Paint Strippers - What to Use?

[weasel]

+10 on the brake fluid, i've not had any luck with the 91%, brake fluid strips anything without hurting the plastic...

[iBorg]

First question, what is the paint on? If they're plastic or resin my approach changes. For resin I use regular Easy Off in the yellow can. Stinks to high heaven. After spraying it, I cover it with a plastic shoebox container which helps both with the fumes and the effectiveness of the stripper. Plastic requires a different approach. I use a combination of things. The big problem is some paints such as lacquer etch the plastic. There's nothing that will completely remove paint that has etched into the part and return the part to "As new" condition. I like Polly S Easy Lift Off but do not soak the part. ELO will harm the plastic if you let the part soak in it. I find 91% alcohol effective on some paint such as blacks and dark solids that ELO is ineffective on. Less than 91% won't work. Other options include commercial wax stripper, Castrol Super Clean (if you can find it in the gallon size) and Pine-Sol(don't waste your money on imitation pine cleaner). My last resort is oven cleaner for plastic. I've ruined one part too many with brake fluid and don't use it for paint removal.

Good luck and have fun!

Mike

[mackattack]

Alright thanks guys. If I were to use brake fluid which is the best kind to use. And I think i will give Pine sol a try since ive had luck removing enamels with it in the past.

[Marc @ MPC Motorsports]

Alright thanks guys. If I were to use brake fluid which is the best kind to use. And I think i will give Pine sol a try since ive had luck removing enamels with it in the past.

Go to the pharmacy section of Walmart and buy several bottles of 91% isopropol alcohol and a small tub to pour it into. Tamiya sprays are LACQUER, not enamel. Pine Sol will not work either. The alcohol should remove the Tamiya spray paint in a few hours. Be sure to keep the tub covered as the 91% is extremely flammable.

[weasel]

one thing aboot PineSol, IT WILL SOFTEN THE PLASTIC if left in the pond to long!!! trust me!! don't ask how i know!! lol

ANY dot3 brakefluid, the bigger/cheaper the better..and it WON'T harm the plastic... i've, um, forgotten about stuff for over a month and not hand any probs...remember, there's plastics in the brake system...

[trey]

I know a lot of people use simple green but it is not available to me does anyone know any other ways to do it.

[Longbox55]

Lots of different ways, in some cases it depends on what type of finish you are removing as what you would want to use. A short list of popular choices; ELO, Superclean, Purple Power, DOT3 brake fluid, oven cleaner, 91% alcohol (for hobby laquers), and aircraft stripper (for die cast). Other than ELO, any of these should be redily available at any department, hardware, auto parts, or farm stores.

[Rider]

Heavy Duty Easy-Off in the yellow container, don't get the aerosol can the fumes are WAY too much. Fastest way I've found plus it removes chrome in about 10-15min. You can get it in a pump bottle.

[trey]

Heavy Duty Easy-Off in the yellow container, don't get the aerosol can the fumes are WAY too much. Fastest way I've found plus it removes chrome in about 10-15min. You can get it in a pump bottle.

thanks i know i can find easy off and break fluid anywhere

[twistedswift]

i use some stuff called LAs awesome orange from the dollar tree 64oz for a buck and i have had great luck with it like over night and most all paint is gone

i just use a plastic shoe box with a lid and it work's great.

[CustomFerrari]

I'm using simple yellow hehehehe

[Flo]

Heavy Duty Easy-Off in the yellow container, don't get the aerosol can the fumes are WAY too much. Fastest way I've found plus it removes chrome in about 10-15min. You can get it in a pump bottle.

Easy-Off comes in a "Fume Free"

..Lemony scent

[charlie8575]

Strippers in my order of preference:

1. Super Clean or any of the purple products, they're all about the same chemically.

2. Oven cleaner.

3. Whestley's Bleche-Wite whitewall cleaner.

For removing chrome, I like plain old bleach in a small glass jar. Works in less than ten minutes.

Charlie Larkin

[Mark Brown]

Strippers in my order of preference:

1. Super Clean or any of the purple products, they're all about the same chemically.

2. Oven cleaner.

3. Whestley's Bleche-Wite whitewall cleaner.

For removing chrome, I like plain old bleach in a small glass jar. Works in less than ten minutes.

