Clear coat removal on aluminum.

[YoungPUP]

So the clearcoat on the lowers, trees, and wheels looks yellow and crappy. I'm planning on painting these parts black, but I know the clearcoat has to go first. Any suggestions? I'm set up for sandblasting, so thats the direction I was looking. Any problems with that?

[Valkpilot]

So the clearcoat on the lowers, trees, and wheels looks yellow and crappy. I'm planning on painting these parts black, but I know the clearcoat has to go first. Any suggestions? I'm set up for sandblasting, so thats the direction I was looking. Any problems with that?

Consider soda blasting: http://www.garagenight.tv/diy-soda-blasting-build-your-own-rig-cheap/

[YoungPUP]

Ok. Couldn't I just run soda through my HF Sandblaster?

[Disco]

Hey PUP,

I've never stripped the clear off a Valkyrie part (yet), but I have stripped the clear off of GL1500 Goldwing Valve Covers.  Gotta be the same thing, and boy do they come out nice and shiny.  If you know you are set on black, a blasted surface will give much more surface area for the primer/paint/powdercoat to stick to.  If you haven't completely ruled out high polish, try a good stripper paint remover + plastic spatula first.

DFG

[theredark]

When I took the clear coat off a set of gl1000 timing covers prior to polishing I used Aircraft Coating Remover which comes in a spray can.  Most auto parts stores carry it.  Wear gloves.

[Jess from VA]

When I removed the fading clear coat from the forks of an old Hog, I rolled it into the street and blew it off with a half dozen cans of Gummout Carb cleaner.  Not environmentally friendly,  neither am I.  Thereafter, I just kept them buffed up to a high polish with power drills and buff wheel compounds.

[Walküre]

Ok. Couldn't I just run soda through my HF Sandblaster?

Yes, you can - use a new nozzle, the smallest you can find. I ran some through my blast cabinet, using all the "stock" stuff. You'll just go through a bit more. But, for what you are doing, it's not worth the expense of "new" equipment. You DO need really dry air - any moisture, and it will start to clump, and won't work well at all. I use a receiver tank in line, to help dry the air.

Here's a place that will send you a free sample - when I got mine, it was a 50 lb. bag:

Down at the bottom - free sample of Natrium Soda Blasting Media

Works really amazingly well. It's hard to believe, as it chemically explodes the paint, but leaves the metal/rust/bondo, etc, intact.

[raker]

If you are planning on painting the parts and the clear is still adhearing to the aluminum you would be better off scuffing the clear and prime and paint over the clear. It can be tough to get paint to stick to raw aluminum.

[michaelyoung254]

Check with your local PPG dealer on a prep for painting the aluminum. They have a product that you apply right before painting (sorry, I can't remember the name) which is supposed to open the pores in the aluminum (or something like that) which will make the paint adhere better. I used this and painted an aluminum boat several years ago, and shot it with a PPG epoxy paint. 15 years later, the paint is still in great shape without any sign of peeling.

[YoungPUP]

Scuffing the clear was the original plan, but during my mid summer wash some of the clear was flaking off. so that leaves me needing to finish the job. Maybe I've been lucky, but I've never had problems with paint sticking to aluminum before. ( mostly wheels and stuff)

[gordonv]

I've only seen soda blasting on the auto shows, using a presure water system. The soda protects bare metal can prevents rusting of steel. Kind of neat since you used water, and it doesn't rust.

Like meantioned, very friendly to eveything else, chrome/plastic, and under lying surfaces.