A Good Paint Stipper..My Kingdom For a Good Paint Stripper

[69NovaYenko]

After search the forum and reading several past post on paint strippers I still have several questions.

My original go to stripper has been Testors ELO. GREAT stuff. Gets the job done quickly and doesn't harm the plastic. 

The only time it did was when I had a body in the dip tank (Tupperware tube) filled with ELO and forgot to take it out before leaving for a two week vacation. Upon returning I discovered the body was now a gooey white lump of dissolved plastic on the bottom of the dip tank.

My ELO stash is nearly depleted & I`ve been told Testors  stopped making it. So I`m looking for a new go to stripper.

I`ve done Ez-Off,  but found the fums and over-spray  messy not to mention having to suit up in gloves and respirator. 

Brake Fluid was just an oily mess and it`s slooooow to work. Not to mention, It works best on enamel and painfully slowly on lacquer..if at all.

What is best stripper for removing lacquer paint without damaging plastic.

Has anyone tried Scalecoat paint stripper.

I`m open to suggestions and input.

Thanks

 

 

 

[Straightliner59]

I use Super Clean, generally. If you lightly sand through the lacquer, SC will flow under the paint and soften the primer,  and usually the paint and primer will just slough off. In instances where the SC doesn't work,  I have had success with 91% alcohol.

 

[SfanGoch]

trainmastermodels.com has ELO.

[Dave Van]

Citri-strip works for me....even die cast

[showrods]

I've used Scalecoat.  It has a strong smell and you will need to use it outside.  You'll also need rubber gloves, maybe a respirator and perhaps a stiff bristle bush for anything stubborn.  Worked great on the vintage kits that I was working on and never harmed the plastic.

To that end, you might be better served to try to get the ELO from the source mentioned above.

[StevenGuthmiller]

I've had very good luck with Super Clean, but a lot depends on the primer that you use.

I use Duplicolor primer, and as Daniel said, the primer will dissolve and the lacquer paint will come off in sheets.

My understanding is that it doesn't work as well with Tamiya primer, but that has no affect on me.

I don't use Tamiya primer.

 

 

 

 

 

Steve

 

 

[NOBLNG]

25 minutes ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

My understanding is that it doesn't work as well with Tamiya primer, but that has no affect on me.

 

It sure doesn’t work well on Tamiya primer or their laquers.

[69NovaYenko]

2 hours ago, SfanGoch said:

trainmastermodels.com has ELO.

SfanGoch MANY thanks for a source for my beloved ELO!?

[StevenGuthmiller]

3 minutes ago, NOBLNG said:

It sure doesn’t work well on Tamiya primer or their laquers.

I’ll bet it would work just fine on Tamiya lacquer if you used a different primer. 
 

Steve

[Bucky]

I didn't much like using EasyOff. Too messy for me. I used brake fluid for several years, and had good results. But, for the past four or five years, I've been dunking them in the Super Clean. I removed some unidentifiable gold paint from a '67 Cougar gluebomb with Super Clean, and it came out looking as if it hadn't been painted at all.

[69NovaYenko]

Haven't had an opportunity to use Super Clean but, I have tried Purple Power and was not impressed with its stripping power.

[69NovaYenko]

Wow.. StevenGuthmiller I`ve never seen paint come off like that before..its like a snake shedding it skin.

[69NovaYenko]

So if I`m understanding this correctly...certain strippers work better on stripping certain brands (Tamiya-Testors etc) as well as types (enamel-ayrclic-laqure-acyrlic laqure etc.) of paints.

 

[NOBLNG]

56 minutes ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

I’ll bet it would work just fine on Tamiya lacquer if you used a different primer. 
 

Steve

Maybe, but I have a lot of primer and I’ve just recently learned that it’s possible to calculate the exact parameters of the perfect paint job….so I will never need to strip again.?

Edited November 12, 2021 by NOBLNG

[StevenGuthmiller]

1 hour ago, 69NovaYenko said:

Haven't had an opportunity to use Super Clean but, I have tried Purple Power and was not impressed with its stripping power.

Super Clean is better.

Trust me.

I've used them both.

 

 

1 hour ago, 69NovaYenko said:

Wow.. StevenGuthmiller I`ve never seen paint come off like that before..its like a snake shedding it skin.

That's about 4 coats of color and 5 coats of clear, all automotive lacquers.

As I said, with the right primer underneath, you can strip pretty much anything with Super Clean.

 

 

 

Steve

[StevenGuthmiller]

20 minutes ago, NOBLNG said:

Maybe, but I have a lot of primer and I’ve just recently learned that it’s possible to calculate the exact parameters of the perfect paint job….so I will never need to strip again.?

 

 

 

 

Steve

[peteski]

There is no magical strip-all stripping solution.  I mention that every time when someone says "brand X is the best stripper".  Neah.  Different paints respond differently to different strippers.  I have about half a dozen different strippers in my stripping arsenal.

As far as Scalecoat Wash Away Paint remover, going by smell, it is similar to ELO.  I recall that a label on one of my older ELO bottles listed ingredients, and the main ingredient is a chemical related to the DOT3 brake fluid.  Slightly different, but in the same family (going by its name).  Scalecoat works well, but I would never leave anything immersed in it for a long time,and besides, that is not what the instructions tell you to do. Probably for a good reason.  Also be very careful using ELO or Scalecoat on any Urethane resin castings.

[Classicgas]

Two that work well for me, Easy Off oven cleaner, yellow can, and 91% isopropyl alcohol. Has to be 91% or higher.

[Rocking Rodney Rat]

I use Easy Off oven cleaner in the yellow can. Works especially well on chrome. It stinks, will take your skin off, but that's half of the fun! Gloves, respirator? Bah!!!! -RRR 

[Michael jones]

One that works quite well for stripping paint from plastic is mr levelling thinner. Brush it on or dunk it for smaller parts. If you have just painted the part and you don't like it, this stuff will take it off very fast. No ill affects to the plastic so far (mostly Tamiya/Aoshima/Fujimi plastic but also some Mistercraft too...

[peteski]

22 hours ago, 69NovaYenko said:

After search the forum and reading several past post on paint strippers I still have several questions.

Several past posts?  How did you miss the huge strippers thread (pinned in the Q&A section) with hundreds of very helpful, and not so helpful posts, where you can find info on about pretty much all plastic-safe strippers ever manufactured (and even about somoe home-brewed ones).  Why start yet another stripper thread?  I adimit that I did post a message in your thread, but upon reflection, I really don't see how yet another thread rehashing strippers  will be of any use.

Dude, post your question in the strippers thread.

 

[Mike C.]

I'm sure I'm not the only one to notice this but regular Simple Green doesn't seem to work anymore. It seemed to be the best thing some years ago. spic n span (now mr. clean)seems to still work to de-chrome plastic items but I cant seem to find that super clean stuff. I've been told Castrol doesn't make it anymore.

[NOBLNG]

6 minutes ago, Mike C. said:

I've been told Castrol doesn't make it anymore.

I just bought a gallon a couple weeks ago at Canadian Tire.

[Mike C.]

4 minutes ago, NOBLNG said:

I just bought a gallon a couple weeks ago at Canadian Tire.

Was it made by Castrol? I think they sold it to another company or something.

[NOBLNG]

It says SuperClean Brands, LLC