paint remover

[brucet]

I painted a F7   3 coats and i need to start over  wrong color   so I would strip off old paint and start fresh  could someone tell what to use to strip off the paint ?                       thank you 

[dstarr]

I assume it's a plastic shell.  I have stripped plastic models with high proof alcohol, the higher the better.  I think you can still get 90 + proof Isopropyl alcohol at a good drug store.  Place the shell in a container and immerse it in alcohol.  Give some hours (2-24) to loosen the paint.  Finish up with a toothbrush.  Give it a little more soak to loosen the tough patches.  Finish with a soap and water wash.  Don't leave it in the alcohol longer than necessary, lest the alcohol start eating the plastic.  You can recycle the alcohol for the next job by merely letting the paint flakes settle to the bottom of the container and decanting off the relatively clear alcohol.  High proof alcohol is strongly hydroscopic, it will pull moisture out of the air and pretty soon it becomes a lower proof.  Keep the cap on the bottle.  You will get better results using a bottle with a cap for your soaking container, the cap keeps the moisture out of the alcohol.

 

[doctorwayne]

Not all paint strippers work equally well on all paints and some plastic is more susceptible to damage from some strippers than from others.
In the past, I found methyl hydrate to be effective on most plastic cars, but it doesn't work as well on some of the newer paints.  It's safe on most plastics but did damage a couple of old Train Miniature shells - only a couple, and I have many of them that were not damaged - I suspect a bad batch of plastic, as the damage was large cracks.  If you use this product, pay attention to the MSDS, as it's not without its dangers.
99% rubbing alcohol can be effective on some paints, and useless on others.  Some may recommend automotive brake fluid, which works well on most paints, but it's messy to use and very damaging to some manufacturers' plastic - Atlas in particular.
Pollyscale's E-Z-Liftoff works well in most instances, but I find it to be rather expensive if you're doing a lot of rolling stock.
Someone on this Forum suggested a product called Super Clean, available at Walmart.  I was going to get some, but the price in Canada is more than double that in the U.S. 
I did get some on a visit to the States, and it works well in some instances.  I had three used Athearn boxcars to strip:  one was clean within minutes, with a little scrubbing with a toothbrush.  The other two took longer....some paint came off easily, while the rest took some time.  I left the shells in a closed glass jar, perhaps for a couple of weeks...busy with other stuff.  When I finally got back to them, the toothbrush removed a goodly portion of the remaining paint, and I discovered that the brushing was more effective if the brush was dipped periodically in methyl hydrate.  All three shells eventually came completely clean and with no damage, despite the long exposure.
Pay close attention to the directions on the container of any such chemicals.  Many of these products are toxic in various ways, whether through contact or inhalation.  I wear nitrile gloves, which seem to be effective - latex gloves may work for some products, but apparently not with methyl hydrate - it's readily absorbed through the skin and its vapours through the eyes - use in a well-ventilated area, preferably outdoors.  If you're doing a lot of this type of work, I recommend use of a two-stage respirator.

Whatever stripper you choose, after the paint is gone, wash the body shell using warm water and dish detergent.  Rinse well and let it air dry.

Wayne

[ALEX WARSHAL]

I heard easy-off oven cleaner work, but I can't test it until its spring.

-Alex

[RR_Mel]

I use Denatured Alcohol, it works very good and doesn’t harm plastics.

 

Mel  

[peahrens]

I stripped some older Athearn heavyweight passenger cars to repaint UP 2-tone gray.  I bought some disposable aluminum cooking trays to soak them semi-submerged.  I tried both denatured alcohol and the Super Clean.  The various cars did not react the same, likely from different vintage runs and therefore different prep, primers, paints, though all were pullman green.  Some cleaned up easily with a toothbush and 1-2 alcohol soaks.  The Super Clean is more aggresive, primarily caustic IIRC.  Be especially careful with it as it creates some heat but most importantly is corrosive.  Of course, the alcohol is flammable, but simply keep ignition sources away.  I'd try denatured alcohol first.  Not sure IPA is as aggressive a solvent on these paints as (denatured) ethanol.  Do protect your hands even with the alcohol as extended exposure will dry out your skin, and the secondary ingredients (e.g., methanol) can be toxics. 

I'd imagine a recent paint adhesion would come off easier than an older, super cured one.

[ricktrains4824]

If you used acrylic paints, Pine-sol. Seriously. 

Windex would also work on acrylic, but is much better if the paint is not fully cured. These two are not so toxic as some others, and are pretty inexpensive. Freshly applied, or still uncured acrylics, my go to is indeed straight windex. After cured, pine-sol. Yes, you also need a toothbrush, but it works. 

I've not tried these on enamal based paints though....

As a side note: Pine-sol also will strip some factory paint also.... So, maybe, it works with both, but, not really sure. Options are good to have though.

Safe on everything I've used it on, too.

[hon30critter]

I have used 99% isopropol alcohol with success. Its not sold everywhere so you might have to make do with a lower percentage, not the 70% stuff. I have also used brake fluid but I won't use it again because of its already mentioned habit of damaging some shells.

The last time I had to strip something was after I had used Testors spray enamel (terrible paint). The IPA wouldn't touch it, and I couldn't find Super Clean so I tried a product called Mean Green. It took the paint off quickly and thoroughly with no damage to the very delicate Grandt Line 25 ton switcher shell.

Dave

[gmcrail]

I've found Scalecoat II Wash-Away to be very effective in stripping acrylic paints from plastic without harming the plastic.

[doctorwayne]

Until it was mentioned here, I never noticed that funny taste in my India Pale Ale.

Wayne

[hon30critter]

Wayne

I found it easier to use just the initials rather than trying to remember how to spell it every time.

Dave