Sand blast or not?? prep, and primer and paint questions

Hello all,

I posted these questions on the M37 forum as well. I'd like to paint my M56 this spring/summer and I want to do a decent job. So, I have a few questions I hope some of you who've experienced the ups and downs of doing it yourself can fill me in. So here are my questions:

1. Should I sand blast the body and frame, or blast frame and sand body? (I'll leave the cab and engine installed on frame, but bed, fenders, , grill, winch, and windshield removed)

2. If sand blast is OK, know anybody who will do it around Worcester, MA or Derry/Manchester, NH?

3. I plan on using Gillespie semi-gloss green, what type of primer is recommended? i.e. red oxide, self etch, other.

4. To get a jump on priming, is there another brand of primer I can use that will adhere to the metal, AND is compatible with Gillespie?

5. I've heard of alternating coats of primer colors to help visually see where you shot light, or missed altogether--any suggestions?

I know there are forum areas that have somewhat covered these areas, however to be honest, I'm not the sharpest tool in the "resto shed" and I find the info can be spotty and difficult for me to put together.

I sincerely appreciate any and all help I can get

Thanks
Rick

Rick,

I have done both and the best looking job was the blasted one. I don't know of anyone in your area that does that kind of work but if you ask around the paint shops you will find someone.

I don't think I will ever sand one again, everytime I look at the deuce (sanded) I find spots that I missed or doesn't look right. My HMMWV on the other hand looks brand new since I blasted it. That is my two cents worth.

Thanks! I had one sand blast operator tell me getting mil paint off of body panels is difficult to do. I think he was afraid of warping the panels. wonder if the problem is usung sand? Maybe if another media type was used it might be easier?

Rick

I use a coarse or new media for undercarriage and thick areas.

For sheetmetal (body) I use a broken down media or a very fine grade of sand. Never NEVER hit the panel dead on with the blaster. There is where you begin warping panels.

If you want to cut the job down and do as little blasting as possible then you need to strip the original finish before doing anything. Use a good auto or airctaft stripper. If you have some lime then use it as it works well too.

When applying stripper brush in ONE DIRECTION ONLY! Don't ever apply a stripper and brush back and forth to spread it, it decreases the effectiveness of the stripper and lets air get in between the stripper and the paint.

This is what you ought to do, you really ought to strip first and then use a fine abrasive to roughen up and clean the surface for a good coat of primer.

We blast parts and panels almost daily w/ cornstarch media and we dont have any issues. And its environmentally friendly-- or so they tell us.
Doc

Doc, I've heard of that before. Is there a brand name or do you just go somewhere(where?) and ask for cornstarch blasting media?

I am not really sure where Civilians can get their hands on it... I work for D.H.S at CGAS Elizabeth City... sorry

Soda blasting is very effective, but you can't use your standard blaster. There are many pro's and con's of blasting. I've been doing it for so long I can't count the years! Some will tell you it's a death sentence because of the risk of silicosis, which is a hazard if you fail to use proper saftey precautions It's getting harder (at least where I live) to buy sand, they just want to sell the slag (Black Magic), however it costs about 2&1/2 time as much as sand. I prefer sandblasting for the results veruses time and money over other methods. As far as "warpage" the old iron we work on is never a problem. Warpage occurs when you blast in one area to long, which cause's heat from the friction of the media to bulid heat in one area, which in thin metal (like modern cars) can be a problem. Said it once and I'll say it again, blasting is the same as painting...seems easy...but it's a skill you get a touch for...