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Degreasers as Strippers?


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I tried "Super Clean" and "Purple Power", and didn't find them to be very good for stripping paint. I am wondering now if these haven't changed, in an effort to become more eco-friendly? Is "Castrol Super Clean" really the same as "Super Clean"?

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I have no issues with Super Clean as a stripper, works great ,   works even better when it gets warm.

The Purple Power stuff is not as strong as SC, and is I guess you could say a knock off version of SC, now, SC is no longer being made my Castrol, SC is being made by SuperClean Brands,  a look at Castrol corp website and their products and there is no SC listed.   I have used both, and I have not noticed a difference between the two. 

Now what type of paint did you try and strip?,  SC is not great at stripping lacquer based paint,  although it will, it just takes a very long time,  when fresh, it will strip Tamiya TS paints.   Sometimes, you need to scuff the paint to help SC do its job, and in most cases, you have to actually scrub the parts you are trying to strip, did you do that ?

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A lot depends on the type of paint you're stripping.

Super Clean will take off hobby enamels & chrome in a matter of minutes!

Automotive Lacquers are tougher. It won't dissolve the paint, it actually dissolves the primer causing the paint to come off in sheets.

I've found that some flat paints are untouched for the most part. Flat black seems to be the worst, although there are others.

Personally, I have yet to find a better paint stripper than Super Clean.

It's easy to use, doesn't smell to high heaven & is easy to dispose of when exhausted.

 

Steve

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I have had good luck with Super Clean straight not diluted on most paints others I use brake fluid if the other does not work....some I have stripped were painted 40 years or more years ago.  Both seem to loose their strength over lots of time and cleanings and needs changed out with fresh stuff. 

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I have no issues with Super Clean as a stripper, works great ,   works even better when it gets warm.

The Purple Power stuff is not as strong as SC, and is I guess you could say a knock off version of SC, now, SC is no longer being made my Castrol, SC is being made by SuperClean Brands,  a look at Castrol corp website and their products and there is no SC listed.   I have used both, and I have not noticed a difference between the two. 

Now what type of paint did you try and strip?,  SC is not great at stripping lacquer based paint,  although it will, it just takes a very long time,  when fresh, it will strip Tamiya TS paints.   Sometimes, you need to scuff the paint to help SC do its job, and in most cases, you have to actually scrub the parts you are trying to strip, did you do that ?

I use nothing but lacquers... and that could be the problem right there...

A lot depends on the type of paint you're stripping.

Super Clean will take off hobby enamels & chrome in a matter of minutes!

Automotive Lacquers are tougher. It won't dissolve the paint, it actually dissolves the primer causing the paint to come off in sheets.

I've found that some flat paints are untouched for the most part. Flat black seems to be the worst, although there are others.

Personally, I have yet to find a better paint stripper than Super Clean.

It's easy to use, doesn't smell to high heaven & is easy to dispose of when exhausted.

Everything I airbrush is lacquer-based, and my blacks are frequently Duplicolor - more so the satin and gloss.

When all else fails, good ol' DOT-3 brake fluid!  Don't even think of using this stuff on resin though!

I'll have to give this one a try... nobody has mentioned Bleche-White... I know that works great on chrome, but how about paint?

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Well, I started off with straight Simple Green for a few days which was ok.

Then went to undiluted Super Clean which worked well but still left some fromage.

Finaled using 99% Isopropal with Q-Tips.

Plastic was in tact and pretty clean.

Paint stripped off part in question;

Tamiya white primer + Duplicolor sandable grey primer/scratch filler + Testors Metalizer.

The later came off fast, it was the primers, speficially Tamiya primer which was a real bugger.

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I have no issues with Super Clean as a stripper, works great ,   works even better when it gets warm.

The Purple Power stuff is not as strong as SC, and is I guess you could say a knock off version of SC, now, SC is no longer being made my Castrol, SC is being made by SuperClean Brands,  a look at Castrol corp website and their products and there is no SC listed.   I have used both, and I have not noticed a difference between the two. 

Now what type of paint did you try and strip?,  SC is not great at stripping lacquer based paint,  although it will, it just takes a very long time,  when fresh, it will strip Tamiya TS paints.   Sometimes, you need to scuff the paint to help SC do its job, and in most cases, you have to actually scrub the parts you are trying to strip, did you do that ?