Charlie Larkin

I'm with you, Charlie - Castrol Super Clean has rarely let me down, and in my experience, if CSC doesn't get it, nothing will.

Automotive paint (Duplicolor) is nearly impossible to remove, and black/flat black is very tough. Typical modeling spray paint generally comes off in sheets, which can be pretty neat to see.

CSC is also my favorite for chrome removal.

One thing I've noticed about CSC is that it does lose its ability over time, and getting water in it - even small amounts - can compromise its ability as well. So I replace the CSC in my stripping container (plastic shoebox) periodically, when I notice that it's taking longer than usual or not completely doing the job.

[route66modeler]

HI, Straight household bleach works on enamel and chrome. Around 1.00/gallon, cheapest stripper I've used. Steve

[MikeMc]

I shoot duplacolor , always over primer and if fresh DOT3 does not work then 91%alcohol will work.

A plastic snap lid container will work wonders.

After 12 hours scuff it with a green pad and recover the container.

MAKE SURE IT IS UNDER THE LIQUID!!!!!

I find 12 to 36 hours are needed.

[spkgibson]

It depends what you're stripping, and from what.

Castrol Super Clean (or eq.) works on hobby enamels.

91+% Alcohol works on hobby lacquers (Tamiya/Testors) and some automotive paints, especially if the auto paints are shot over primer

Easy Lift-Off works on most things, but is pretty slow/expensive/harder to find. I use it as a last resort for those reasons.

Other things (lacquer thinner, oven cleaner) fall into the same category. I'll use them after other methods fail, with the knowledge I may do more harm than good. Don't get "fume free" oven cleaner, by the way...it doesn't do much.

Aircraft stripper works great...but will melt plastic. Diecasts? Strips them in seconds.

Lacquer Thinner?Don't ever use that on plastic,Period,You might as well just soak you parts in liquid cement,I use a product called Scale Coat,It works great on stripping ANY type of paint,Here is an example!Before and After.

Edited July 8, 2010 by spkgibson

[jw78z28]

be careful with the brake fluid. i tryed that once nobody told me it will remove bondo to, so back in the box it went.

[Mark Brown]

be careful with the brake fluid. i tryed that once nobody told me it will remove bondo to, so back in the box it went.

Yeah, if you're going to strip paint over bodywork, it almost has to be a last resort, since you stand a pretty good chance of losing your filler. One reason I like to use plastic to fill whenever I can. Partially for that reason, I've learned to handle most filler tasks using Ambroid and scrap plastic or stretched sprue.

[jon halt]

hi i have a 71 duster im working on and i sprayed it with waterbased paints then cleared it with rustoleum clear but when i wetsanded it took chunks of paint off on the roof so i sanded alot of the roof back down to the primerr and the plastic but is there an easier way. i know you can use oven cleaner and brakefluid but what would be the easiest and safest for the body? any help would be great.

[DRG]

I have used brake fluid with great results, no damage to model at all

[935k3]

If it was Rustoleum Laquer Clear try using 91% Alcohol. If it was there regular Enamel Clear try using EASY-OFF oven cleaner(yellow can only), and keep the Oven cleaner off your hands by using good heavy latex gloves(the yellow ones).

[Rider]

As was said, Easy Off oven cleaner works best for me, Castrol Super Clean aslo works well. The oven cleaner comes in a pump bottle which avoids the fumes of the spray can.

[DWR]

I have tried Super Clean with no luck, I am not sure what type of paint is on the body but the Super Clean barely moved it. Does the oven cleaner do any damage to the paint? especially if i have tried Super Clean and alchohol with no luck. I want to make sure using a 3rd product doesnt hurt the body

[W-409]

If you are going to test brake fluid, be very careful. It's pretty heavy stuff and it can destroy the body easily... I have been using MR Muscle for a long time. That's pretty good stuff, but it did nothing to my Corvette. Now Corvette has been in Fairy Power spray about one week, nothing happened. Many people says that Power Spray is very good stuff, but I'm not sure about it, because first model, wich I try, it didn't strip the paint at all. MR Muscle is very good, that is maybe the best choice for this...