Discussion
whats the consensus of opinion?
Garage is now sorted and we are to start the mammoth task of prepping 2 S2 vixen Shells. Both bodies have stood for many years, both bodies have significant crazing, cracking and de-laminated panel joints at sills etc etc. both shells are full of crud, shit generally and underseal.
what is the consensus on sand blasting to get the tubs back to a clean media where all the damage will be exposed?
Some people say dont blast, others say find a carefull blaster.
Anyone have any thoughts.
Blasting could save me lots of time just to get me to the stage where I can repair, fill and re-profile the bodies?
Neil.
www.tvrwestlancs.co.uk/images/utf727h003_af.JPG
Garage is now sorted and we are to start the mammoth task of prepping 2 S2 vixen Shells. Both bodies have stood for many years, both bodies have significant crazing, cracking and de-laminated panel joints at sills etc etc. both shells are full of crud, shit generally and underseal.
what is the consensus on sand blasting to get the tubs back to a clean media where all the damage will be exposed?
Some people say dont blast, others say find a carefull blaster.
Anyone have any thoughts.
Blasting could save me lots of time just to get me to the stage where I can repair, fill and re-profile the bodies?
Neil.
www.tvrwestlancs.co.uk/images/utf727h003_af.JPG
Edited by heightswitch on Monday 29th January 22:11
Hi Neil
No expert on this topic by any stretch of the imagination, but there is an article in The Practical Classics magazine October 2006 about a restoration of a GT6 that has a LeMans style glassfibre bonnet. they reckon that shot/sand blasting is far too severe for a car of that age,40yrs. They used Soda Blasting which is far less violent and uses bicarbonate of soda,the particles are very fine,175 microns and thet the process is done at 60psi instead of around 120psi.it is gentle enough to use on glassfibre, the article said it left a good finish exsposing pinholes and cracks without damaging the gel coat,also said the job was slow but saved weeks of backbreaking work (and mind numbing if you ask me). The man that did the job was called Ron Cole, the company is based in Essex and is called Aarvark Soda Blasting. There is no tel number, if you want to see the article I could scan it and PM you if need be but its pretty much what I have already told you here. Hope this helps.
Oh I looked at the link, is that the one that lived in a garden in Bolton for 18 years?
I am new to TVR ownership and have recently bought a 1982 Taimar SE (non turbo).
Garry
No expert on this topic by any stretch of the imagination, but there is an article in The Practical Classics magazine October 2006 about a restoration of a GT6 that has a LeMans style glassfibre bonnet. they reckon that shot/sand blasting is far too severe for a car of that age,40yrs. They used Soda Blasting which is far less violent and uses bicarbonate of soda,the particles are very fine,175 microns and thet the process is done at 60psi instead of around 120psi.it is gentle enough to use on glassfibre, the article said it left a good finish exsposing pinholes and cracks without damaging the gel coat,also said the job was slow but saved weeks of backbreaking work (and mind numbing if you ask me). The man that did the job was called Ron Cole, the company is based in Essex and is called Aarvark Soda Blasting. There is no tel number, if you want to see the article I could scan it and PM you if need be but its pretty much what I have already told you here. Hope this helps.
Oh I looked at the link, is that the one that lived in a garden in Bolton for 18 years?
I am new to TVR ownership and have recently bought a 1982 Taimar SE (non turbo).
Garry
Edited by taimarse on Monday 29th January 22:31
Edited by taimarse on Monday 29th January 23:16
Hello garry.
A scan of the article would be good, Cheers.
A local blasting company to me has said that sand rather than steel shot with the wick turned right down and a slowly slowly approach will be ok. I thought of giving the guy a bonnet to do first to see how good or bad a job is made?
the orange car as pictured is the back garden in Bolton car. We bought it for the princely sum of £450. for that I have basically bought a Bodyshell and Id tag. i think we are going to replace just about everything else.
In a way this is better than the other shell, since there are very few bodges to be revealed by previous owners. The other car has been raced in HSCC (I would love to see some pics of this if anyones has them)It has been blue, green and red and white in its time and has lots of filler everywhere.
The chassis is nice though!!
Neil.
www.tvrwestlancs.co.uk/images/W_BOUGHT.JPG
www.tvrwestlancs.co.uk/archive/Tatton1_2.jpg
A scan of the article would be good, Cheers.
