Suggestions on paint stripping

[SuperK]

OK so I've got a door and the rear quarter panel that's been bondo'd and repainted in it's previous years. Super Crappy Time job was done on it, and it's peeling off to the primer and metal on random places. I need to restrip it.

I've not done body work before and I live in a apartment complex. what is the best way to strip the door and quarter panel safely to the metal? Without making a mess in the parking lot?

please suggest chemicals / hardware that would be appropriate, and I will be very happy!

if you think this is a bad idea, I won't do it. I trust and respect your opinion.
... and take it to a shop.

[umcamara]

I believe there's a fiberglass or similar material sanding disk. If I didn't have my stepfather's shop, which is full of any tool I could ever need, I would probably rent an air compressor and air grinder. If you were within reasonable distance I'd say come on over and you can do it there.

The fiberglass sanding disk is supposed to remove the paint, but not the metal.

A vacuum system attatched to the sander would keep the parking lot clean. Or just do the sanding on some garbage bags or old sheets, then toss them.

[94drumx3]

i say dont do it at your apartments, take it to a carwash or something. or an abandonned lot somewhere.

[jamesmx3]

a DA sander woth 400grit, or scotch brite if you only want to go through paint. If you want to go through the bondo then 80grit paper on the da will get rid of it.

[SuperK]

Just to give you all a heads up, here's what I have to cut through.

The white is bondo.






any other words of wisdom for me?

[mitmaks]

Im bodyman...the way I would do it is use chemical stripper on that or if you have access to air tools get a orbital sander with 80 grit on it and sand it all the way to the metal (including all the old bondo) Make sure you sand off all the rust you got in spots and possibly under the bondo, as bondo sucks in moisture. After you sand it all off you need to make sure its not exposed to moisture. You will have to redo body filler work on it and then primer/paint it. It's not one day job so if you could get a garage that would be nice. Let me know if you have any further questions, I'll try to answer to the best of my knowledge.

[X3RCKT]

This is what I use and you cant get any better. You can pick it up at like Advanced Auto Parts or Oreilys for about $15 and the sponge brush (which I highly recommend) for less than $1 at Walmart. MAKE SURE to have GOOD rubber gloves. Like the kind they use for washing dishes. Pour into a porcelain or glass bowl and you dont have to put it on REAL thick. Might have to use it twice if it doesnt get completely over all of the surface



It will bubble up about 10-20 minutes after putting it on, you just wipe off the surface and you are ready to go. I would use this to get the paint off and then use a sander on any Bondo or rust to make sure you have a very clean surface. You dont want to miss some and then it start to bubble under your paint after you redo it.

I used it on my YZF600R tank when I redid it and it took the paint AND the stickers off down to the metal like nothing. Was alot nicer than all the sanding I did on my rear plastics. Wish I had a picture of how it looked while it was active on the tank and then another of the tank bare metal but I dont sorry.

Here is before and after pictures though. I did both the tank and rear plastics. I know it is no where near what a professional can do but I think it turned out pretty good.