How to remove undercoating

[iamflashman]

We all know how much removing undercoating can be a pain in the arse.  Heating, chemicals and scraping are just too messy and hard to do and talk all day.

So, I finally bit the bullet and tried a needle scaler to remove undercoating and it worked better than I would have imagined!

I bought the mini needle scaler from harbor freight for $20 and it took about 20-30 minutes to remove all of the undercoating from the inside of a fender.  This is usually a half-day job!

It did remove some of the paint under the undercoating but left the majority of it unscathed.  Just run 80 grit da over it and you have a great surface to primer.

I hope this tip helps because I have been trying to find a good way to remove undercoating for a long time.

[RICH MUISE]

James..great tip...lol...where were you 2 or 3 years ago when I could have used it? I had looked at those and thought about it but never seeing one in action, I was worried it would put too much stress on the panels...but apparently not. I'll keep it in mind. By the way cheap hardware store paint thinner is great for disolving  any left over undercoating, and that residue cleans off easily with most anything. Funny...as I was typing this a pop-up email alert from harbor freight came up.
I love tips..I had sent a message to James a few months back suggesting we maybe had a shop tips section but I guess there was no interest.
Here's a few tips in return. picture framing matboard is perfect for making mockup patch panels. You can bend it gently without creasing if needed, it's smooth so you can draw really accurate lines, cut with sissors or utility knife. If you have a frame shop you use ask them to save you some scraps or damaged boards. or full sheets can be bought at hobby lobby for about 6.(not the goodacid free stuff). Cody loves it when I bring him a stack of scraps from the shop I work at. Also great for spray gun pattern testing
Tip # 2 the aluminum wire they use to attach chain link fencing to the posts is great for hanging parts for painting. It's strong but bends easily with your fingers and comes precut in 6 or 7 inch lengths already having a hook on one end. Find packages of them in hardware stores pretty cheap. Also handy for hanging calipers while changing rotors. I always keep some in my tool box.
here's a pic with my modified defroster plenum(s)..the wires in the pics are what I was talking about

[Meteorman]

 Its great to hear tips  from other guys, i have been a autobody  mech for almost 50 years now and i still get tips that make me say why wasnt i doing that years ago and usually stupid things. removing undercoat we normally (if possible) heat the outside , that is not from the undercoat side,heat the metal it comes a lot easier you dont have hot undercoat dripping on you . just use a putty knife and peel it off ,you can heat the outside with a torch  or a good heat gun just be care full on flat panels dont get them to hot or they will warp.   

[iamflashman]

Here is a video of the tool in action:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/97922647@N00/5685292569/

and a pic of hte finished product:


1957 Ford Ranch Wagon by iamflashman, on Flickr

[TexasFordGuy]

Awesome tool,  sounds like it must have been pretty loud.