Removing Paint

[roxyguy]

I'm sure this has been answered before so my apologies. I've sprayed something with yellow motor paint and have made a balls of it (an inspection car type thing).

 

I have tried nail polish remover, white spirit and cillit bang but the paint seem to be made of Kryptonite and won't budge. Any suggestions? Cheers.

[Glenderg]

Brake Fluid, give it a go. Leave it in for a few hours, if you see yellow streaks in the fluid, then it's working. If that don't work it's cellulose paint, and a hoor to remove.

 

edit - Mr. Muscle Oven Cleaner too, just hold your breath after spraying.

Edited May 23, 2017 by Glenderg

[roxyguy]

Brake Fluid, give it a go. Leave it in for a few hours, if you see yellow streaks in the fluid, then it's working. If that don't work it's cellulose paint, and a hoor to remove.

 

edit - Mr. Muscle Oven Cleaner too, just hold your breath after spraying.

 

Thanks for that. I need to go to motor store anyway so I'll pick up some brake fluid.

 

I thought about the oven cleaner but surely cillit bang has similar properties? If i come home with anymore cleaning products the missus will think I have gone strange.

 

The internet mentioned using dettol but I am not so sure.

 

It was cheap yellow motor paint, awful stuff, should have known better.

 

Cheers.

[Colin R]

What is the base model metal or plastic? you can try getting hold of some industrial strength alcohol or better known as IPA Isopropanol, some chemists will sell it to you, it should not be that expensive it goes for about £7.00 (about 8 Euros) per liter.

 

Just make sure you use it with fresh air or the door open.

 

I have used cotton bud's to take off any last remaining bits of some of my kits, it is also advisable to keep a larger than you need plastic screw lid and airtight container to use as a paint stripping chamber, I used one of the old green or brown lidded (SPC) fresh fruit in liquid containers for most of my models but with some of the bigger and longer bits I will need to find something else which has a reasonable size hole in the top for getting bits in and out of.

 

A word of warning do not use a drinks or soft plastic contain as it sometimes leaks, make sure it is a hard plastic container.

 

Finally all you need to do is put about 10mm or so (not all of it in one go) of the liquid in the chamber pot with the model inside screw lid on and give it a gentle swirly to cover the whole model and leave overnight.

 

The following day take an old toothbrush or cotton buds and paper kitchen towel drain the model for a moment from the container and then place model on the kitchen towel, you should be able to start to remove the paint from you kit with the old tooth brush, cotton buds and or a second piece of kitchen roll, depending on how bad it is you might need to dip the kit in it again.

 

Do not dispose of the alcohol down the drain as you can keep it in the container, it does not matter what colour it is, as it will continue to work until it has dried up or you replace it with a bit of fresh alcohol in the container.

 

Hope this helps

 

Colin

[roxyguy]

Hi Colin,

 

Cheers for that. Nail polish remover is made with IPA and that didn't work - unless industrial alcohol is a stronger concentration.

 

I scrubbed it after soaking in the nail polish remover with a toothbrush but the paint has gone gloopy and sticky rather than breaking down fully.

 

I believe lighter fluid is mostly IPA and it's cheaply available in my local poundshop.

 

I'll keep trying. . . .

[murrayec]

Hi roxguy

 

Try Mr Muscle Oven in a plastic bag, leave for about 15 minutes and squidge it around in the hands while in the bag and see if the paint comes off, wash with water

 

I use this method for most applied paints- I did recommend this method to Peter recently but it did not work for him!

 

Also IPA seems to harden up paint when it drys, so MMO may not work now, also IPA is very risky stuff to use on plastic models- paint can be removed but so can the body shell!!

 

Eoin

[roxyguy]

Cheers - I'll try the oven cleaner but I imagine if the cillit bang didn't work than the oven cleaner might not work. I am no chemist but I imagine they have similar ingredients. Something I noticed in the supermarket last night was that a lot cleaning products don't list what's actually in them.

 

The paint stripper I used the change the colour of my front door would work given that the paint is oil based but I imagine it would dissolve the body shell also!

[murrayec]

The paint stripper I used the change the colour of my front door would work given that the paint is oil based but I imagine it would dissolve the body shell also!

 

Yes, don't do it......

 

You could use DIY stripper but only water base and test first!!

[roxyguy]

I'm starting to think that it might be knackered because it's oil based paint on plastic. Someone else mentioned tar remover, the stuff you might use on a plastic car bumper.

[murrayec]

Hi roxyguy

 

This came to me very crudely hand painted green with enamel oil paint, popped it into MMO in bag, 15 minutes later it came out just as you see it in the photo after a rinse in water

 

 

Eoin

[roxyguy]

Thanks Eoin, all might not be lost. All get the oven cleaner and give it a go!

 

Also the little triang dock shunter has been on my wish list for ages. I must pick one up and give it a faux Irish treatment. What are your plans for that one?

[Colin R]

Hi Colin,

 

Cheers for that. Nail polish remover is made with IPA and that didn't work - unless industrial alcohol is a stronger concentration.

 

I scrubbed it after soaking in the nail polish remover with a toothbrush but the paint has gone gloopy and sticky rather than breaking down fully.

 

I believe lighter fluid is mostly IPA and it's cheaply available in my local poundshop.

 

I'll keep trying. . . .

 

The stuff I have is 99% pure, I have tried it on both metal and plastic and it works on those he only problem I see it might have when mixed with other chemicals is that is might only be about 5 to 10% pure which in nothing and it may mean having to soak your model in that for a couple of days to work.

 

If after you have tried everything and it still has not moved, let us know and we shall work out what to do next, even if you have to send me the thing to get stripped.

