What can be used to remove the clear coat that is applied under chrome plating?

[Dr Plastic]

I have never in 47 years of modeling had a problem removing this stuff.....I have soaked my clear parts from the new reissue of the AMT Ohio George '33 Willys Gasser kit in oven cleaner overnight. The chrome came off OK but that insidious clear gloss paint that is applied prior to the chroming process that gives chrome plating that sparkle, refuses to budge! What do you guys to remove this stuff with out destroying the parts?

I have tried Tamiya thinner, Diosol, Testors Airbrush thinner......nothing penetrates this stuff!

Any hints or help is greatly appreciated!

Scott

Edited March 6, 2014 by Dr Plastic

[horsepower]

I have had luck with blue fingernail polish remover, but don't leave it in for a long period. You can also use 91% isopropyl alcohol, or denatured alcohol. I've also used the ole"purple bath" but that depends on what the company used for a base.

[lanesteele240]

Dr plastic. You must post in the correct area. We have a question and tip section below.

This one is for works in progress

Your answer

One would be a good oven cleaner

Or bleach

Or break fluid

[Ace-Garageguy]

EasyOff spray smelly toxic oven cleaner. Guaranteed. Wear rubber gloves. Spray it on, put the parts in a plastic bag for a few minutes. Wash everything off with hot water, Comet abrasive cleanser and a toothbrush.

Did I say guaranteed?

[High octane]

Somebody said that 91% alcohol works also.

[sak]

Said this before but.... why remove it? Scuff it a little and prime right over it. Thats what I do and my alclad turns out great. If all those chemicals won't cut through it, no hobby paint will a effect either.

[slusher]

The older purple power removed it for me but the new stuff is not as strong. Brake fluid and old fumed easy off should do it like Bill said. The fume free easy off is not strong...

[Casey]

EasyOff spray smelly toxic oven cleaner. Guaranteed.

Whatever was used in AMT kits over the last decade is stubborn stuff. I recently tried to remove the undercoating on the chrome-plated parts in the '02 issue of the Ford C-600 Stakebed kit, and it was anything but easy, much less a guarantee when using Easy Off in the yellow can. I'm talking multiple, fresh dousings, too, each followed by a toothbrush scrub and picking at the stuff with toothpicks.

If the clear coat doesn't obscure details, I would also leave it in place.

[Ace-Garageguy]

I retract my "guaranteed" statement about the smelly EasyOff in light of Casey's experience. It's just always worked for me. Then again, the majority of chrome I've stripped has been from much older kits than '02.

Putting a heavy coat on the parts, and bagging them so the remover stays WET for a long time, and keeping everything WARM enhances the results.

It also works well for stripping multiple coats of paint in far fewer applications of stripper.

Edited March 7, 2014 by Ace-Garageguy

[Guest]

If you want to take this.....

and turn it into this.....

get yourself a half gallon jug of LA's Totally Awesome cleaner. I buy it at my local Dollar General Store. DO NOT buy it in the spray bottle as it is diluted 50%. The jug is the concentrate and costs around $4. It works especially fast when fresh. Performance will eventually drop off the more it is used. I don't know how well it works on the new stuff since I haven't stripped any chrome or clear from newer parts. This was a '65 GTO wheel from the last issue.

[Dr Plastic]

Said this before but.... why remove it? Scuff it a little and prime right over it. Thats what I do and my alclad turns out great. If all those chemicals won't cut through it, no hobby paint will a effect either.

The clear coat is so thick that it is hiding fine detail like attachment hardware and is pooled in all the corners. I have one valve cover cleaned up and the detail is Tamiya-esque! Nice and crisp. Beautiful.

[twopaws]

i've had great luck with Westley's Bleach White might give that a try.

[Force]

Westley's is apperently called Black Magic nowadays...the bottle and lable is still the same but a Black Magic logo has replaced the Westley's logo...and it's supposed to be the same stuff.
I looked to buy some at Pep Boys and other automotive stores in the L.A.area when I was there last but all I could find was the Black Magic stuff.

I don't remove chrome plating that often but when I have done it I have used the old Castrol Super Clean formula, I still have a couple of 1 gallon juggs left from some years ago, and it took away the chrome plating in a few minutes and the underlaying clear base in a couple of hours.

Edited March 9, 2014 by Force