I use nothing but lacquers... and that could be the problem right there...

A lot depends on the type of paint you're stripping.

Super Clean will take off hobby enamels & chrome in a matter of minutes!

Automotive Lacquers are tougher. It won't dissolve the paint, it actually dissolves the primer causing the paint to come off in sheets.

I've found that some flat paints are untouched for the most part. Flat black seems to be the worst, although there are others.

Personally, I have yet to find a better paint stripper than Super Clean.

It's easy to use, doesn't smell to high heaven & is easy to dispose of when exhausted.

Everything I airbrush is lacquer-based, and my blacks are frequently Duplicolor - more so the satin and gloss.

When all else fails, good ol' DOT-3 brake fluid!  Don't even think of using this stuff on resin though!

I'll have to give this one a try... nobody has mentioned Bleche-White... I know that works great on chrome, but how about paint?

I use nothing but lacquers as well.

I never have problems removing multiple layers of Dulpicolor & MCW lacquer & either Duplicolor or Testors clear coat.

It does take some time however. It won't happen over night with lacquer. Plan on a week or two to take it all off.

It helps to scratch up the surface of the paint in a few spots to help to get the solution under the paint to the primer.

The only problem I have with Super Clean is completely removing the primer on occasion

 

Steve.

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For stripping lacquers, you want to use 91% Isopropyl Alcohol,  keep in mind that brake fluid has been known to make plastic brittle. 

 

Scuffing paint with say 400 or 800 grit sand paper, or something like wool pad will help the stripping process , and this applies to using the purple cleaner, heat, it at all possible, set the container outside or in a garage , someplace that it gets warm, the heat speeds up the process.

Edited by martinfan5
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I have no issues with Super Clean as a stripper, works great ,   works even better when it gets warm.

The Purple Power stuff is not as strong as SC, and is I guess you could say a knock off version of SC, now, SC is no longer being made my Castrol, SC is being made by SuperClean Brands,  a look at Castrol corp website and their products and there is no SC listed.   I have used both, and I have not noticed a difference between the two. 

Now what type of paint did you try and strip?,  SC is not great at stripping lacquer based paint,  although it will, it just takes a very long time,  when fresh, it will strip Tamiya TS paints.   Sometimes, you need to scuff the paint to help SC do its job, and in most cases, you have to actually scrub the parts you are trying to strip, did you do that ?

I use nothing but lacquers... and that could be the problem right there...

A lot depends on the type of paint you're stripping.

Super Clean will take off hobby enamels & chrome in a matter of minutes!

Automotive Lacquers are tougher. It won't dissolve the paint, it actually dissolves the primer causing the paint to come off in sheets.

I've found that some flat paints are untouched for the most part. Flat black seems to be the worst, although there are others.

Personally, I have yet to find a better paint stripper than Super Clean.

It's easy to use, doesn't smell to high heaven & is easy to dispose of when exhausted.

Everything I airbrush is lacquer-based, and my blacks are frequently Duplicolor - more so the satin and gloss.

When all else fails, good ol' DOT-3 brake fluid!  Don't even think of using this stuff on resin though!

I'll have to give this one a try... nobody has mentioned Bleche-White... I know that works great on chrome, but how about paint?

I use nothing but lacquers as well.

I never have problems removing multiple layers of Dulpicolor & MCW lacquer & either Duplicolor or Testors clear coat.

It does take some time however. It won't happen over night with lacquer. Plan on a week or two to take it all off.

It helps to scratch up the surface of the paint in a few spots to help to get the solution under the paint to the primer.

The only problem I have with Super Clean is completely removing the primer on occasion.

Steve, I can see now that I was expecting it to work too quickly - thanks for the suggestions!

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I've been using a degreaser  that I get at a store named Smart & Final. $4.90 a gallon when you buy four. It works as good as SC and the same conditions apply. Use it warm.

Thanks for the suggestions!

Edited by fseva
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I took my model and container of Super Clean out to the garage, and in about the same time as the inside test, I was already seeing much more "removal" going on! Thanks for the "heat" tip, guys! Oh, and I have the hood to this car in a container with some Mag1 Dot 3 Brake Fluid... several hours have already gone by, and not much going on...

