Stripping

[Heather Kay]

Paint stripping. What did you think I meant?

I've acquired three Slater's coaches to build/rebuild for a client. They're the GWR 4-wheel Dean coaches. One of them has been, shall we say, thrown together using something sticky and then daubed with what might as well be household emulsion.

Disassembly was not a problem. A few well-placed tweaks with a flat blade screwdriver and I have the body and roof apart, and the chassis off. What I'm after is a good technique for stripping the, for want of a better term, paint.

I can't tell whether it's acrylic or enamel. It may well be the former, judging by the thickness and the brush marks. I don't care if the glazing gets damaged as I can replace that. All I want is for the paint to be lifted away from the plastic so I can clean it up and make good with minimal effort.

I've heard good things about Dettol, and cheaper household disinfectants. What about the "proper" model strippers? Any recommendations, warnings, hints and general tips very much appreciated.

Cheers!

 

[Steph Dale]

Precision Superstrip will attack both acrylic and enamel paints and is safe for use on styrene.
If it's acrylic, you'll probably find that isopropyl alcohol will work just as well and is a good bit cheaper.
If it's enamel then Modelstrip is good stuff.

Steph

 

[Heather Kay]

Cheers Steph!

Has anyone tried the Fairy Powerspray technique?

 

[Rob Pulham]

Cynric was a big fan of Fairy Powerspray but what he used it on I am not sure.

 

[Dog Star]

Heather,

Last year a WTer used Dettol on an HJ diseasel... and I think that the result was not what was expected, I recollect that the Dettol attacked the underlying plastic.

Depending upon just how much of the original kit needs to have paint removed then you may find that asking David White for replacement sides is the cheaper / safer / quicker option.

regards, Graham

 

[tomstaf]

Cheers Steph!

Has anyone tried the Fairy Powerspray technique?

Yup, on HJ and absolutely no effect whatsoever. I also bought an HJ 47 that had been dettoled 2 years ago. It still smells of dettol and it also damaged some of the plastic. So I'd thoroughly recommend sticking with Phoneix's superstrip.

HTH

Tom

 

[Heather Kay]

Thanks Tom. I think the "pro" route sounds safest, though I don't mind the stench of Dettol!

 

[OzzyO]

try caustic soda. Oven cleaner. It may get the plastic so try some first. Worked well on Steve's dad's 15xx.

 

[Heather Kay]

try caustic soda. Oven cleaner. It may get the plastic so try some first. Worked well on Steve's dad's 15xx.

If the models were metal, I might go this route. As they're styrene mouldings, I think I'll play safe. I don't really want to tap Slater's for replacement bits if I can help it.

Thanks everyone! Very helpful.

 

[mth]

Heather,
I now use Nitro-mors.
infact i've just used some on a PRMRP 47

 

[OzzyO]

Caustic soda can work well on plastic kits! As a lot of the "paste" based strippers use it as the stripping base.

 

[Phill Dyson]

Heather,
I now use Nitro-mors.
infact i've just used some on a PRMRP 47

View attachment 32283

Works well for me too on metal, although I use the less toxic version which seems to work just as well. I wouldn't try using either on styrene though

 

[Heather Kay]

This is what requires stripping. As you can see, it defies adequate description.



I have ordered some Phoenix Superstrip.

 

[iploffy]

Good lord!!! And I thought my painting efforts were bad. How was that applied with a pallet knife, and the texture so very erm rough. Can I borrow it to rub down some coaches I have please

 

[Osgood]

Heather - that looks very much like a pioneering ANTI-GRAFFITI paint job!

I make no warranty on the following - but just this moment found it on a discussion on 1940s chevrolet pickup cab paint (don't ask…):

"If your really curious about it you can soak it in a pan of brake fluid and the old paint will just fall off revealing what ever is under it the process takes about a week but will not harm the metal and dont beleive it will affect the chrome either. I used this on old plasic models to strip laquer and enamel paints off with no damage to the plastic"​

Of course there is plastic, and there is plastic - but might be worth a try on a test piece?

Oh - and don't bother trying silicone brake fluid

 

[Eastsidepilot]

This is what requires stripping. As you can see, it defies adequate description.

Artex?


The only time I have stripped anything (well what I can mention here) was metal and I used cellulose, obviously not on plastic.

Col.

 

[TheSnapper]

Caustic soda can work well on plastic kits! As a lot of the "paste" based strippers use it as the stripping base.

Heather - I have sucessfully used Caustic Soda to strip a badly painted Slater's Palvan, which I bought on Ebay.

Just need to rinse well afterwards, to get rid of any residue.

Tim

 

[Adrian B.Swain]

Hi All Being the mean tyke that I am I have bought a lot of cheapo built wagon kits on ebay and in some cases the paintwork has been less than satisfactory!!!. I bought a very expensive bottle of plastic paint stripper which did not work particularly well and one of my EM group modellers told me not to waste my money (a bit late ! ) and use Mr Muscle oven cleaner. It's nasty stuff to use but boy does it work. I put the model in an old ice cream tub, give it a liberal spray of the foaming cleaner and put the lid back on for a few hours. DON'T get the stuff on your skin or in your eyes or up your nose, it is really bad for you. It washes off and does not seem to attack any of the plastics in general use, including Polyurethane resin. If you are not sure, try a small amount somewhere hidden. I have tried brake fluid and other methods in the past but this is by far the best and pretty cheap as well.
Regards all adrianbs

 

[djparkins]

Hi All Being the mean tyke that I am I have bought a lot of cheapo built wagon kits on ebay and in some cases the paintwork has been less than satisfactory!!!. I bought a very expensive bottle of plastic paint stripper which did not work particularly well and one of my EM group modellers told me not to waste my money (a bit late ! ) and use Mr Muscle oven cleaner. It's nasty stuff to use but boy does it work. I put the model in an old ice cream tub, give it a liberal spray of the foaming cleaner and put the lid back on for a few hours. DON'T get the stuff on your skin or in your eyes or up your nose, it is really bad for you. It washes off and does not seem to attack any of the plastics in general use, including Polyurethane resin. If you are not sure, try a small amount somewhere hidden. I have tried brake fluid and other methods in the past but this is by far the best and pretty cheap as well.
Regards all adrianbs

Adrian -

I thought you were THE original Mr. Muscle!

DJP

 

[Wagonman]

Oven cleaners are, like Model Strip, caustic soda mostly. Oven cleaner is probably the easiest. The model in the photo looks like it's been whitewashed!