I currently run a resto project of an X-Body Oldsmobile Omega 1973 - details if interested can be found here
I did a lot of research about which option to choose to get rid of paint, underbody protection, oil, grease, body adhesive, rust, ....

Than I run across a small company which offers paint stripping with thermal treating - http://autoentlacken.at/thermische-reinigung
The parts to be treated are slowly and evenly heated to 420 ° C in a closed oven chamber. A powerful fan ensures that the temperature is evenly distributed. With a lack of oxygen, all organic components slowly swell here. After a few hours, all that's left of is ash. Ash is quite greasy, but can easly be removed with a vacuum cleaner and broom. Post-treatment is required to completely clean the surface especially rust. So blasting is recommend and can be kept very gentle here. However, cleaning with water would also be possible.

The wonderful thing about this method is the completeness. EVERYTHING except the sheet metal is then ashes. It doesn't matter if paint, underbody protection, sealant, putty, stickers, engine oil, glue, carpet scraps, etc. Everything burns up in the thermal! The thickness is also irrelevant - a 10 mm layer of putty is gone, as is the sub-floor applied according to the motto “a lot helps a lot”.

How this looks like:





a small video how it can be easily cleaned!
http://autoentlacken.at/wp-content/u...3/IMG_0847.mov

one of their projects - Alfa Romeo GTV

Yesterday I dropped my Omega at their shop

 

I'm interested to see after pics.

 

I wonder how that heat will affect the strength of a unibody ? 420 degrees C, wouldn't that be about 850 degrees farenheit ?

 

I grew up in a shop that was doing this years ago mainly industrial stuff. But they wouldn't do body parts. Frames , fender wells stuff like that yeah they would do that in the ovens. For body stripping they did electrolysis with a non etching chemical ( no acids) . Or media blasting.

 

its only recommended for steel and iron alloys

 

Thats crazy! Ive never heard of that.

 

tomorrow in a week I'll pick it up again - than some pics will come.
a mate of mine will 2k prime it, than back into my shop for body work - still a long way to go

 

that Alfa looks awesome after clean-up, but a little "scary" just out of the oven

 

I’ll gather the precautions prevent the likelihood of panel warping.

 

today I picked up the naked body and all other parts - does look quite solid.
The dent in the roof was there already before!

 

 

 

there is some rust, but it is not serious!

 

From the looks of the metal. It looks like they media blasted it.

 

That looks pretty good. I've never seen or heard of it. You dont have to deal with sand or media in every nook and cranny, no water from dustless blasting and your also not dealing with chemicals from dipping. If nothing was warped or damaged I like it. Just have to re-lead the 1/4/roof seam.

 

yes, to get rid of rust

 

So you had it cooked, and then sand blasted!
Amazing result!

 

well summarized!

 

That is cool!

 

Excellent! How did the price compare to just having the body dipped or blasted?

 

I had tow offers where both shops would only use media blasting. Both came by and looked at my car - they saw the main challenge in getting rid of the underbody protection. 1 offer was around $2800 and the other around $3600.

Now I paid $1800

 

That left you with a great clean slate. Very impressive and the price is in the ball park of blasting but from the look of things nothing left of any paint. Just get epoxy on it before it starts to rust. GOOD JOB. Cant wait to see the finished project.

 

I'm surprised there was no warping or damage done like to the trunk springs. In the gun business springs were made and heat treated (drawn back) with temperatures at the 700 degrease mark but if it works it works....Tedd