Excerpt from Toronto Star, July 28, 1998 CHEMICAL DIP A SMART WAY TO STRIP METAL PARTS Disassembly is an essential first step. Stripping the old finish is one of the most tedious jobs when restoring or getting a car ready for painting. Well, I've discovered a better way: Stripping metal parts chemically. I've been restoring a 1969 VW Beetle for the past couple of years. As I neared the end of the mechanical restoration it was time to decide how I was going to get the body ready for new paint. The only serious rust was on the front hood. Since this part is easily damaged by an amateur grinding out rust, I decided to try a chemical dip. I also decided to include the rear hood/engine cover - as it had at least three to four coats of paint on it – and took the lot to ... Techno Strip in Brampton. Chemical stripping (or dipping) is not a new process. It has been used in industry for many years to clean metal parts prior to plating, applying coatings or painting. Techno Strip can handle most cars and light truck bodies. Their main tank is 20 feet long by 8 feet wide and 5 feet deep. A 10-ton crane moves everything in and out of the chemical tanks. Car parts must be disassembled for stripping - anything that can be unbolted, unscrewed or detached must separated. In the case of a complete car, this means taking off the doors, hood and removing all rubber and plastic parts. If the part can't be removed, be aware that any covered metal area won't get stripped. Techno Strip recommends cleaning all the organic material from the metal. This means giving everything a good wash, as dirt caught in crevasses may stop the chemicals from getting on all the metal surfaces. Also any tar that might be attached to the metal surface must also be removed, as chemical process will not remove entirely. PRIMED FOR PAINTING The parts are placed in metal baskets or trays which travel [through alkaline and acid baths] that strip off paint, plastic filler, grease and oil. In no way will the chemicals, weaken the metal surfaces... Once the metal surfaces are clean, they are lifted out of the [baths] and allowed to drain. The metal is then dipped into another solution that neutralizes any of the [chemicals] that might be trapped in the metal parts. If any acid is allowed to remain in metal cavities, it could later harm the new paint. Next, the metal parts are removed from the tank and allowed to drain. To prevent the bare metal from rusting, Techno, Strip coats the metal with a mineral solution that will stop oxidation in ideal conditions (inside a dry garage) for about five days. Techno Strip strongly advises that the parts be primed and prepared for painting as soon as possible. My Bug's two metal panels came out looking like virtually new metal. Small pitted areas remained where there once had been rust. These could easily be filled in later. What amazed me were all the faults in the metal. Even though I once worked in an auto plant's body shop, I had forgotten about all the little dings and imperfections that are fixed in the assembly process. I was going to have to cover up the damage all over again. Would I recommend chemical stripping? You bet. This is the fastest, easiest and safest way to begin the restoration process on your vehicle. As compared to sandblasting, chemical stripping is much easier on the metal. This comes to cause a friend restoring his Triumph TR6 had the inner body sandblasted. Looking over the results, I found the metal thinner in critical areas. This means that much more metal will need to be replaced in the restoration process. Techno Strip can remove rust and corrosion from just about all sheet metal, aluminium and cast metal. Prices for stripping a fender or door [are in the $125 to $150 range]. Stripping a complete car should run [from $1,800 to $2,400]. The stripping process [for a complete car] takes approximately [a week and works on a first-come, first-served basis. Individual parts can be stripped in a few days.] Techno Strip can be reached at (905) 459-6196 in Brampton. Toronto Star, Freelance Journalist Glen Konorowski writes on automotive accessories. Get a Quote Get a quote from Techno Strip on your project - click this link...

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