Alternative To Westlys Blech-white???

[mademan]

I have searched the forum, as well as a few others, trying to find an alternative to westlys blech-white,with no luck.

I have checked every Walmart, canadian tire, tire supply store, everywhere, and no one here( saskatchewan, canada) has it. Im sitting on ALOT of resin stuff that I have purchased to build, but am unable to until I track down some of this stuff.

As usuall ANY help is much appretiated.

thx,

Mike

p.s heres a sneak of some of the resins I will be tackling soon...... yes im a cadillac nut

[mademan]

anyone?

[Zoom Zoom]

Personally I've had resin that Westley's didn't remove all the mold release. Easy Off heavy-duty oven cleaner works wonders. It's nasty stuff, but it will make your models squeaky clean and able to be painted properly.

[mademan]

As long as you don't think of or accuse me of being a "know-it-all" again for providing this info, I can say that Jimmy Flintstone recommends isopropyl alcohol to clean the resin parts he makes. I've used the 70% isopropyl on his resin & it's worked quite well, but I don't know how well it will work on other resin.

Andy Martin, (Modelmartin/Aardvark Models), recommends a good tar & bug remover you can find at most auto parts stores or a paint prep product such as Prep-Sol, (which may not be available in Canada, I don't know), for cleaning his resin parts.

Along with the Easy Off, (or an equivalent), that Bob mentioned, there's a few possible alternatives to Westley's Blech-White you might want to investigate.

I hope this info helps & I certainly do hope I wasn't a "know-it-all" in posting it.

Thanks very much! I really appretiate it. now I gotta get down with the testing!

[Biscuitbuilder]

Thanks very much! I really appretiate it. now I gotta get down with the testing!

Westley's Bleche White is little more than a liquid trisodium phosphate solution (TSP). TSP is a phosphate detergent, used a lot in furniture refinishing, as well as household cleaners. Check your local supermarket for "Spic and Span", an old-line powdered cleaning detergent--this is almost pure TSP, and a strong solution of it should do the trick for you as well.

Another option is Naptha, which is a paint thinner (also cigarette lighter fluid!), that just about any paint store, or paint department of a home improvement store (or even Walmart!) carries. It degreases resin like "RIGHT NOW", and short dunks of resin into it won't hurt the resin either. This does need to be used in an area AWAY from open flame, preferably outdoors.

Biscuitbuilder

[Ettore]

Everything mentioned above is toxic. Wear rubber gloves and old clothes and wash afterwards. And as Art mentions, use outdoors. Ettore

[mademan]

thanks everyone for the help! I will be going on a hunting excursion monday to gather up some supplies, so ill check around for some of the listed products.

[monkeyclaw]

As a caster myself; I do not use any release agents when making parts; and I only recommend the use of an agent such as PREP-SOL for pre-cleaning resin parts. As a life long painter; this product has served me well...easy to use ...wipe on...wipe off....you can find this product at an auto paint store; and a quart can last for years! I don't do immersion cleaning on any resin; unlike plastic parts; the resins may have micro pores that will hold moisture; even when you think the parts have sufficiently dried to paint....my 2 cents........matt

[Canada Jeff]

A ready-made liquid TSP solution in a spray bottle can usually be found at Home-Despot type stores in the paint section. I've had good results with it so far, and the same 1L bottle has lasted me for a few years now.

And yes, it is nasty stuff so wear gloves, and if you spray it on, wear a mask.

I've searched far and wide for Westly's Belch-White and have never seen it either. Maybe they don't ship to Canada?

[PatRedmond]

This is how it's packaged in Canada....

Simoniz Tire Cleaner

Available at Cdn Tire, Zellers, W*Mart.

[peter31a]

Last year coming back from NNL East we stopped in Watertown before crossing the border. Five of us trooped into an auto parts store and bought a least 2 bottles of Westley's each. I'm sure the clerk must have wondered what the sudden run on Bleche White was all about.

[kitbash1]

Have you tried a product call SimpleGreen? You can get this cleaner at Canadian Tire, Wal-Mart or NAPA stores. I use it to clean resin body's and parts as well as strip paint from plastic. Soak parts overnite and clean with an old tooth brush. Strips paint after soaking one or two days. Old paint comes off with a little help from Mr. Tooth brush.

P.S. I see your in Saskatchewan, were abouts are you? I've got relatives in Glaslin outside of North Battleford.

Edited March 7, 2008 by kitbash1

[mademan]

Have you tried a product call SimpleGreen? You can get this cleaner at Canadian Tire, Wal-Mart or NAPA stores. I use it to clean resin body's and parts as well as strip paint from plastic. Soak parts overnite and clean with an old tooth brush. Strips paint after soaking one or two days. Old paint comes off with a little help from Mr. Tooth brush.

P.S. I see your in Saskatchewan, were abouts are you? I've got relatives in Glaslin outside of North Battleford.

Ill have to try some simple green! thx.

also- Im in Prince Albert. about 2.5 hours or so away from Battleford.