A local blasting company to me has said that sand rather than steel shot with the wick turned right down and a slowly slowly approach will be ok. I thought of giving the guy a bonnet to do first to see how good or bad a job is made?
the orange car as pictured is the back garden in Bolton car. We bought it for the princely sum of £450. for that I have basically bought a Bodyshell and Id tag. i think we are going to replace just about everything else.
In a way this is better than the other shell, since there are very few bodges to be revealed by previous owners. The other car has been raced in HSCC (I would love to see some pics of this if anyones has them)It has been blue, green and red and white in its time and has lots of filler everywhere.
The chassis is nice though!!
Neil.
www.tvrwestlancs.co.uk/images/W_BOUGHT.JPG
www.tvrwestlancs.co.uk/archive/Tatton1_2.jpg
Neil,
I've had my Grantura Mk3 shotblasted with glaspearls down to the primer. The rest is an easy but dirty sanding job for a weekend. This careful procedure saved a lot of work and rewarded with an excellent base for restauration.
The tricky bit is to find someone who has done the job before and knows what he/she does.
Have you talked to Spadge about this issue?
Good luck!
Stephan
I've had my Grantura Mk3 shotblasted with glaspearls down to the primer. The rest is an easy but dirty sanding job for a weekend. This careful procedure saved a lot of work and rewarded with an excellent base for restauration.
The tricky bit is to find someone who has done the job before and knows what he/she does.
Have you talked to Spadge about this issue?
Good luck!
Stephan
freddy quick said:
Neil,
I've had my Grantura Mk3 shotblasted with glaspearls down to the primer. The rest is an easy but dirty sanding job for a weekend. This careful procedure saved a lot of work and rewarded with an excellent base for restauration.
The tricky bit is to find someone who has done the job before and knows what he/she does.
Have you talked to Spadge about this issue?
Good luck!
Stephan
I've had my Grantura Mk3 shotblasted with glaspearls down to the primer. The rest is an easy but dirty sanding job for a weekend. This careful procedure saved a lot of work and rewarded with an excellent base for restauration.
The tricky bit is to find someone who has done the job before and knows what he/she does.
Have you talked to Spadge about this issue?
Good luck!
Stephan
hi stephan.
I know spadge had my Vixen S1 shell blasted but I think he just gets a guy in who uses sand. I will ask him today and probably follow that line. I have found someone that uses soda in York, not too far from me so may ask for a price for both shells to be done at once.
Neil.
heightswitch said:
whats the consensus of opinion?
Garage is now sorted and we are to start the mammoth task of prepping 2 S2 vixen Shells. Both bodies have stood for many years, both bodies have significant crazing, cracking and de-laminated panel joints at sills etc etc. both shells are full of crud, shit generally and underseal.
what is the consensus on sand blasting to get the tubs back to a clean media where all the damage will be exposed?
Some people say dont blast, others say find a carefull blaster.
Anyone have any thoughts.
Blasting could save me lots of time just to get me to the stage where I can repair, fill and re-profile the bodies?
Neil.
www.tvrwestlancs.co.uk/images/utf727h003_af.JPG
Garage is now sorted and we are to start the mammoth task of prepping 2 S2 vixen Shells. Both bodies have stood for many years, both bodies have significant crazing, cracking and de-laminated panel joints at sills etc etc. both shells are full of crud, shit generally and underseal.
what is the consensus on sand blasting to get the tubs back to a clean media where all the damage will be exposed?
Some people say dont blast, others say find a carefull blaster.
Anyone have any thoughts.
Blasting could save me lots of time just to get me to the stage where I can repair, fill and re-profile the bodies?
Neil.
www.tvrwestlancs.co.uk/images/utf727h003_af.JPG
Edited by heightswitch on Monday 29th January 22:11
Hi Niel.
Not sure I should post mag contents on here But I could email them or I could PM you on the TVRCC site Im on there as gtbell
Neil..If you are going to blast the paint off the car there are a number of things to consider. The only person you should trust to do it is yourself.
Secondly the medium needed to do it is expensive and cannot be re-used. You need to use plastic bead which is contaminated by the removed paint which is very abrasive if re-used. You will need to do it at low pressure, I have seen the paint removed from a modern Coke can without any damage to the can using plastic bead but to do a car, or 2 you will used an aweful lot of it. Walnut shells are a possibility , excellent for gently cleaning aluminium parts like carburettors but probably too abrasive for GRP and probably expensive in the quantities you will need.
