Brake Fluid Question

[Dys]

My Castrol Super clean wasn't able to strip off one of my projects so I opted to use brake fluid for the first time. Its working surprisingly well, however I'm noticing the surface of the body is sort of white and chalky now. For those that have used this method before how do you clean the body after you're done? Is soapy water enough? I've used a scrub brush and while the body is wet it seems fine. But once it dries its chalky again. What am I doing wrong? Or is this nothing to worry about? The other thing I noticed is the windshield is hazy/crazed to. All help is appreciated.

[Dave Van]

I scub after brake fluid with Dawn soap and got most of it. Try that.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Brake fluid has been recommended as a stripper for plastic for decades, but unfortunately, it attacks some plastics and does permanent damage...and you never know what it will destroy until it's too late.

Last time I stripped a vintage kit with the stuff, as I tried to clean the goop off it, it crumbled. Nothing salvageable.

So the answer is...there's no universal answer.

I'd try scrubbing the body with a toothbrush and an abrasive cleanser like Comet, then rinse very thoroughly, let it dry, see what you've got.

If it chalks up again, try wiping with 70% isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol).

Give it a little time, a couple days, and try to shoot a coat of good primer.

Your windshield, if it's crazed, is probably toast.

 

Edited July 30, 2024 by Ace-Garageguy
CLARITY

[stavanzer]

Ace is correct.

I have destroyed a couple of Older (1970's) Revell kits with brake fluid. It might have been that Revell's famously Bad plastic was the problem, but I cured me of Brake Fluid.

Have you tried L.A. Awesome, as a stripper?

[Bugatti Fan]

Your crazed windshield.  Try rubbing it right back with wet and dry abrasive papers to get under the crazing, that hopefully can be polished out afterwards. Try a car paint restoring polish or even toothpaste for this on it. It may be too far gone to do this, but worth a try if the crazing is just on the surface.

As for using brake fluid to strip paint from models, been there and got the tee shirt like some earlier posters. It's quite evil stuff health wise if not carefully used and best avoided if possible.

Edited July 30, 2024 by Bugatti Fan

[Nicholas]

I have been stripping my bodies lately with brake fluid, I use enemal  paint with Hardner, and it works well, after it comes out of the brake fluid spa. I touch it up at some 2000, 3000 grit sandpaper and then wash with Dawn dish detergent and scrub with a toothbrush prime and then paint never had any issues after.

Edited July 30, 2024 by Nicholas

[bobss396]

Brake fluid will turn conventional resin parts to mush. 

[StevenGuthmiller]

This is why I avoid brake fluid, and for that matter, alcohol as a stripper.

I've heard enough horror stories about them drying out the plastic, making it brittle.

Not worth the risk in my opinion.

 

 

 

 

Steve

[Mike 1017]

I use Easy Off, no problems so far. I wash it off with Purple Power and then wash it with Dawn. I don't use Brake Fluid because it is bad for the environment. What do you do with the used stuff? Put in back into the bottle then throw into the garbage? At least with Easy Off it dilutes with water. 

Mike

[Ace-Garageguy]

The PROBLEM with anecdotal "I do this and I do that and never had any problems" OR "it ruined everything" is that different strippers work differently on different paints and affect different plastics differently.

Anyone following threads like this would do well to read and compare as much as possible from multiple sources, apply some common sense and critical thinking, and proceed carefully when trying any particular stripper.

Don't be like Google's dumb AI that spouted "astronauts met cats on the moon, played with them, and provided care" after seeing it on the web somewhere.

Edited July 30, 2024 by Ace-Garageguy

[slusher]

,Alcohol is a good paint stripper and there is always Easy lift off you just brush it on no dipping. What are you stepping ?

[StevenGuthmiller]

6 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

The PROBLEM with anecdotal "I do this and I do that and never had any problems" OR "it ruined everything" is that different strippers work differently on different paints and affect different plastics differently.