Edited by fseva
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I took my model and container of Super Clean out to the garage, and in about the same time as the inside test, I was already seeing much more "removal" going on! Thanks for the "heat" tip, guys! Oh, and I have the hood to this car in a container with some Mag1 Dot 3 Brake Fluid... several hours have already gone by, and not much going on...

Brake fluid takes quite a while too.

I haven't used it in years myself because it's kind of messy & I don't want to have to worry about disposing of it afterwards, but I never really seamed to have much luck with it myself.

Probably didn't let things soak long enough.

I have more patience now that I'm older. :)

 

Steve

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I took my model and container of Super Clean out to the garage, and in about the same time as the inside test, I was already seeing much more "removal" going on! Thanks for the "heat" tip, guys! Oh, and I have the hood to this car in a container with some Mag1 Dot 3 Brake Fluid... several hours have already gone by, and not much going on...

Brake fluid takes quite a while too.

I haven't used it in years myself because it's kind of messy & I don't want to have to worry about disposing of it afterwards, but I never really seamed to have much luck with it myself. Probably didn't let things soak long enough.

Steve, my test hood - overnight soak in Dot 3 Brake Fluid - looked like nothing happened... Took the hood out of the liquid and the paint was so soft, all it needed was a thumb-rubbing and a rinse and it's good-as-new! With the cost substantially higher than Super Clean and the problems you've stated of disposal, I can't see that I'll be using it that extensively, but it is nice to know how it works... and that it actually does work! B)

When all else fails, good ol' DOT-3 brake fluid! 

Art, just wanted to let you know that your tip worked! An overnight soak softened the paint so that with a little rubbing came right off to the bare plastic!

Thanks for the tip!

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I took my model and container of Super Clean out to the garage, and in about the same time as the inside test, I was already seeing much more "removal" going on! Thanks for the "heat" tip, guys! Oh, and I have the hood to this car in a container with some Mag1 Dot 3 Brake Fluid... several hours have already gone by, and not much going on...

Brake fluid takes quite a while too.

I haven't used it in years myself because it's kind of messy & I don't want to have to worry about disposing of it afterwards, but I never really seamed to have much luck with it myself. Probably didn't let things soak long enough.

Steve, my test hood - overnight soak in Dot 3 Brake Fluid - looked like nothing happened... Took the hood out of the liquid and the paint was so soft, all it needed was a thumb-rubbing and a rinse and it's good-as-new! With the cost substantially higher than Super Clean and the problems you've stated of disposal, I can't see that I'll be using it that extensively, but it is nice to know how it works... and that it actually does work! B)

When all else fails, good ol' DOT-3 brake fluid! 

Art, just wanted to let you know that your tip worked! An overnight soak softened the paint so that with a little rubbing came right off to the bare plastic!

Thanks for the tip!

DOT-3 brake fluid is reusable, just pour it back in the can.

Art

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I took my model and container of Super Clean out to the garage, and in about the same time as the inside test, I was already seeing much more "removal" going on! Thanks for the "heat" tip, guys! Oh, and I have the hood to this car in a container with some Mag1 Dot 3 Brake Fluid... several hours have already gone by, and not much going on...

Brake fluid takes quite a while too.

I haven't used it in years myself because it's kind of messy & I don't want to have to worry about disposing of it afterwards, but I never really seamed to have much luck with it myself. Probably didn't let things soak long enough.

Steve, my test hood - overnight soak in Dot 3 Brake Fluid - looked like nothing happened... Took the hood out of the liquid and the paint was so soft, all it needed was a thumb-rubbing and a rinse and it's good-as-new! With the cost substantially higher than Super Clean and the problems you've stated of disposal, I can't see that I'll be using it that extensively, but it is nice to know how it works... and that it actually does work! B)

When all else fails, good ol' DOT-3 brake fluid! 

Art, just wanted to let you know that your tip worked! An overnight soak softened the paint so that with a little rubbing came right off to the bare plastic!

Thanks for the tip!

DOT-3 brake fluid is reusable, just pour it back in the can.

Art

I understand that Art, but at some point you have to get rid of it.

Super Clean is reusable as well, but at some point, it gets very dirty & you need to refresh your stock.

With Super Clean, you can just dump it.

Just to be clear, I have no issues with using brake fluid, I just personally would rather not deal with it.

 

Steve

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