shot blast or dip?

[wayne Rollinson]

I would like some info please regarding a triumph spitfire, I want to do a full restoration and take back to bare metal would you just have it blasted inside and out or has anyone had one dipped, any good or bad reports and what sort of costs for each process?. My last car went to a restorer for blast and spray but this time I want to spray myself so need help in the first process, lastly any good recommendations of who to go to, many regards Wayne.

[Colin Lindsay]

I don't think I've any dip facilities near me so I'm having a Herald tub shotblasted BUT only the outer panel edges, seams and floors; the main part of the panels will be sanded down. A good shotblaster will know to be sympathetic with panels but if he's too rough he can ripple or distort them. The heavier metalwork - chassis, wheels etc is never any problem but the thinner panels are always a worry; besides which as it's sound I can keep the factory anti-drum coatings on the insides and just paint over that.

[wayne Rollinson]

Thank's Colin I did some searching earlier I think that's the way to go instead of the dip, I now need to find someone in my area who does this, regards Wayne.

[KevinR]

Personally I would avoid the dip.

Modern cars are designed from the outset for dipping, so the drainage is not an issue - as part of the anticorrosion process they get dipped.

On old cars, such as ours, dipping was never considered, so the drainage features are just not there.

There is also no way to get ALL the corrosive dip out of the seams, and no way to guarantee neutralising it, so it will eat its way out over the next few years.

Soda blasting or CO2 dry ice blasting is probably the best way to go 

 

[wayne Rollinson]

Thank's Kevin I read a few stories today which put me off the dip altogether, regards wayne

[Colin Lindsay]

2 hours ago, KevinR said:

 

Soda blasting or CO2 dry ice blasting is probably the best way to go 

 

I once tried soda blasting but it wasn't any good; perhaps I wasn't throwing the bread hard enough?

 

[KevinR]

1 hour ago, Colin Lindsay said:

I once tried soda blasting but it wasn't any good; perhaps I wasn't throwing the bread hard enough?

I suspect the problem was you hadn't cut it up small enough before throwing it

[daverclasper]

Dohhhh.

[wayne Rollinson]

I think I could use some of the bread I have made before to take the paint off lol

[dougbgt6]

I have a bread machine, it's great, except when you forget to put the yeast in. Then you wind up with a brick, which it turns out is entirely suitable for body work sanding. 

db

[rlubikey]

I had mine dipped by SPL after Picton Sportscars had done the necessary panels (sills, etc.)

The attraction for me was the phosphoric coating which, hopefully, went into the seams and box sections - blasting only gets to where you can see. In hindsight, people have expressed concerns about acid lurking in the seams, although SPL claimed that this was neutralised by the next stage. Even so, if I was doing it again I would look very carefully at the high temperature process another company does - sounds very interesting.

Cheers, Richard

PS: Apparently people were going into his workshop and asking where he had managed to get a new Spitfire shell!

[wayne Rollinson]

wow that looks real nice, Regards wayne

[ludwig113]

i'm going to have mine dipped next year with enviro strip  but it wont have the wings on and the sills will be open etc so it will drain and dry.

paul