Guest rainworx Posted September 26, 2015 Share Posted September 26, 2015 (edited) Hi everyone...Being relatively new to the woody world I could use a little advise on what is the best way to strip the varnish used on these cars? The finish is checked, cracked and blistered from years of storage in a non-climate controlled warehouse and I'd like to improve the appearance of the car before it's sold. I am a carpenter by trade and have used many strippers and finishes in the past but I have never done either on a car. I have heard many different opinions on what is best for stripping and finishing and so far it narrows down to Citristrip for stripper and Helmsman Spar Urethane by MinWax for finish(?). They sound the best out of the many I have reviewed but I am not sure and I would appreciate any help you can offer. Also, if I did decide to go with a stronger stripper (I.E. lacquer thinner, etc.) what would be the best product to use? I have attached several photo's so you can see what I'm dealing with. Thanks for your help...David Edited September 27, 2015 by rainworx (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Cocuzza Posted September 26, 2015 Share Posted September 26, 2015 David,Would you be willing to sell the car as-is? I may be very interested in it.Also, does it run, stop etc?Where are you located?please let me know ASAP As far as stripping/varnishing the products you mentioned would be good to use Thanks, Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Cocuzza Posted September 26, 2015 Share Posted September 26, 2015 Sent you a Private Message, too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c49er Posted September 26, 2015 Share Posted September 26, 2015 Just make it easy and sell it to Joe.He needs another good Pekin project !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Cocuzza Posted September 26, 2015 Share Posted September 26, 2015 Just make it easy and sell it to Joe.He needs another good Pekin project !!!Bob,I agree. Let's see where this goes. Hopefully, into my garage.Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c49er Posted September 26, 2015 Share Posted September 26, 2015 I'm with you on this too Joe!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
46 woodie Posted September 26, 2015 Share Posted September 26, 2015 I used a non exotic stripper that I purchased from Lowes on my '46 and it worked fine. As for the varnish make sure you use the one with the highest UV protection you can find. I don't know where you are located but there is a boating supply called West Marine and in their catalog all the varnish they sell has the UV listing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Boehm Posted September 27, 2015 Share Posted September 27, 2015 Hello David, There is an excellent article on strippers in the 2016 Tool Guide published by Fine Woodworking and Fine Home Building Magazine. I bought a copy at the checkout line at Home Depot. It is an overview of all the types out there and they do a test to which works the best. Also I have been doing a lot of reading lately about varnishes as I eventually will need to do that to my woodie. If you are going to use a traditional varnish it is best to go with a marine varnish such as Epifanes. Boat supply companies such as Jamestown Distributors, and Hamilton Marine sell many brands of marine varnish including West Marine. They also sell strippers too. Jamestown has a technical support phone number That I have used and they were helpful and knowledgeable about varnishes. Tech hotline: 401-253-3840 or tech@jamestowndistributors.com. JamestownDistributors.com and hamiltonmarine.com. It looks like only the panels need to be stripped on your car. Tom Boehm New Albany, IN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c49er Posted September 27, 2015 Share Posted September 27, 2015 I used McClosky "Ultra Spar Varnish" on the car shown. Did it in 1979. Still looks as new.I had to be really careful not to damage the Di-Noc used on the late 1947-48 T&C converts when I stripped the old varnish off. I used single edge razor blades to cut off the old varnish on the panels. It lifted the varnish right off the soft film Di-Noc.The 1946 cars are veneer of course. never stripped one of those. Be careful. Talk to lotsa people before you do it.If the veneer lifts you got yourself a lot of time and money to spend to re do the panels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Boehm Posted September 27, 2015 Share Posted September 27, 2015 McCloskey Varnish is still sold but like many products it has been reformulated in recent years to meet more stringent VOC limits. In other words, they have less solvents in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c49er Posted September 27, 2015 Share Posted September 27, 2015 Figures!I'm sure it probably won't look or last as long as the old formula.Thanks for the info though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rainworx Posted September 27, 2015 Share Posted September 27, 2015 I'm going to add a few more photo's for Joe and I'd like to thank all you guys for your replies. Like I told Joe, I knew I was in the right place. And I'm gonna come clean, I'm actually a friend of the owner of this car and have been asked to repair this beautiful classic. The reason he came to my brother and I is we're good friends and have done work for him in the past. My brother and I have years of experince in wood working and antique finishes but we've never worked on a woody. I wanted to hear from the the people that know and love these vehicles to get sound advise as to the proper products and procedures. We were not sure whether we should even touch these panels because of the age of the car and we certainly don't want to depreciate the value by attempting to refinish the panels. So, we all know Joe would like to buy the car as-is, well I've given him the owners info and I guess we wait and see. I hope you can work a out deal Joe 46 woodie - Thanks for the info woodie - I was wondering about the non-toxic strippers if they would leave stains or possibly difficult to remove, etc. And I agree with the UV protection. Helmsman's says it has UV protection but not sure if it has the best UV protection. Tom Boehm - Thanks for the 2016 Tool Guide, I will look that publication up because I've been looking for long term product tests and that's were I came upon the Helmsman's Spar. It actually outlasted about eight other products over a five year outdoor test and judging by the photo's it aged with a mild patina but virtually looked unchanged after five years so I was impressed with that. I was also looking at marine finishes and came across one called Penofin which claims 99% UV protection so it seems like a good