What's your favorite paint remover?

[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.

[JoeUmp]

QUOTE: Originally posted by preceng

Budweiser

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

[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.

[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]

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.

[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.

[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]

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

[AggroJones]

Scalecoat paint remover.

[Anonymous]

Brake fluid. Hasn't failed yet.

[preceng]

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

[vsmith]

QUOTE: Originally posted by preceng

Budweiser

Never used it as a paint remover,

Weed Killer, Yes!

[preceng]

Budweiser

[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

[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?

[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]

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!