Bobdude Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 How important is it to remove the lacquer undercoat when a person strips chrome? Pertaining to recoating with paint or something else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 Very important! Look at the difference in these wheels: Before: After: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roncla Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 Very important! Look at the difference in these wheels: Before: After: This exactly why I always remove it. I don't know why it has to be put on so thick by the manufactures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruz Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 Nothing like sharing your thoughts and answers accompanied by photos! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lunajammer Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 Okay, so how do you remove the lacquer? Doesn't it become one with the plastic itself? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Kucaba Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 Use your favorite paint stripper. Super clean,91% alcohol,easy off,dawn power dissolver,Elo....epsom salt..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deathgoblin Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 Brake fluid works pretty good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 Okay, so how do you remove the lacquer? Doesn't it become one with the plastic itself? The wheels in the photo were stripped with LA's Totally Awesome. It works tons better than Purple Power or Castrol Super Clean. I never had any luck with either of those when it came to stripping the clear coat under chrome. Here's a photo of parts (except the engine and exhaust) that were painted black (Testors enamel) many years ago and stripped recently with the LA's Totally Awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lunajammer Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 Good info Plowboy. I think I've used most of the stuff mentioned above, but nothing really got after lacquer very well once it's etched into the plastic the way I would have expected the chrome undercoat would do. I'll look into your suggestion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casey Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 Good info Plowboy. I think I've used most of the stuff mentioned above, but nothing really got after lacquer very well once it's etched into the plastic the way I would have expected the chrome undercoat would do. I'll look into your suggestion. I've never seen the undercoat (whatever it is, not totally sure it's a lacquer based product to be honest) etch itself nor become one with the styrene, but 24 hours soaking in Easy Off oven cleaner has always removed it for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemodeler Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 Where does one find LA Totally Awesome? Can't say that I have heard of that product before. Inquiring minds need to know! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cchapman195 Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 I buy my LA Totally Awesome at any Dollar Tree, All A Dollar, etc... 32 fl oz is a dollar and 1/2 gallon is 3 dollars. Works great for stripping anything fast. I did 2 old bodies in 1 day. Great stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobdude Posted June 11, 2012 Author Share Posted June 11, 2012 Thanks for recommending LA Awesome. It truly is. Even though,in Connecticut the bottle is 20 oz. it still is a bargain for a buck plus tax. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art Anderson Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 There are two basic techniques used for applying the "non-penetrating" lacquer base coatings for vacuum metalizing (the process by which microthin aluminum is deposited on plastic for that "chrome look": Spraying and flow-coating. Years ago, when the Chevy Rallye wheels pictured above were plated, the base coat was most likely applied with a production spray gun. Flow coating is done by running chrome parts trees under a literal "waterfall" of very thinned lacquer, the parts trees being allowed to drain uniformly (not possible with the older spray gun technique (it's pretty much what all model companies use today, BTW). Either way, that clear basecoat is what makes model car chrome really shiny. Art Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 Years ago, when the Chevy Rallye wheels pictured above were plated, the base coat was most likely applied with a production spray gun. Art That's not a Chevy ralley wheel. It's a '65 GTO ralley wheel. Huge difference between those two wheels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art Anderson Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 That's not a Chevy ralley wheel. It's a '65 GTO ralley wheel. Huge difference between those two wheels. OK, so my bad; but the principle of what I wrote stays the same. Art Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danno Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 That's not a Chevy ralley wheel. It's a '65 GTO ralley wheel. Huge difference between those two wheels. Well, not a HUGE difference. They're both round. They both hold tires onto a car. There's more, but ... well ... you know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Wann Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 I make certain the clear coat is removed before I attempt to resin cast a part. The clear coat will cover up good detail that needs to be in the new mold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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