Removing Road Name

I have used fingernail polish remover on steam engine tenders. The active ingredient is acetone, which is tempered a bit by the other oils in the remover.

 

Acetone will eat plastic and probably the main paint job as well, so it should be the last choice. Be sure to use it sparingly and watch how it acts.

 

Some folks use easy lift off.

 

The problem with all of these is that you do not know what the printing is made of. In a perfect world, the printing would be soluble, but the back ground would not be. The worst case is where the background is more soluble than the printing.

 

I have also used an old mechanical motorized eraser from the days of giant drafting tables and huge blue prints.

We used a thinner called Bestine in movie work and at the club, Took MTH and other printing off in seconds without harming the paint. It evaporates very quickly. You may have to order it from a professional paint suppler. 

Bestine is rubber cement thinner and is available from art supply stores.

 

Pete

This product from Microscale is made for bonding (melting) decals to irregular surfaces (like vents, or door seams) but it is also and excellent way to remove lettering without hurting the underlying paint.

http://www.microscale.com/Merc...&Product_Count=1

 

You need to let it set for 30 min or more and do the work. You may also need to do several applications, but it works on most all factory applied lettering.

 

- RICH

I just tried the nail polish remover and it works almost instantly! Thanks guys!  I've been wanting to remove the name off this caboose for a while.  I did notice some red staining on my cotton ball, so in my five minutes of experience I would suggest not lingering too long!

Hi Terry . What is the roadname on this engine?

You are right Pete, now I remember thats were they got it. They also cleaned their airbrushes with it.

Thank you for all the comments and suggestions!

 

Mike, the roadname is Strasburg RR.

 

Terry

I have found that green ScotchBrite pads work quite well when used with VERY gentle pressure. Just go over the area repeatedly with light pressure.

jackson

To be frank about it, I would have a plan B that included repainting.  , I think you should be prepared for that.  That facts, as I see them, don't line up well in your favor:

- You're not sure what the printing is made of (decal, type of paint, etc.).

- Precedent and what worked last time are meaningless here (trust me, I know from experience).  You might have used XYZ fluid and light pressure on a K-Line something only last week but this might be different. 

- You can't test a removal method/fluid beforehand unless you are lucky and something is printed on the underside or on the end in an inconspicuous place you can ruin.  I checked the one K-Line Plymouth I have and it has no place like that where I could find anything printed where I could test it if I were doing this.

- So you have to plunge ahead with your best guess and try.

- I'm about 40% lucky in such cases - less than 50% in  removing printing with no damage at all.  Sometimes, like on a recent H7 I renumbered, the damage is so light - a little reduction in the sheen of the paint, etc., that it blends in with weathering, but . . . 

 

I have used Testor's ELO to remove lettering from a Williams product. I applied it with the end of a tooth pick to the letters only, and used mineral spirits to wipe it off. It did take several applications, letting each sit for about 5 - 10 minutes. A little light agitation with the tooth pick helped.

 

On one side I let the second or third application stand about ten minutes and it started to attack the paint but without going through to the primer or metal. I used an automobile cleaner/wax to blend the cleared area.

 

I'd use it the next time - with short application times between wipes so I can monitor its progress.