I just thought I'd post this, not to reopen the much talked about methods to strip paint, but just to talk about the experience I'm having.
I'm in the process of stripping some Athearn streamline passenger cars, and a couple of Athearn F7 A/B sets for a project I've put off for years.
The threads of AntonioF45, and from Ed, gmpullman, has piqued my interest in using Alclad finishes. I've wanted to build a custom passenger train for years, so I have decided to get the project going, as if I need another project!
While attempting to strip said Athearn cars and locos, I've learned that Athearn must have used a variety of finishes.
Some paint comes right off with the Super Clean soaking, some, not so much.
One of the loco sets I'm stripping was factory painted the gold and black for the D&RGW. The locos DO NOT want to give up that color!
After a week in Super Clean, I've now moved on the 91% alcohol, and it's just starting to work, slowly.
Same with the Athearn F7 A/B factory painted in the MILW gray with orange stripping, the orange stripping started to let go with the Super Clean, but doesn't touch the gray. Alcohol is hardly making a difference, just starting to slighly let the gray color go.
This has turned out to be more of a job than I originally thought.
It is recomended that ALL of the paint be removed before continueing with the Alclad primer and finish.
Well, just as an option, I have since purchased some undecorated locos, to keep the project going.
Passenger cars haven't been too bad to strip. I have noticed that some cars were made with a gray silverish type plastic, but gives up the paint fairly easy.
I'll shut up now, just thought I'd pass on what I'm experiencing striping paint, as this topic seems to come up often enough.
Thanks for listening,
Mike.
My You Tube
I would believe that manufacturers (particularly common outsource plants) may change or use different paint formulae over product runs.In general if the 91 alcohol bath doesn't work for me (and it often doesn't), then I use ELO paint removed, which if you leave it to soak for a while normally does the job pretty well (it is pricey, but somewhat reusable).Now, lots of guys on the YouTube Matchbox/Hot Wheels restorer site use "Aircraft Paint Remover" which seems to work great...on diecast pieces. They usually caution against using it on plastic part, presumably because it will melt/distort many types of plastic. In the past I experimented using E-Z Off on plastic items, and the plastic did distort. Ugh.And yes, bare plastic finish before the gloss undercoat/alclad paint route.
Funny how we all have different experiences. Last year, I was attempting to weather an Athearn RTR 20,900 gallon tank car. Had a snafu and needed to strip it down and start over. I disassembled the tank car and put the tank and parts in a zip lock bag and filled the bag with 91% isopropyl alcohol until everything was submerged. After 24 hours, the paint (and outer layer of dullcoat) basically fell off with little effort. The isopropyl alcohol worked so well, it also removed glue holding parts together that I thought were one piece.
Just like using MicroSol to remove reporting marks. On several occasions, I've had zero success in removing lettering from rolling stock using MicroSol. It has softened/distorted/removed the paint around the reporting marks, but the reporting marks stand tall.
Terry
Inspired by Addiction
See more on my YouTube Channel
Hello all,
I've had great luck with full strength PineSol® in a zip-top freezer bag.
Pressing the air out and put it in a loaf or mud pan- -incase of leakage.
I use Nitrile gloves when handling the items. The full strength solution can be rough on hands.
Then I rinse the item frequently under running warm water, using a toothbrush to scrub off any difficult sections.
Depending on the paint it might takes several changes of solution and scrubbings.
Hope this helps.
"Uhh...I didn’t know it was 'impossible' I just made it work...sorry"
I had similar experience to the OP with some BB heavyweight cars. Some did better in dennatured alcohol, some with SuperClean. Some stubborn with either.
As someone mentioned in another thread, it can be a mistake to use the SuperClean in those disposable aluminum cooking trays (unless you want a real clean workbench the next morning). I second Mel's recommendation of the mud pan. I found a nice stainless one (not too big) at Home Depot that is "just right".
Paul
Modeling HO with a transition era UP bent
peahrensit can be a mistake to use the SuperClean in those disposable aluminum cooking trays
Yep, that was me Luckily I had placed the pan in the wash tubs, not being sure of what might happen, so mess avoided.
peahrens I second Mel's recommendation of the mud pan. I found a nice stainless one (not too big) at Home Depot that is "just right".
I've got to get one of those, it's a great Idea! I was eyeballing one of the wife's glass baking dishes that she "hardly ever uses", and was immediately threatened with my life!
Another thing I'm learning here, cover the pan, or place items in a plastic bag and seal.
mbinsewi While attempting to strip said Athearn cars and locos, I've learned that Athearn must have used a variety of finishes.
This is one of my biggest take-away's from stripping model trains.
I recently removed the markings from 21 apparently-identical silver Tyco "Viriginan" hoppers. Some came right off, some wouldn't budge without sandpaler, some came off eventually but took the base color with it, and a couple the base layer of paint came right up before I had a chance to react.
It's a crapshoot, but luckily eventually something usually works.
Visit the Chicago Valley Railroad for Chicago Trainspotting and Budget Model Railroading.
Mike
It must be something in the gold paint. I too have an Athearn box car painted in a metallic gold soaking in Super Clean trying to get the paint to let go. It's been in there for several weeks now and still no joy. All of the lettering and trim color came off after only a couple of days but the gold just won't budge. It has discolored a bit but nothing more. You can scrub on it all day with a toothbrush and still nothing.
Hornblower
I finally got the D&RGW gold off by soaking in 91% alcohol. Try that.
Most paint on older Athearn and MDC cars comes off very easily in methyl hydrate. Commonly used as a thinner for shellac at one time, it's readily available and not expensive. Do, however, wear nitrile gloves when using it, as it's readily absorbed through the skin, and does evapourate fairly quickly if not kept covered.
This new-in-the-box caboose had languished on a shelf many years before I got it...
...but after only a few minutes in methyl hydrate, began to shed its orange skin...
On many of the newer paints, it's not so effective, and on some, not effective at all.
Here's the same caboose after a little TLC...
Wayne
I have removed the paint from dozens of models, and I really thought I was an expert up until recently.
.
Two models made me want to pull my hair out.
The first was a Walthers Circus Train Vernon Flat Car that was painted orange. Absolutely nothing would make the lettering or paint come off of this car.
Then there was the Oriental Powerhouse Mikado painted brass. That brass colored paint was so stubborn. I finally soaked it in DOT 3 for two days, and the paint gave up with Brake Cleaner being sprayed onto it.
You cannot do that to plastic! It worked on the cast metal boiler.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
I have alway's had good luck with E L O ( easy lift off ) a Testor's product.
A few months ago, I ran out of ELO, and tried Purple power ( because I couldnt get any ELO ) Purple Power does work, you just have to let it soak for a few day's..... then scrub with a toothbrush.
Rust...... It's a good thing !
And then there was little old me trying to get a load unglued from a open top gon.
I took a little bit (eye dropper) of isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol, and, left it on the glue joint for about 5 minutes. (Most evaporated by that time...) The glue joints on most of the load were lose, so I applied just a bit more, and was working on the wet joint, and got it to pop free.
I then took a damp paper towel to wipe off the remaining residue... Bad idea.
The remaining residue came right off, but so did all the paint inside the gon!
Must have been a cheap paint job!
So, I am now assembling a rail tie load to place into the now gray gon...
Ricky W.
HO scale Proto-freelancer.
My Railroad rules:
1: It's my railroad, my rules.
2: It's for having fun and enjoyment.
3: Any objections, consult above rules.