Auto body repair & detailing: repaint 95 mazda, razor blade knife, 95 mazda millenia

Question
QUESTION: My 95 mazda millenia has peeling paint, I had hoped it would all peel off and save a lot of sanding.  I am tired of waiting-what is the best way to remove the rest of the paint?  I have a cheap sand blaster will that help?  I have an air compressor and a jitterbug and a disc sander.  Do I need to remove all the old paint?  

Jim Wall

ANSWER: First, try using compressed air, or better yet, go to the local car wash, and use the high pressure wand to remove the really loose stuff. The pressure washer does an excellent job. Then, take a high quality razor blade knife, the kind that uses safety razor blades, and hold the tool nearly parallel to the surface. Carefully scrape away the old paint, don't force the tool much, and do your very best not to gouge the primer underneath. You want to save the old primer, you see, it's called ELPO, and it'a been electrically applied to the car. It's stuck to the steel like stink on poo. Once you have removed as much paint as will come off, use your DA sander with some 180 to feather edge where the paint stops peeling, and wherever you gouged the primer. Follow up with 320 DA. You don't need to remove all the old color coat, just sand it back to where it stops peling. Never use a sand blaster to remove paint, unless you are having a professional plastic media blast it for you. The heat of sand blasting will warp the shit out of the steel. Use the juterbug only for small body filler spots, only use the disc sander for grinding off rust spots or paint in areas you wish to apply body filler. Most body fillers are designed to stick to bare steel ground with 36 grit. Use 80 grit paper on the body filler to rough it out, use 180 to detail sand it smooth. Bill

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: The primer is peeling also.

Jim Wall

Answer
Once again, only remove the primer that is peeling, save as much of the ELPO as possible. Don't strip the car back to bare steel. The factory primer coat will last longer, and provid more protection, than can any aftermarket primer. Stripping completely will also add expense in that you will need a metal etching primer, as well as a sealer and primer surfacer. The more you strip, the more product you need. It's simple economics, as well as simple common sense- once you know the facts. Have a great evening. Bill