Chemical dipping would be great but I can’t afford it. I am pushing the envelope for the worlds lowest cost restoration. I can rent a sand blaster, compressor, protective gear and buy media for less than $150. I don’t know what chemical dipping costs but I’m pretty sure it’s more than $150. I’m not cutting corners everywhere but trying to spend my money where it counts. I’ll probably end up paying close to $200 for a quality spray gun but $150 is my budget for paint and rust removal.
I would suggest trying to find someone local who uses the “Dustless Blasting” technique. Crushed glass with water and rust inhibitor combined.
It will be cheaper vs trying to pinch pennies with a sandblasting unit, then having to pay a skilled bodyman to straighten out your damaged panels.
If you are worried about creating heat and warping body panels while still a DIY type method, have you looked into something like this…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWO4khCyVzI
Most likely a slow and steady process to complete a whole car but if you have a good power washer already and willing to spend a couple hundred bucks this might be worth checking out. Be prepared to wire wheel all the undercoating and seam sealer first. Don’t think this set up would have enough juice to remove that type of rubbery material.
My brother in law’s (the one married to the Fun Succubus) neighbor used walnut shells on his '53 F1 and it turned out very nice. Watching him he didn’t concentrate on any specific area for very long at all. I think I would opt for the dustless blasting. He had a MESS in his driveway by the time he was done stripping of multiple layers of paint.