Just some more bodywork questions...

[DodgeFreak]

Ok...i've started removing rust and what not from the floorpan...do i have to remove all the paint to the baremetal or just where rust is present and paint flaking?? also i'm useing a wire wheel on a grinder is that ok?? and then i fund a couple of holes in the floor about the size of a pencil...do i just use the welder and tack the holes shut and then grind smooth?? and last but not least...can i use a wire wheel on the outside of the car to remove rust\body filler and what not?? thanks..

[360 'CUDA]

Oven cleaner works OK on floor panels. Don't sniff it

A mild solution of pool acid and water can do nice work on that rust as long as you keep it mild

Some paint can be left on if you want

Don't go crazy with the wire brush wheel, wear goggles and a face shield

The rust spots will win against just a welder, you need to make patches even if they are just little
patches. Rust burns, it does not weld.

Wire wheels have they're place, in corners and on rust.
It would take forever to do the whole body and make a mess

A 15 dollar can of paint remover at Home Depot will go along way towards stripping off that old paint

[DodgeFreak]

thanks... 

[HemiDog]

Another word about pin holes and pits in the metal:  It is tempting to weld them shut and grind them down, but when the metal is thinner than the stock gauge that you have your welder set for, it will burn through, usually pretty easily, and create larger holes!  I do that all the time.

[Steve]

Mechanical stripping is under rated in my book. I've had some great luck with the stripping wheels. Wire wheels don't work nearly as well in my experience. I have a pic of two of my favorites. Each stripping pad is similar in construction. The one in the package is made for a 4.5" grinder and the other is made for a die grinder. The lower pic shows a tail panel that I stripped with the small die grinder wheel. Just make sure to use a face shield, goggles, and a mask/respirator. It's a dirty job, but I found that it's actually easier than sandblasting. The bad part is that the nooks and crannies are hard to get to.

As for the floor pans, POR does make a repair kit where fiberglass cloth is actually used to fill in the pinholes and such. I personally replaced 3 of the 4 pans in my car. One of the pans is solid enough for me to make small patch pieces to weld in. Welding to fill in pitted areas can be tough. I have done it, though, especially on my tail panel. I start with probing with a sharp tool to find the absolute weak spots and I actually try to poke through as much metal as possible. If the resulting hole is very small, I'll just fill with mig weld. If a pitted area stands up to the probing, I'll fill the pitted area with a mig weld. My strategy is to actually burn out the pits then back fill starting from the edges of the good metal and work inward. I then grind the metal flush on both sides.

If the pitted area is larger than a dime or so, just cut/grind it out and fab up a small patch piece. Remeber to use 20 gauge sheet metal and not the 22 gauge stuff.

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[DodgeFreak]

I'll try to get pics of the floor pan and tell me what you think i should do...also..........that thing on the die grinder looks like something i thought about getting at wal-mart... in the automotive paint section...

[Steve]

Yep...I bought the small one at Harbor Freight and I picked up the purple one at Autozone. Make sure to wear a dust mask or respirator when using these things!

[DodgeFreak]

Yup...I've got a mask and a full faceshield and stuff....been using em....