Paint Stripping

[rayprit]

I needed to strip the old paint of a badly wore out diecast toy, not a problem, I have done it before and never had a problem.

Last time I did it, I used to use Brake fluid, but, they have changed the formula to a more "green friendly" substance and the stuff will no longer touch paint. So, decided to go to extreme, Nitromors, I immersed the item in the green gunge for about 2 hours and when I pulled it out, the paint was hardly touched. I did a Google search on the stuff and found out from one of our sister forums that the company changed the formulae in 2010 and removed some harmful substances in the mix and replaced them with "friendlier alternatives". Nitromors still does strip some “household paints, but instead of taking 10 mins, the time has been upped to 30 mins, even then, not all removed. So, another site recommended Caustic Soda, available from DIY stores(but banned in USA and many other places) Its classed as Mangers Drain Cleaner or Paint stripper………..this has been removed from the shelves as DIY stores deem it too dangerous to sell, BUT, they do sell their own drain cleaner and Paint stripper and on the side of the tub/bottle….this product contains no Caustic Soda……….Health and Safety Issue………….so, next stop, Oven Cleaner, it used to work, guess what? It no longer does. Put an item for stripping in the mix 1 hour ago and the paintwork, has just started to go gooey, paint beneath, still rock hard…………..Hmmmmmmmm, so……..I came home, Ebayed Caustic Soda and I managed to find some, but wondering, when it arrives whether all harmful chemicals have been removed.

Nail Varnish remover, Cellulose thinners, enamel thinners, white spirit, tried em all, none work or did the expected job

I also tried to get hold of some Tippex thinners……..apparently this is also a harmful chemical and since 2006 has been a banned item worldwide, some say, Tippex is now waterbased, but if you can still get hold of original Tippex and it gets thick, use Nail Varnish Remover, not too much or it melts the container.

Well, with the EEC rules and Health and Safety various hobbies are now becoming dangerous and a liability to modellers Health? Its forcing Modellers to look for alternatives and taking risks on even more dangerous chemicals to arrive at the same results as before these “friendly “ alternatives took there place. Watch out because soon, I bet you will not be able to remove chrome from plastic when an alternative solution replaces what you do now. If memory serves me well, I think that they have already had a go at enamel paint………..

[goggsy]

Have you tried neat toluene? It's available from toolstation and strips everything I've used it for. It also melts plastic but if you're stripping a die cast that shouldn't be a problem. Toluene is the base spirit in magic markers btw, so if you have ever sat there wondering what the smell is now you know.

[rayprit]

Managed to get some caustic soda from Ebay thanks goggsy.............made solution up within a matter of minutes and within 2 minutes the stuff was "bubbling" just like a tubful of pirannas!!! Stripped the model within 3-4 minutes.

Some of the diecasts may have plastic still attached to inside, such as rivetted windows or imbedded headlights, or something rubbery, I take off what I can and hope for the best..............caustic soda just stripped the paint and left anything else alone.

Thanks for taking the time top read the post and taking time to reply to it..............thats what this sirte is all about, communication.

Happy New Year one and all