The only time I get to dedicate a lot of time to working my car is during the winter. Which means, up here in Canada, it's pretty cold in my garage. I have a small garage heater, but without insulating, I can't really keep it above 10 deg. C (50 deg. F).

I want to strip the rest of the paint off my car using a chemical stripper, but the instructions state that the ambient temp. should be above 20C (70F). If I heat the panel that I want to strip before hand with a blow torch, will the stripper still work properly?

wow, that sounds dangerous using a torch. I would also be worried about panel warping.

And most strippers are flamable

You can always use sandpaper by hand... it takes a bit longer, but you can work in a t-shirt and shorts... Hell you'll still be sweating.

BJH

I'm thinking I'll only have to heat the panel to about 40 or 50C (about half boiling point of water) so panel warpage shouldn't be a problem, and all the heat will be applied before the stripper goes on (no direct flame on the chemical). I guess what I'm concerned about is whether the lower air temp. will still adversely affect the performance of the stripper.

Try a sunlamp.

I bought a sunlamp floodlight and a reflector to set up bondo in the winter. Directs the heat where ya aim it.

Hope that helps...

Ken

Good idea!

I have a vauge memory of a "chemistry thing" that in general reaction rates double with each 10 deg C increase in temp. The opposite is also true.

Warm it up!

Panels are so thin that they wont hold/maintain the heat. Combination of Infrared (sunlamp) and other heaters will help. The chemical will just take longer to work in colder temps

We use a "peel away" system on structural steel to remove paint to prepare for new connections

apply the stripper, cover with plastic (poly sheeting) warm the area using indirect heat sources

I seem to remember something about making sure you tip them when they dance on you...

C'mon, where's the stripper nipple joke?

*EDIT* Heh, beat me to it.


Seriously though, I suspect it will still work, just take longer. Try the plastic wrap method and leave it overnight. If it works, problem solved!

Strippers....

That smell they emit, yeah that is lavender, and you'll smell like it to if you spend too much time with them.

They apply glitter to themselves liberally, make sure to wash it off of yourself before you get home. A little glitter on your nose, can get on your hand, and then to any number of places, before you know it your in trouble with the misses.

I hope this helps.


Todd

And take the strippers in the house. What's this "Doing it in a cold garage" crap?

I'm glad I'm not the only one that thought like that.

John

They get all covered in goosebumps, and they get REAL cranky .................................. The Cap'n

The worst thing about a good stripper is:

Once you've been with a good one, everything else just plain sucks.

Erik

PS:
Stay away from Montreal, and St Catherines street. You will be spoiled for life!

I can't believe I had to read 7 responces about chemical reaction before I got to the good ones.........


insulate the garage.....a couple $100 worth of insulation will keep you toasty all winter long and make working on the warm car so much more fun....