How to Remove Old Paint?

[DeWeston]

Methods for removing old car paint are as follows: Manual Paint Removal Method: The manual paint removal method is commonly used in painting work and is the only method for partially removing old paint films. It mainly relies on tools such as scrapers, knives, wire brushes, and sandpaper to remove old paint from the surface of vehicle body components. Mechanical Paint Removal Method: The mechanical paint removal method uses electric or pneumatic tools, such as wire wheels, wire grinders, and dry/wet sandpaper grinders, to replace manual scraping and grinding. This method not only improves work efficiency but also reduces labor intensity, making it a widely used paint removal method in the vehicle body repair industry.

[CaliRose]

Last time when helping a friend refurbish a vintage car, we directly used a heat gun to soften the old paint layers. First, we pushed the car to a well-ventilated open area, put on gas masks and thick gloves, set the heat gun to medium setting, and evenly heated the paint surface. When we saw the paint layer bubbling and wrinkling, we used a scraper to push along the curvature of the body panels. For stubborn areas, we applied some paint remover and waited half an hour until it turned into a gel-like consistency before scraping it off. After finishing, we used sandpaper to smooth out any burrs. If we found rust spots on the metal surface, we had to treat them with rust remover paste. Remember to wear long sleeves throughout the process—getting hit by flying paint chips can really hurt. In the end, we were drenched in sweat and had to take three showers, and the chemical smell took three days to completely dissipate.

[DeMiles]

Using chemical paint strippers is relatively effortless. I bought a green canned paint remover paste from the auto parts market, applied it thickly all over the roof, and then wrapped it in cling film. After waiting half a day, when I peeled it off, the entire layer of paint was wrinkled like a snake shedding its skin. It came off easily with a plastic scraper, but the smell was extremely pungent, so I kept an industrial fan running the whole time. The rubber seals around the headlights turned white from corrosion—I only learned later that protective tape should be applied first. After finishing, the waste liquid that seeped into the seams had to be sucked out with a straw, and any drops that fell on the ground immediately burned white spots, leaving the concrete pitted. I recommend beginners start by testing on a small area like a spoiler first.

[LeCali]

Actually, using a steel brush for sanding is the safest method. I tried attaching a wire wheel to an angle grinder and lowering the speed to test on the car door. The steel brush caused red residue to fall off the paint surface, but applying too much pressure resulted in metal scratch marks. Later, I switched to using sanding discs and slowly sanded, resulting in red dust all over the car like a rust rain, even staining my work clothes red. The vacuum cleaner couldn't keep up, and my nostrils were filled with the metallic smell. Now I've learned to spray water mist to suppress the dust and wear a powered air-purifying respirator. After finishing, I discovered that the hood had already been sanded through, and the previous owner had filled a three-finger-deep dent with body filler.