contender, too? http://www.penofin.com/wood-stains/marine-oil-finish-wood-stain I will go look at Jamestown Distributors and Hamilton Marine to see what they offer. Regarding doing just the panels, my brother and I were wondering about that, too and if it would be possible without stripper bleeding into the frame work. But we came to the conclusion that with care and proper prep we should be able to do it. c49er - Your Ultra Spar Varnish looks incredible! How did you manage to remove the varnish without damaging the Di-Noc? what type of stripper did you use? You did a fantastic job, by the way! Did you spray or brush your finish product? Sorry about the deceit regarding ownership, I didn't think it was going to amount to much but you guys have been very helpful and I appreciate that. Thank you all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Boehm Posted September 27, 2015 Share Posted September 27, 2015 Hello David, I am building an exact replica body for my woody to replace the original. Mother Nature destroyed the original. I have never refinished a woodie but if I were in your place I would remove the panels before I stripped them. Any of you guys out there with T&C s have an opinion if that is feasible? Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Boehm Posted September 27, 2015 Share Posted September 27, 2015 Hello again, I read the Technical Data Sheet in the link you provided. Penofin is not a varnish and does not form a film at the surface of the wood. It is an oil that soaks into the wood. The TDS suggests reapplying twice a year. A varnish is far more durable. A good marine varnish would last at least two years outdoors 100% of the time before a maintenence coat is required. Our woodies will be in the garage most of the time which is why Bob c49er varnish lasted 30 plus years. I recently came across a varnish made in France called Le Tonkinois. Is it made with Tung and Linseed oil and contains no solvents. Guys on the wood boat discussion forums say it has durability equal to that of other marine varnishes like Epifanes, Pettit, Awlspar,Interlux etc. Anyone out there used it? www.tarsmell.com is the website where it is sold in addition to Hamilton Marine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c49er Posted September 27, 2015 Share Posted September 27, 2015 My car has seen hundreds of hours of out door exposure at many events. NO rain though and no heated garage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rainworx Posted September 28, 2015 Share Posted September 28, 2015 Tom Boehm - I went back and looked deeper and yes you're right it is not like varnish and not the finish we're looking for at all. Thanks for bringing that to my attention. I will look into Le Tonkinois & Epifanes varnish but I have heard some say Interlux can be difficult to deal with. c49er - that is an amazing finish to last so many years in that nice of condition, it says a lot about your prep and the care taken throughout the process. I'm continuing my research and hopefully finding the right product for the finish. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c49er Posted September 28, 2015 Share Posted September 28, 2015 Thanks Tom! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewOldWood Posted September 28, 2015 Share Posted September 28, 2015 If you have experience restoring furniture, the frames should be pretty straight forward, you've got a lot of wood to work with. I you have ever worked with veneered plywood, the panels will have a similar veneer thickness, which isn't much. The panels don't look to be beyond hope, but pictures tend to make things look better than they really are. I have used Min Wax Helmsman on a variety of around the house projects, but would not use it on a car. Their gloss is noticeably duller than any of the major brand marine spar varnishes, and I suspect that the durability would be as inferior. Epifanes, Pettit, Interlux, etc... all make good products with good gloss and good UV filters. Everyone has their favorite, you would probably be happy with any of them. I recently tried a can of West Marines store brand Adimrals varnish, and I would say that it compare with the name brands at about 2/3 the price. For stripping, a heat gun and a paint scraper works good too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c49er Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 That car looks to be the rare unusual Trumpet or Emperor gold color. Looks like it was repainted possibly.A very nice car to refinish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Cocuzza Posted October 2, 2015 Share Posted October 2, 2015 Bummer of the day......I am unable to do the deal (time constraints) on this T & C.Good luck to anyone that may get it. It is a really nice car and the owner is a great guy, too. So is David - the original poster of this thread Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rainworx Posted October 5, 2015 Share Posted October 5, 2015 I was hoping it would work out for you Joe. I'm guessing things in Hu's world have changed and he's in a hurry to sell, otherwise he would have the patience to work something out with you. I'm glad you tried and I'm sorry things didn't work out. Thank you all for helping out and sharing your experience with me, I appreciate it a lot. I have learned a great deal and it all helps. ttylDavid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mgrun Posted January 29, 2016 Share Posted January 29, 2016 Does anyone know if this car was eventually sold or may be for sale? I had my 47 T & C stolen by a body shop (don't ask) and just concluded the fiasco of a claim and discovery of the vehicle by Haggerty (aka Essentia) and now I'm in the market for another one as I now know they intend to sell it themselves for a tidy profit. Pretty crappy . . . . long way of saying I need an inexpensive project car to get back into so any help would be appreciated. Thanks, Michael (mg@grunbergrealty.com) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Cocuzza Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 Does anyone know if this car was eventually sold or may be for sale? I had my 47 T & C stolen by a body shop (don't ask) and just concluded the fiasco of a claim and discovery of the vehicle by Haggerty (aka Essentia) and now I'm in the market for another one as I now know they intend to sell it themselves for a tidy profit. Pretty crappy . . . . long way of saying I need an inexpensive project car to get back into so any help would be appreciated. Thanks, Michael (mg@grunbergrealty.com)One was on Ebayhttp://www.ebay.com/itm/331727523152?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2648&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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