Anyone following threads like this would do well to read and compare as much as possible from multiple sources, apply some common sense and critical thinking, and proceed carefully when trying any particular stripper.

Don't be like Google's dumb AI that spouted "astronauts met cats on the moon, played with them, and provided care" after seeing it on the web somewhere.

I agree.  There’s so much disinformation based on what people use for their particular circumstance, that might be completely useless in another circumstance. 

I always chuckle a little when I see people warring over materials commonly used for paint removal, (most often I see these geniuses on Facebook) when someone has tried unsuccessfully to strip paint with Super Clean, and inevitably you’ll get a dozen bozos suggesting Easy Off oven cleaner, like it’s gonna work any better.

If the Super Clean didn’t work, what good is another lye based product going to do?

I try to make people understand that a good majority of these products contain exactly the same active ingredients, although in varying amounts occasionally, but people inevitably retreat back into their corners and put their hands over their ears rather than understand the properties of the stuff their using.

It’s more important to them to have the absolute solution, whether it’s correct or not.

 

 

 

Steve

[Dys]

All, thank you for your responses. I was stripping 2 built MPC kits I had purchased in a big lot of build ups. One came out super clean and the other chalky. It's interesting because both annuals are from the same time period. My usual go to is Castrol Super Clean, over the years I've stripped automotive touch up paint with it many times without any problems. Unfortunately this time around it did nothing. I then tried alcohol and had the same results. My last ditch effort was the brake fluid since I had no idea what it was painted with. I have several other bodies currently pickling in the super clean and they are slowly coming around.

[Bills72sj]

3 hours ago, Dys said:

All, thank you for your responses. I was stripping 2 built MPC kits I had purchased in a big lot of build ups. One came out super clean and the other chalky. It's interesting because both annuals are from the same time period. My usual go to is Castrol Super Clean, over the years I've stripped automotive touch up paint with it many times without any problems. Unfortunately this time around it did nothing. I then tried alcohol and had the same results. My last ditch effort was the brake fluid since I had no idea what it was painted with. I have several other bodies currently pickling in the super clean and they are slowly coming around.

I have run into the same scenario on occasion. Super Clean always first. If it struggles, then brake fluid. Sometimes back and forth.

[bobss396]

I don't like messing with brake fluid, there are disposal concerns. By working with brake fluid for many years, I had developed an allergy to it, especially in summer. My fingers would break out in bumps. My partner at work at this time would get blood poisoning from it. This was before latex gloves were popular. NOBODY wore gloves unless they were using an air chisel.

[Bugatti Fan]

Sometimes you really have to look at some of those  built up and painted models done decades before from often unsophisticated clunky old kits and ask yourself, 'Is it really worth all the bother?' I gave up being a masochist trying to make silk purses from old kit sow's ears long ago.

Ironically though, I am still a bit of a masochist in some respects. I recently picked up a 3D printed body shell for a Mark 2 Lotus Cortina to make a model of the car I used to own back in the seventies. I am using (on recommendation) an Italeri (ex Esci) Ford Escort No 2 Rally car kit as a donor kit for the underpinnings and whatever else I can use from it etc. (Don't ask!). Had to extend the kit wheelbase to fit, so lots of fiddling about to do this, plus extensive other bits of scratch building involved.

Ah well, God loves a trier I have heard said !

Edited August 1, 2024 by Bugatti Fan

[stitchdup]

44 minutes ago, Bugatti Fan said:

Sometimes you really have to look at some of those  built up and painted models done decades before from often unsophisticated clunky old kits and ask yourself, 'Is it really worth all the bother?' I gave up being a masochist trying to make silk purses from old kit sow's ears long ago.

Ironically though, I am still a bit of a masochist in some respects. I recently picked up a 3D printed body shell for a Mark 2 Lotus Cortina to make a model of the car I used to own back in the seventies. I am using (on recommendation) an Italeri (ex Esci) Ford Escort No 2 Rally car kit as a donor kit for the underpinnings and whatever else I can use from it etc. (Don't ask!). Had to extend the kit wheelbase to fit, so lots of fiddling about to do this, plus extensive other bits of scratch building involved.