 

Colin

[roxyguy]

Cheers Colin, Im gonna try oven cleaner and see if the chemist has some pure alcohol.

 

Thanks for your help. I'll keep ye posted.

[Broithe]

Although the quantities in modelling events may be small, it is worth being aware of some of the excitement that can occur if certain substances are mixed.

 

http://www.irongategroup.co.uk/blog/why-you-should-never-mix-cleaning-chemicals/

[WRENNEIRE]

On a different note Roxy, I picked up a Dock Shunter at Bray on Sunday, trade in from a regular customer

Just gave it a quick look over, working well in both directions, light also working, all buffers and couplings present

And its the rarer Red coloured one

Drop me a PM if its of any interest

Cheers

[roxyguy]

Although the quantities in modelling events may be small, it is worth being aware of some of the excitement that can occur if certain substances are mixed.

 

http://www.irongategroup.co.uk/blog/why-you-should-never-mix-cleaning-chemicals/

 

Will bear that in mind. It's bad enough that my homemade wine explodes from time to time.

[murrayec]

Thanks Eoin, all might not be lost. All get the oven cleaner and give it a go!

 

Also the little triang dock shunter has been on my wish list for ages. I must pick one up and give it a faux Irish treatment. What are your plans for that one?

 

Hi roxyguy

 

I'm super detailing it and painting it black n brown with CIE logo, I know its not Irish but I like them....

 

Eoin

[murrayec]

Hi

 

My Mom made elderberry wine many moons ago- that could be used for paint stripping!!

 

Eoin

[roxyguy]

Yeah it's funny - I always liked the little dock shunter too for some reason, I think it resonates with inner child.

 

My homemade elderflower wine is very good at attracting fruit flies and especially good at exploding if you decide to go away for the weekend.

[murrayec]

Go for it Borithe???

[roxyguy]

My situation could be worse . . .

[The Derry Road]

Brake Fluid, give it a go. Leave it in for a few hours, if you see yellow streaks in the fluid, then it's working. If that don't work it's cellulose paint, and a hoor to remove.

 

edit - Mr. Muscle Oven Cleaner too, just hold your breath after spraying.

 

I've been spray painting models for 25+ years and concur with glenderg's method. I've left coach bodies submerged for days in brake fluid and it works without any damage to the plastic. TDR

[DB JOE]

deluxe materials do a paint stripper that's safe on plastics and resin called magic strip its good if a bit expensive at about €7 for a 125ml bottle marks models stock it

[Glenderg]

Deluxe Materials I use on MM 201's to remove the tampo printed black and yellow bands. Seriously dangerous stuff if left too long, but there's is nothing it won't tackle, including the plastic beneath the paint.

 

Mr. Muscle Oven Cleaner is completely different from cillit bang, it should work also as EMC said earlier.

 

If it were me, I'd get one a tall glass that the model fits into, and give it a bath in brake fluid. Immensely satisfying removal process.

 

R.

[roxyguy]

Thanks guys, I'm gonna give the mr muscle a go this evening and see what happens.

 

I remember completely stripping a lima loco back to white plastic with nail polish remover before spraying - and yes Glenderg - there was something very satisfying about it!

 

If that doesn't work brake fluid it is!!

[DB JOE]

brake fluid work on resin too???? after the model has had its bath what do you use to remove the brake fluid before repainting????

[The Derry Road]

brake fluid work on resin too???? after the model has had its bath what do you use to remove the brake fluid before repainting????

 

rinse throughly with cold water then wash with luke warm soapy water, and dry well. TDR:-bd

 

never tried the fluid on resin

[DB JOE]

thanks for that The Derry Road

[burnthebox]

Hi roxyguy, by mere coincidence earlier today I cleaned a wagon of its hand painted ( very badly ) blue paint,right down to the white base, by dropping it into a container of a nail varnish remover for about 20/30 minutes, blue in colour, can't remember the name, a few very thin bits had to be removed by a bit of scraping, but very happy with outcome,

BTB

Edited May 23, 2017 by burnthebox

[roxyguy]

Hi Burnthebox, nail polish remover usually works for me with modellers enamel paint but this is motor paint and it didn't work.

The Mr. Muscle didn't work either.

 

Brake fluid is the only thing that worked - I am happy to confirm - it is dissolving away nicely now.

 

Thanks everyone for their feedback. Can anyone tell me what is in the brake fluid that makes it work??

 

It was fun trying all the different chemicals, scientific almost!

[burnthebox]

 

It was fun trying all the different chemicals, scientific almost!

 

roxyguy, you're going to have stop drinking that stuff.....

[roxyguy]

roxyguy, you're going to have stop drinking that stuff.....

 

Between my homemade wine and the various solvents - the back kitchen is not safe. Naked flames not recommended.

The fumes alone are sufficient to induce a perpetual state of inebriation.

[roxyguy]

Paint all stripped now - although there is some slight pitting on the surface of the plastic. The thing was subjected to chemical cocktail so I shouldn't be too surprised. A good coat of primer will conceal it I'd say.

[DiveController]

Between my homemade wine and the various solvents - the back kitchen is not safe. Naked flames not recommended.

The fumes alone are sufficient to induce a perpetual state of inebriation.

Jayzus, keep the alcohols separate and the paint stripper away from the vodka

[richrua]

I've resprayed a few things without stripping . They seem to come out grand without detail loss etc. Is stripping always necessary, I ponder ?

[Colin R]

Not always, but it depends on the amount of detail you have and if you can spray the coat thin enough to cover the base colour, but thick enough to show the colour you want with out colour bleed from the old base colour.

 

I know some people don't want the hassle of paint stripping, but the other thing is sometimes you do not always know what type of paint you have on your model and if you apply the wrong type it all comes up like an orange peel or worse.