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Paint removal


Redstaff

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Morning good and hopefully helpful modellers 😀

 

I've recently painted my Belkits manta body shell with Halfords rattle can brilliant white

The finish is not how I wanted it and I want to strip it all back to bare plastic and start again

What have you car modellers used with good results without affecting the body shell that is easily available?

Years ago I used Fairy power spray on some motorbike plastics (full size) but I've heard the formula has changed and doesn't do the biz any more from a bike forum

 

Any suggestions gratefully received

 

Many thanks

 

Ian

 

 

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               hi,

 

                        Auto Brake Fluid is good, or White Spirit aka Camping Lamp fuel

                         but ALWAYS TEST FIRST!

 

                                                                                      Geoff

                                                                                          F.T.G.3156

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Thanks guys

 

Definitely got some brake fluid and 90% sure there may be some Mr Muscle under the sink that might go missing later 😉

 

Ian

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I've used 99.9% Isopropyl Alcohol with good results. Soak for half an hour, then brush with an old toothbrush or something. Repeat until clean.

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New brake fluids are not nearly as aggressive  these days. It depends on the basis for the paint. Generally oven cleaner works, however for acrylics Simple Green is brilliant. Always worth a try for a day or so in case it works - it doesn't harm the plastic.

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I found that Caustic soda didn't touch Halfords acrylic. Left for more than 24 hours... NOTHING!!!

I tried Fairy Power spray and it worked a treat.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Alan.

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Thanks guys 😀

At present the shell is sat in brake fluid and looks promising as the overspray seems to be loosening within 20 mins, but the rest is not ready for coming off yet

I'll leave it overnight and see what happens,will let you know the outcome

If no joy I'll get some Fairy on the way home tomorrow 

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Wear rubber gloves and give it a rub with a used washing up sponge with the scotchbrite on one side.

The brake fluid, I've found in the past, will affect the plastic. It makes it slightly brittle in places like

windscreen pillars etc. Plus you will need to thoroughly de-grease the shell before painting again.

The Fairy may well do the de-grease work for you.

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Morning Chaps :bye:

 

Absolutely safe way that wont cause issues with the plastic or clear parts is Dettol.

One big bottle of Dettol, same amount water, leave for 24-48 hours, clean off with an old paint brush then rinse off with water.

Works with any paint and as I said before, you can use it on clear parts too. 

You can use a lesser diluted mix but I believe it works better with water.

One thing keep in mind, don't be tempted to use water to wash off the paint when you take it out of the Dettol, leaves a horrible jelly gunk that's very very hard to get rid of. 

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Cheers Steve

 

I'll have a look to see what the brake fluid has done when I get back from work and if no good I might try the Dettol route as I think it would be better to mix a load up and leave the shell soaking rather than keep spraying with Fairy to stop it drying out

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The very best I have found for this purpose to this day is Methoxypropanol PM. Catchy name, right? 😎

You can buy it here: https://www.kremer-pigmente.com/de/methoxypropanol-pm-70920.html

It's well possible that there are similar products from other manufacturers, but this is the only one I know and the one that works perfectly for me. And believe me, I did a lot of paint stripping after getting back to this hobby 2 years ago, due to my learning curve about the use of "today's" paints.

It can be used by simply covering the parts with this stuff. I have a small container that perfectly fits for 1/24 car bodies, so I fill that up with the liquid, put the body into it and wait for about an hour. Using an old soft tootbrush helps removing the paint from the panels lines etc. It really works well and does not harm the plastic.

 

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I've been using oven cleaner for some time now, and always worked for me.....The one that comes witha  foamy formula......Put the kit into an airtight container (Tupperware or similar), and leave it for half an hour or so....

Then, rub the kit with an old toothbrush, and most of the old paint, primer, etc..will go away....

Cheers...

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25 minutes ago, Artie said:

I've been using oven cleaner for some time now, and always worked for me.....The one that comes witha  foamy formula......Put the kit into an airtight container (Tupperware or similar), and leave it for half an hour or so....

Then, rub the kit with an old toothbrush, and most of the old paint, primer, etc..will go away....

Cheers...

Another for oven cleaner, in fact cheap poundland type cleaner works fine not even expensive stuff.  As evidenced in my Garage as we write, currently taking off the yellow from an Airfix Yellowjack Gnat.

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Update

After getting home from work I started work with a toothbrush with varying results from the brake fluid

Some parts came away with a bit of scrubbing but other areas weren't affected at all 🤔

Like Pete in Lincs said is true about it making the plastic brittle as both of the rear pillars which are very fine have cracked, but easily repairable

I have it sitting in warm soapy water at the moment trying to wash off all the brake fluid before I go shopping on my way home tomorrow for Oven cleaner, Dettol and Fairy power spray 😀 to try again once I've glued the pillars back together 

 

To be continued.................................

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20 hours ago, Redstaff said:

Like Pete in Lincs said is true about it making the plastic brittle as both of the rear pillars which are very fine have cracked, but easily repairable

 

That's interesting, I've always used brake fluid & have never had any problem other than the shine being taken off the surface of the plastic - & I've stripped a lot of plastic shells!

 

What DOT spec fluid were you using? I'm still using an old bottle of DOT3, I wonder if the formulations of DOT 4 or 5 have different effects on polystyrene?

 

@MAD STEVE stupid question, when you say "don't be tempted to use water to wash off the paint when you take it out of the Dettol", what do you use if not water?

 

Keith

 

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Hi Keith

DOT4 I had lying around after resealing the calipers on one of my motorbikes a few years ago, maybe that's why?

At the minute the shell is sat covered in Mr Muscle oven cleaner and after half an hour it seemed to be loosening, just hard to tell seeing as it's a white shell with white paint covered in white foam 😂

I've got some dettol as a back up, but could only find the lemon fairy power spray which apparently is no good, so I left it

 

Round 2 in progress................. 

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Right that's it 😣

Manta has been sent to the naughty step and is going to spend the weekend soaking in dettol/water 50/50 mix as Mr muscle didn't work

If it doesn't work it's going back in the box until I get my mojo back with it and I get on with something else in the mean time

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That's a shame, hopefully the Dettol will work. I've got a Subaru that's been in its naughty box for nearly a decade - just couldn't get a good white paint job on it - had had enough when I stripped it for the fourth time! 

 

Keith

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On 27/06/2018 at 07:35, MAD STEVE said:

Morning Chaps :bye:

 

Absolutely safe way that wont cause issues with the plastic or clear parts is Dettol.

One big bottle of Dettol, same amount water, leave for 24-48 hours, clean off with an old paint brush then rinse off with water.

Works with any paint and as I said before, you can use it on clear parts too. 

You can use a lesser diluted mix but I believe it works better with water.

One thing keep in mind, don't be tempted to use water to wash off the paint when you take it out of the Dettol, leaves a horrible jelly gunk that's very very hard to get rid of. 

Afternoon Steve.

What sort of Dettol are you using? the disinfectant, or the cleaning spray?

Ta

Frank

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Always found brake fluid very poor. It strips the paint but as already stated it dries out the plastic and makes it brittle to the point where it can snap, but you already know that. Always used the isopropyl alcohol method and it's always worked very well, with no issues at all..

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