Ah well, God loves a trier I have heard said !

i have the same makers previous mk1 cortina and its awful. i should have some interior parts from it and his mk2 escort kicking about if they're any use to you

[Bugatti Fan]

Les, I bought the Mk2 Lotus Cortina body from Andy Swindlehurst at Telford a couple of years back. The shape wasn't too bad but the roof was a bit concave in the middle, but managed to sort it out. Lots of rubbing down though due to the 3D Print layering. I am pretty well on with all the scratch built parts for it already. Thanks very much for your generous offer of those parts but at the stage where I will not be needing anything more for my build. Unless you have a set of deep steel wheels with hub caps like Ford used to fit on the Mk1 and Mk2 Lotus Cortinas in 1/24th scale. I am looking at odd sets of wheels in my spares box to convert otherwise.

 

[Bainford]

2 hours ago, Bugatti Fan said:

. Unless you have a set of deep steel wheels with hub caps like Ford used to fit on the Mk1 and Mk2 Lotus Cortinas in 1/24th scale. I am looking at odd sets of wheels in my spares box to convert otherwise.

 

The Tamiya Lotus Super 7 has a set of wheels and hub caps that are very much like the Lotus Cortina wheels, except that they are too narrow. Widening them might be a bit of work but would make a pretty fair set of Cortina wheels. 

[peteski]

On 7/30/2024 at 8:00 PM, Dys said:

All, thank you for your responses. I was stripping 2 built MPC kits I had purchased in a big lot of build ups. One came out super clean and the other chalky. It's interesting because both annuals are from the same time period. My usual go to is Castrol Super Clean, over the years I've stripped automotive touch up paint with it many times without any problems. Unfortunately this time around it did nothing. I then tried alcohol and had the same results. My last ditch effort was the brake fluid since I had no idea what it was painted with. I have several other bodies currently pickling in the super clean and they are slowly coming around.

There is a lengthy "paint stripping" sticky thread in the FAQ section of the forum, and just by chance earlier today I was discussing brake fluid and other strippers along with they ability to strip various paints and compatibility with plastics and resin.

If you are interested go to that post ( https://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/topic/83153-paint-strippers-what-to-use/?do=findComment&comment=2906617  )  and also read few subsequent posts after it.

[Bugatti Fan]

Thanks for that wheel suggestion Trevor.

[stitchdup]

On 8/1/2024 at 11:11 PM, Bugatti Fan said:

Les, I bought the Mk2 Lotus Cortina body from Andy Swindlehurst at Telford a couple of years back. The shape wasn't too bad but the roof was a bit concave in the middle, but managed to sort it out. Lots of rubbing down though due to the 3D Print layering. I am pretty well on with all the scratch built parts for it already. Thanks very much for your generous offer of those parts but at the stage where I will not be needing anything more for my build. Unless you have a set of deep steel wheels with hub caps like Ford used to fit on the Mk1 and Mk2 Lotus Cortinas in 1/24th scale. I am looking at odd sets of wheels in my spares box to convert otherwise.

 

appologies for the late reply, motobitz had the lotus rims at one time or the wheels from the tamiya lotus 7 are close

[Bugatti Fan]

Thank you for the suggestions in your reply Les.

I will look up MotoBitz about the wheels as possibly the best option of buying a set separately.

The Tamiya Lotus 7 looks feasable, but a bit of an expensive option  just t rob the wheels from it !

[stitchdup]

2 hours ago, Bugatti Fan said:

Thank you for the suggestions in your reply Les.

I will look up MotoBitz about the wheels as possibly the best option of buying a set separately.

The Tamiya Lotus 7 looks feasable, but a bit of an expensive option  just t rob the wheels from it !

its currently less than 20 quid with the pe sheet. i think i paid 17.99 in jan at my local record shop

[Mike C]

I use this stuff from the Dollar store. Non toxic, no smell and strips off enamel paint.