do it all the time.That's how you blend if you know what that is.Red pads can be used for painting over,gray pads are for clearing over(blending).

[dmbrisket 51]

wow, i cant use scuff pads in open areas? wish i would of knowen that b4 i scuffed my bed and did my own spray in bed liner... you can use scuff pads, like movin2 said, its how you fix the utohs people have and its how you paint if your color changing and dont need body work done, in fact, scuffing is better, you wont accidently go down to bare metal on a corner, kuz thats bad, and you can make scuffs go farther costing less then a sleeve of sandpapper... mr. fourth year, please pay attention in year number five, it may help...

[OverBoardProject]

Movin2 I'm just wondering, how does the ajax or comet compair to the scuff pads?

I would almost imagine that it's better in the tight area's

Just out of curiousosity, how long have you been working at bodywork?

And of course everyone except jerry phats knows that your this forum's leading edge athority on autobody, and we all trust your advice

newbie's... I tell ya

[movin2stereo]

Originally Posted by dmbrisket 51

wow, i cant use scuff pads in open areas? wish i would of knowen that b4 i scuffed my bed and did my own spray in bed liner... you can use scuff pads, like movin2 said, its how you fix the utohs people have and its how you paint if your color changing and dont need body work done, in fact, scuffing is better, you wont accidently go down to bare metal on a corner, kuz thats bad, and you can make scuffs go farther costing less then a sleeve of sandpapper... mr. fourth year, please pay attention in year number five, it may help...

Right on!