A little while ago I decided to repaint my red HO Bachmann 70 tonner. I originally tried 99% isopropyl alcohol with little success and thought it was already down to the plastic. I painted over it but messed up the job so I stripped off the new paint in alcohol. When I removed the new layers, the red also chipped off in one place to show the actual plastic and also cracked other places but didn't come off anymore. I then tried Easyoff oven cleaner but that didn't work at all either. Do I just have to leave it in alcohol for a long time or is there another way?
Lone Geep
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Hello all,
I have had success with full strength PineSol.
Put the shell in a gallon size, zip-top freezer bag, fill with enough PineSol to submerge the shell and purge the air.
Then place in a container, old baking pans work best, incase of leakage.
Using nitrile gloves; the full strength stuff is pretty caustic, I would scrub the shell with an old toothbrush 3 to 4 times a day.
When the solution got cloudy I would discard it and replace it with new solution.
This worked with a Rivarossi KM4000 that had been repainted over the original paint.
It took a few days and stripped it down to the bare plastic.
Hope this helps.
"Uhh...I didn’t know it was 'impossible' I just made it work...sorry"
Colorado Front Range Railroad: http://www.coloradofrontrangerr.com/
Undecorated shells for the Bachmann/Spectrum 70 ton locomotive show up on eBay from time to time. If you cannot get the paint off, that could be an option for you.
.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Don't let the shell sit for a long time in alcohol. Soak for a helf-hour, then start scrubbing. Long term exposure to the alcohol will damage the plastic, but it will hold up OK to shorter term exposure uising this quicker method.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL