What's your favorite paint remover?

[Anonymous]

In the Nov. 19 MR Express, MR editor Terry Thompson asked what paint remover you prefer for removing factory-applied paint and lettering.
Please share your tips and ideas below!

[AltonFan]

Denatured alchohol sometimes works, but it takes a long time, and can attack plastic, especially if the paint is heavy and requires extended soaking.

Unpaint is faster, eats up more paint, but is volatile and requires a lot of ventilation. There are some paints it can't completely clean. Unpaint never attacked plastic when I used it. And it is reusable, after being filtered through an old nylon stocking. I'm not sure if they make it any more.

If I ever get the opportunity to do a repaints again, I would like to try Formula 409 (removes wax from floors) and Pine-Sol. It is probably best to use the weakest solvent that will do the job.

[Anonymous]

Over the last two weekends, I've tried to remove the paint from a Proto2000 GP9 shell. My model is a Lifelike Canada model, in ONR colours. I tried that old standby, brake fluid, and it took the surface shine off the model, the lettering. I let it soak for an hour, scrubbed it with an old toothbrush, but most of the paint stayed on. I flushed the shell completely afterwards to remove any brake fluid residue.
This last weekend, I tried Windex after seeing that tip on a list some time ago. It took more of the colour off, but most of the paint is still there. It looks like a faded prototype now, but I'd like to strip it clean for repainting.
Any tips for P2K paint removal?

[Anonymous]

Gee, this is one of them questions that there is no one answer to. If I answer alcohol and it fails to remove paint it's no longer my favorite, right? So after Alcohol, Pinesol, brake fluid, graffiti remover, and aircraft stripper there's always sandblasting and elbow grease. Last resort is buy an undecorated shell or just paint over the unstripped one. All work at one time or another and is my favorite at the time it works. But on reflection it might be cheaper to just buy an undecorated shell/kit than buy $100 worth of chemicals and get no results. So that's my answer, buy an undecorated part. FRED

[preceng]

Budweiser

[vsmith]

QUOTE: Originally posted by preceng

Budweiser

Never used it as a paint remover,

Weed Killer, Yes!

[preceng]

Yep. Works great on the engineer ... never tried it on my trains though

[Anonymous]

Brake fluid. Hasn't failed yet.

[AggroJones]

Scalecoat paint remover.

[nfmisso]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Robpar
[Any tips for P2K paint removal?

91% Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA); 70% will not do anything.

NOTE; flammable, don't breath vapor, keep capped as it will absorb moisture from the air, and will eventually become ~60% IPA

[nfmisso]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Strider1

Brake fluid. Hasn't failed yet.

Try it on a Kato (or Atlas/Kato or Stewart/Kato). It will eat the plastic, and leave the paint.

[nfmisso]

The pros (like Jim Six) use a micro blaster (Paasch air eraser or similar or a "real" sand blasting cabinet like Harbor Freight sells) baking soda is a good medium to remove paint, with out damage to the plastic.

[Anonymous]

91% Alcohol, I have used with success on Life-Like, Atlas and Kato N scale models. Also has worked on Polly Scale and Polly Scale sealed with Dullcote. Sometimes it doesn't remove all of the lettering. Life-Like C&O yellow striping and Kato Erie-Lackwanna Maroon appear to invulnerable to any stripper.

I tend to use it in a small closed tupperware-like conatiner, usually jsut large enough to submerge the model completely. I have recently soaked a LL caboose for four days with no damage to the plastic.(I went to bed and forgot about it till four days later). It can also be strained through a paper towel to remove paint particles from it and be re-used.

I have used Scalecoat Paint stripper in the past, but it is no longer readily available in my local. 91% Alcohol is 5 minutes from my house if I run out, not 2 hours. If I can't strip it with Alcohol, I paint over it.

[Anonymous]

I have been using Scalecoat II Wash-Away. It works well on most (not all) paints and doesn't seem to harm (at least permanently) plastics. I might loosen a part now and then, but doesn't seem to etch or deform the plastics. It seems to work well in a short period of time (compared to other removers), so I don't leave things to soak over night. 20-30 minutes is usually plenty of time. Once in a while, I'll let something soak longer. If the Scalecoat doesn't do it, I'll let things soak in brake fluid for a day (or two, or three). If that doesn't do it, I give up.

[Anonymous]

I have frequently used Pine-Sol to remove paint from my N scale items. I fill a container with enough to completely cover the item and keep an eye on how the paint is loosening. I have not had any problems with it attacking the plastic on N scale items. However, I did have an HO locomotive shell that I was going to repaint, and the paint didn't want to come off very well. After several extended soakings, I did notice some softening of the plastic, but not enough to be an issue. Depending on the amount of paint, I have had the paint come off a locomotive shell in an almost solid piece. I also use an old soft toothbu***o help "convince" the paint to let go.

I have used 409 to remove chrome finish from plastic pieces with a great deal of success. I haven't tried it to remove paint, though.

Of course, plenty of water must be used to remove all the Pine-Sol or 409 from the part to allow the new paint to adhere properly.

[JoeUmp]

QUOTE: Originally posted by preceng

Budweiser

Yeah, but it can be harmful to the model if too much is used.[:D]

[Anonymous]

the best paint remover for anything like P2K, KATO,ATLAS, ETC., chameleon liquid or gel. i have been custom painting for years, and experiment with everything...model and plastic compatable. caustic cleaners, auto fluids just are too risky, and are not designed for model paint stripping. i do a lot of re-paints, and chameleon has never failed me, except for a few models with old paint. it may take several washes of this solution for models with aged paint jobs, but, it will save you the shell. the gel is the best thing for this too. 91% rubbing alcohol has given me good luck with p2k units too.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Robpar

Over the last two weekends, I've tried to remove the paint from a Proto2000 GP9 shell. My model is a Lifelike Canada model, in ONR colours. I tried that old standby, brake fluid, and it took the surface shine off the model, the lettering. I let it soak for an hour, scrubbed it with an old toothbrush, but most of the paint stayed on. I flushed the shell completely afterwards to remove any brake fluid residue.
This last weekend, I tried Windex after seeing that tip on a list some time ago. It took more of the colour off, but most of the paint is still there. It looks like a faded prototype now, but I'd like to strip it clean for repainting.
Any tips for P2K paint removal?