What you must avoid is exposing any ends of strands in the gel coat. These will act as capillaries and draw down water or solvents from the paint which if you do not get rid of will be trapped and will try to escape from under the paint. This usually happens due to freezing and causes the aweful rash often seen on fibreglass cars.
I personally think it is too risky and would buy a DA sander and remove the old paint etc with that. Sand off the paint till you get to the primer and then finish sanding by hand. It is not hard work, merely boring but you are only doing a small car not a Bentley.
Which ever method you finally chose always get your paint shop to put the car in the oven overnight, several nights if possible, after they have turned them off after a days painting and are cooling down. This should get rid of any water/solvents which will inevitably get into the matting. Water is the biggest problem because flatting the car with wet and dry will allow water down the strands. This will cause the micro blistering and if you look this is usually on the horizontal surfaces like the bonnet and boot rather than the doors and wings. Good luck
Secondly the medium needed to do it is expensive and cannot be re-used. You need to use plastic bead which is contaminated by the removed paint which is very abrasive if re-used. You will need to do it at low pressure, I have seen the paint removed from a modern Coke can without any damage to the can using plastic bead but to do a car, or 2 you will used an aweful lot of it. Walnut shells are a possibility , excellent for gently cleaning aluminium parts like carburettors but probably too abrasive for GRP and probably expensive in the quantities you will need.
What you must avoid is exposing any ends of strands in the gel coat. These will act as capillaries and draw down water or solvents from the paint which if you do not get rid of will be trapped and will try to escape from under the paint. This usually happens due to freezing and causes the aweful rash often seen on fibreglass cars.
I personally think it is too risky and would buy a DA sander and remove the old paint etc with that. Sand off the paint till you get to the primer and then finish sanding by hand. It is not hard work, merely boring but you are only doing a small car not a Bentley.
Which ever method you finally chose always get your paint shop to put the car in the oven overnight, several nights if possible, after they have turned them off after a days painting and are cooling down. This should get rid of any water/solvents which will inevitably get into the matting. Water is the biggest problem because flatting the car with wet and dry will allow water down the strands. This will cause the micro blistering and if you look this is usually on the horizontal surfaces like the bonnet and boot rather than the doors and wings. Good luck
Neil,
I share similar views to Steve. A decent DA will set you back about £250. Start on a door so that you get some practice.
I stripped/repaired/re-applied gel coat and prepped a Vixen door on a Summer's afternoon (NO FILLER!). The warm temps really help speed things up.
NB,,, once you've started stripping, aviod the door being exposed to any moisture or getting wet, until your prepping/repair is complete. Using a DA avoids using wet n dry.
I'm currently working on the car's bonnet, the paint is stripped, the repairs are done, the new gel has been applied and I'm now flatting the gel coat back. It can by time consuming, but I believe the finished results are worth it.
Darren
I share similar views to Steve. A decent DA will set you back about £250. Start on a door so that you get some practice.
I stripped/repaired/re-applied gel coat and prepped a Vixen door on a Summer's afternoon (NO FILLER!). The warm temps really help speed things up.
NB,,, once you've started stripping, aviod the door being exposed to any moisture or getting wet, until your prepping/repair is complete. Using a DA avoids using wet n dry.
I'm currently working on the car's bonnet, the paint is stripped, the repairs are done, the new gel has been applied and I'm now flatting the gel coat back. It can by time consuming, but I believe the finished results are worth it.
Darren
I already have a DA. I am just lasy. Its more the cruddy undersurface and interior bits I am worried about than the top surface. I plan to re-laminate the underside and internals so was looking for a gentle way to clean the substrate back.
Its funny but every specialist my other car has been with have always blasted it?
Thinking about buying a kettle and using sand myself. Or going the Soda route
Storage heaters are currently being installed in the Garage Steve.
Neil.
Its funny but every specialist my other car has been with have always blasted it?
Thinking about buying a kettle and using sand myself. Or going the Soda route
Storage heaters are currently being installed in the Garage Steve.
Neil.
I have used this product,Kleenstrip product nr GAF 354 on several vettes two Griffiths and one vixen.I just finished one Griffith today.It is a brushable paste that is nuetralized with laquer thinner or water.It for the most part will remove one layer of paint at a time.I have never had any problem with it and gelcoat.The otherday I poured a glop on a piece of broken inner fenderfrom The Griffith and left it overnight.Just the paint was harmed.Always try a little in an out of the way area and be judicious with the time,til you have it figured out.Any paint that remains will be soft and brittle and DA right off. DJ
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