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Removing old enamel paint. Best way?


Rick Brown

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Chaps.

I've an old, unmade, Tamiya bike that's been painted on the sprue.

Not by me!

I suspect it's enamel as the blokes annotated the instruction sheet with, what looks, like Humbrol numbers.

I was hoping to just soak the sprues in a small container to remove any evidence of the paint.

What do you suggest?

I'm not an enamel user.

Rick..

Off to Morrisons...

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Does Fairy Power Spray work on enamels too - I was well aware of it for acrylics but not for enamels.

Cheers,

Nigel

Sure does, spray it on, leave overnight and wash off in the morning.

Cheers

Dennis

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On a different thread someone pointed out that you can buy 4 bottles of Fairy Power Spray for £8 delivered free if you have Prime or if your total order is over £20.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fairy-Power-Spray-375-Pack/dp/B0046U8IAE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1454767249&sr=8-2&keywords=Power+spray

It can be difficult to find in supermarkets and when you can it is nearer £4 a bottle.

Cheers,

Nigel

Edited by nheather
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Mr Muscle oven cleaner, all I ever use.

Cleared off 2-3 coats of Humbrol enamel paint that had been on for about 37 on a project I was recently working on.

No surface damage, just needed a bit of time to soak in and then perhaps a couple of applications.

Karl

Edited by Karl
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Hi Everyone,

As I pointed out in post some time ago, the old formulation of FPS works a treat as a paint stripper. The new stuff that smells of citrus doesn't work as effectively. There is post on Amazon from a modeller who makes this point; I'll try and find it.

Best Wishes,

Will.

Just found it, see Torkijo's two star post on Nheather's link to Amazon - sheesh, what an anorak I am remembering that!

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Just had a first go with Mr Muscle on 2 or 3 coats of Humbrol Enamel. Quickest and most effective stripper I have ever tried. Spray on, left for about an hour, off it comes with a sponge scourer. They warn you to use rubber gloves. Suppose you should, but no ill effects so far without.

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Just had a first go with Mr Muscle on 2 or 3 coats of Humbrol Enamel. Quickest and most effective stripper I have ever tried. Spray on, left for about an hour, off it comes with a sponge scourer. They warn you to use rubber gloves. Suppose you should, but no ill effects so far without.

I didn't use gloves either and I was working with it for quite a bit.

Can't remember if my fingers were a bit tingly for a while after, but my hands certainly did smell funny for a while, but other than than no adverse affects here either.

With hindsight, gloves might be a good idea ;)

Karl

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I once noticed that oven cleaner had gotten in through a hole in my glove and was melting one of my fingernails. The only thing I could think of doing about it at the time was to run the finger under the cold tap. Once I got all the oven cleaner off, the fingernail shrank and became deformed. I then had remove as much of it as possible with a Stanley blade as the fingernail had shrank as though doped and was painfully squeezing the cuticle underneath.

Now I always use heavy rubber gloves when using oven cleaner as it can be very nasty stuff.

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It's many years since I tried it but household bleach used to worked quite well. It's not an instant solution but it is easy and low cost. It's also safer than some of the more nasty chemicals.

Just immerse the piece in laundry bleach straight from the bottle, cover and leave overnight. Most of the old paint will rinse off under the faucet and the rest can be dealt with using an old toothbrush.

Gloves and ventilation are a must. Protection is a necessity, not a sign of weakness.

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I never though bleach would do. I use it all the time for chrome removal, but not paint.

Mind you, I don't seem to have the need to remove paint very often, and never enamel!

Rick.

Way back in my AMT model car days all I had to do was look at chrome plated bumpers the wrong way . . . :D

Edited by RJP
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Bit of an update.

Soak in bleach for a couple of days. No good apart from the chrome sprue.

Couple of days in Caustic soda. Made a slight dent in some of the paint.

Couple of days in Mossisons cheep multipurpose cleaner. This did pretty well.

IPA. Nowt moved.

Still something like a clear lacquer over some parts that just wont shift.

Guess I'll try some Mr Muscle. Local Morrisons don't stock it though.

Rick.

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I borrowed some Revell Paint remover.

This did shift the last of the paint, but it leaves a chalkie type of powder behind.

This proving difficult to remove in its self!

I have the whole lot sat back in the Morrisons "All purpose Cleaner" hoping to shift the powder.

BTW, don't let the Revell paint remover into a cut! Jeez, that made me move!

Rick.

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That is strange. I haven't experienced that with the Revell paint stripper.

I've used it on very old and not so old enamels, but they have only been Humbrol ones.

Another thing to try is fresh Dot 3 brake fluid.

Dot 4 is not as strong and if its not fresh it seems not to work as efficiently.

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How well it shifted the paint I suspect it was Revell enamel.

The powder has got in all the little nooks and crannies.

I'll get it out eventually!

I'll grab some brake fluid later, helps the families still in the trade!

Rick.

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