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From: MWood24020@aol.com [mailto:MWood24020@aol.com]
I have been told that when you dip the uni-body, you lose
all of the sealants
used in the manufacturing process, like in the body seams.
Are you telling me
that alkali based dips don't cause this same headache?
Thanks-Mike
Mike,
From my experience the alkali leaves the majority of the
factory caulk, some undercoat and some body fillers. I have found that if a
car has excessive undercoat or body filler it is advantages to scrape some
prior to dipping. The beauty of the alkali is its process. It is similar to
the reverse of chrome plating. The chares are reversed. This causes ALL of
the oxide to jump off leaving only solid metal. If you have a car that you
think is solid you will be surprised when you pick it up. There may be some
holes in it! I would rather find those holes before I complete a restoration
than a few years later see cancer to start.
Redi Strip in Evansville does use a light chemical strip
before the alkali to get the paint to begin to bubble. He says it makes the
alkali process work quicker and better. The problem with acid dips is that
the acid can come back to life as water seeps into the seams. I have seen on
many occasions at car shows a beautiful car with something oozing from the
quarter/rocker seam. You will not get this with an alkali dip. Once it has
been removed from the vat and the charge is removed it stops.
If you want a seam that is packed with sealer try one of the
pneumatic caulk guns. It is a little messy but it will put caulk where no
caulk has gone before. I always prime my freshly stripped panels with PPG's
DP epoxy primer before doing anything else. You can even work your fillers
on top of DP. Then prime with a good urethane primer. You will have a
substrate as good or better than most factory finishes today.
Bill Gullatt
Madison, AL
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