[Anonymous]

I decided to repaint a Great Norther doodlebug to Canadian National green. I did not use any paint remover. I sprayed on light paint coats until the GN colour disappeared. Mind you I did not need to mask as I had taken the roof, trucks off first. placed the appropriate CN decals then spayed on a clear flat coat. Very good results.

[eastcoast]

I brush on Testor's paint thinner. Then ....
let it sit awhile and wipe off with cloth.
Clean with water and soap and repaint.
For best results, buy an undecorated model !!!!

[orsonroy]

I use a variety of products when I strip paint off shells, depending on what manufacturer I'm dealing with. Mostly, I try to use 91% isopropyl alcohol first, since it's so inexpensive and better for you and your plumbing. Alcohol will strip most of what's out on the market today, including Accurail, Athearn, Bowser, Bachmann, Kato, Intermountain and Red Caboose. You sometimes have to let the shell soak for awhile (several hours) and perform repeat scrubbings, but it'll still work very well. I've never seen 91% alcohol attack anyone's plastic.

If the paint is particularly stubborn, I generally use Polly-S ELO. It's a bit cheaper than Chameleon, and easier to get, which is why it's my "hard paint" default. It'll strip "impossible" paint like Rivarossi and AHM. It'll also strip old Roundhouse and Athearn paints, but the shells can't sit too long in it, before the plastic starts to craze. Don't let shells sit in ELO for more than 1/2 hour!

If all else fails, I use my Paache air eraser (mini sandblaster). This will always take paint off, but it's also hard on plastic, so I really have to watch what I'm doing.

I stay FAR away from things like Pine Sol or brake fluid. Pine Sol will soften plastic, and I've had shells that smelled like Pine Sol for YEARS after I stripped the paint! Brake Fluid will generally work, but only the non-synthetic stuff, which is getting harder to find due to EPA regulations. It's also not very good for you.

[nfmisso]

QUOTE: Originally posted by orsonroy
[If all else fails, I use my Paache air eraser (mini sandblaster). This will always take paint off, but it's also hard on plastic, so I really have to watch what I'm doing.

Have you tried baking soda as the blasting medium?

[Anonymous]

Use oven cleaner, the unscented kind. Let it sit for 1/2 hour or more, then scrub with a tooth brush, preferably an old one, or at least your wife's. Sometime's takes more that one application, but always works. I've used this even on VERY expesive resin race car kits, and it never damages the model.
Good Luck! - Mike Morrison

[Anonymous]

For Kato Engines, Dip for 6 hours in Pine Sol (real stuff, not dollar store knock offs), then wash and drop in 99% Rubbing Alcohol.

For P2K and P1K, straight 99% rubbing alcohol.

Athearn (older) I use 99% Rubbing Alcohol as well.

For engines already painted with Badger ModelFlex, 70% Rubbing Alcohol works well.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Robpar

Over the last two weekends, I've tried to remove the paint from a Proto2000 GP9 shell. My model is a Lifelike Canada model, in ONR colours. I tried that old standby, brake fluid, and it took the surface shine off the model, the lettering. I let it soak for an hour, scrubbed it with an old toothbrush, but most of the paint stayed on. I flushed the shell completely afterwards to remove any brake fluid residue.
This last weekend, I tried Windex after seeing that tip on a list some time ago. It took more of the colour off, but most of the paint is still there. It looks like a faded prototype now, but I'd like to strip it clean for repainting.
Any tips for P2K paint removal?

91% Alcohol works great on P2k and Proto1000 and Microtrains and Atlas n scale as well as Athearn and Stewart and Kato. I swear by it...break fluid eats KATO so watch out!

[Anonymous]

Depends. 91% Iso Alcohol does the job on Proto 2000. Never tried a Kato. For older models, like Athearn, MDC, etc. Scalecoat #56 has worked well. Strips like the Energizer Bunny. When it gets murky, strain and filter it thru a paper towel and keep on strippin'.
FVRjake

[Anonymous]

Pine sol for me for all acrylic paints, rinse well, paint comes off in 1 piece.
works very slowly and not too well on Rivarossi paint after a 1 day soak. Paint turns to a gel like sticky substance but does wipe off eventually.

[krump]

from my experience, if the kids get really scared, their screams will peel the paint right off of the wall. (maybe that'll work...)

[Anonymous]

like i stated before, chameleon is best for plastic, unlike elo, which i don't trust, due to the fact that it WILL craze and blemish plastic. i have let many shells sit in chameleon for days, and no damage at all!! it does not do any damage to plastic like elo does, or these "homemade" paint strippers some modelers use. if all else fails, start with a new shell, you will get better results that way, and make you a more satisfied modeler. i used elo before, ....never again. to me, if elo does this to plastic, it is no better than cleaners, car fluids,beer, etc. there is also a product out there called "joe's gel". it is a gel with very fine abrasive particles in it. it resembles LAVA liquid soap. get it at joe'smodeltrains.com. it works very slowly, and it may not strip all paint. if you want to remove paint off of small metal detail parts, try CA remover. it is not safe on plastic, or clear window plastic.

[Anonymous]

I have used Polly-S paint remover with good results