Have some time on my hands now. Digging into a couple of projects I had sitting. Can't go to my hobby shop (closed) to get the regular paint stripper I use. Good luck finding 91% rubbing alcohol. Don't like using brake fluid - had it once "attack" and ruin project. Any thoughts. I do have some denatured alcohol. Anyone tried that- Thanks
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I have used a product called "LA's TOTALLY AWESOME"...it's a USA made product,available in dollar stores...I just used it to strip a Santa Fe f-3....it took off the red paint!Use a high concentration with hot (NOT BOILING) water.... a tooth brush,you should be fine....joe
rrgeorge,
There have been many posts and responses to this question over the last couple months. Do a search and you'll get a number of stripping solutions fast.
Have fun, and stay healthy
I think EasyOff oven cleaner will take the paint off the plastic and someone else used the Tide pods or any dishwasher pods 3-4 of them to strip paint off pre-war
@Mike23 posted:I think EasyOff oven cleaner will take the paint off the plastic and someone else used the Tide pods or any dishwasher pods 3-4 of them to strip paint off pre-war
I'm in the same boat. I need to strip a plastic MTH car and can't find 91% Isopropyl alcohol. That method is easy. I've seen other posts about the oven cleaner, but have not read about the process. The closest anyone has come to explain is to spray the parts, put them in a ziplock bag for 10 hours and then brush with a toothbrush.
Is that how you do it Mike23?
Ron
Amazon showing 91% isopropyl alcohol for sale state side
Without knowing what the model is there is no one product that will work everywhere. There at least dozen different kinds of paints used on plastic, brass, and die cast models from different eras.
Pete
@jackiejr posted:Amazon showing 91% isopropyl alcohol for sale state side
I'm not that desperate to depart with my cash. Those are 4 times the regular cost of the stuff. Shameful.
Ron
Cant answer the question without specifics???
I've had success with both 91 and 70% alcohol. Finding it was hard for a while, but it's back on the shelves here...
Mark in Oregon
@SIRT posted:Cant answer the question without specifics???
Not trying to hijack rrgeorge's thread. He can reply what his model is. But here is mine. I had great success with 91% on the same model a few months back.
MTH 20-97423 ACF Demo 2-Bay Centerflow Hopper
Well, decided to try the oven cleaner method on a piece of scrap MTH plastic from a bridge I kitbashed.
I applied ez-off liberally and put in a zip lock bag. Sprayed even more once in the bag and sealed.
Results tomorrow.
Ron
Has anyone tried this product which runs off a can or compressor ?
@Richie C. posted:Has anyone tried this product which runs off a can or compressor ?
Bought an air eraser off ebay several months ago same function different manufacturer works well on smooth surfaces but will round off sharp details if your taking paint off down to the plastic base. I have removed road names from passenger cars using a close cut mask. With judicious use of the eraser you can remove the lettering and leave the base color, Though it will have a dull flat finish not good for applying decals. Apply a thin layer of clear gloss in the area and decals will adhere. Once your proficient it can save you much time on a complete repaint. j
Hi - The car in question was one of Lionel's newer Scale PS-1 boxcars. The Jade Green NYC. I ended up using brake fluid. It took off about 98% of the paint - there were a couple of sections that did not want to come off. I finally used some 0000 steel wool and got the rest of.
@Ron045 posted:I'm in the same boat. I need to strip a plastic MTH car and can't find 91% Isopropyl alcohol. That method is easy. I've seen other posts about the oven cleaner, but have not read about the process. The closest anyone has come to explain is to spray the parts, put them in a ziplock bag for 10 hours and then brush with a toothbrush.
Is that how you do it Mike23?
Ron
Yes, I just put it boxcar top in a bucket and sprayed the **** out of it like I would have an oven. Left it in the bucket as long as the directions say as for cleaning a metal oven...couple hours? then rinsed it good in a slop sink/sink in my cellar. sponge and light brush so not to scratch the boxcar.
I found the 91% alcohol at Walgreens I think.
whaaaa! How did the "page" know I spelled h-e double hockey sticks! wow!
FYI; The active ingredient in oven cleaner is sodium hydroxide (lye, drain cleaner) I purchase a two pound canister of lye crystals and it is my go to stripper for plastic. I have used 91% isopropyl as well as denatured alcohol they both work most of the time my only misgiving about them is they burn and I would rather not breath the fumes. At the concentration that I mix my stripper, between one and two cups of the crystals in a 5 gallon bucket with about 4.5 gallons of water, you can get it on your hands and just as long as I rinse them off in a couple minutes I have never had any skin burns. Though if you leave it on long enough it will chafe your skin. I do wear protective glasses I would not want to splash it in my eyes. There again it is weak enough that if you rinse your eyes in running water for five minutes you should be fine. I lower a body shell or several into the bucket put the lid on and let it sit till a tooth brush wipes the paint off usually about two days. The process may actually take less time but I just give it about two days out of habit. If you want it faster you can add more lye crystals. Remember as you make it stronger it will eat your skin or eyes faster. I would guess that my brew is weaker than oven cleaner. By the way it will also remove chrome/nickel plating from plastic. Many things will remove paint from plastic Brake fluid works well but is more toxic than lye or alcohol. Model airplane fuel works well, on many plastics, but there again it burns. One last point some drain cleaners contain small bits of metal and some have little blue crystals mixed in the the white sodium hydroxide. I don't use these as once the metal or the colored crystals dissolve they drastically weaken the solution and I keep my solution, in a five gallon bucket with snap on lid, for years. j
I've tried just about everything and settled on 91% alcohol. I made a bath "tube" using an 18" length of 4" pvc pipe with a cap glued to one end for long models like passenger cars and a shorter one (or a metal cake pan) for smaller items. The pvc pipe will hold at least 2 qts of alcohol. Stick the passenger car in the bath and let it soak for 3-4 hours then take an old toothbrush to it to remove the paint. I also use a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to get some of the stubborn paint off. I stopped using brake fluid when I noticed a couple of pieces were getting brittle, seems like brake fluid sucks the life out of the plastic.
No luck this AM with the oven cleaner. Maybe I did it wrong? After a 22 hour soaking in EZ-Off, I scrubbed with a toothbrush and could not remove any paint. I used a Mr. Clean Magic eraser and could only barely remove paint on edges and underside. I could not remove any paint in top. Guess I'll have to keep searching for Isopropyl Alcohol.
Ron,
You sure that's paint and not black plastic? What piece is that?
@Mike23 posted:Ron,
You sure that's paint and not black plastic? What piece is that?
It's gray plastic. Zoom in, you can see where I removed black paint on the underside. It is a walkway on an MTH bridge.
I use laundry detergent (powder) with hot water and let soak over night. This works good on pot metal. Plastic bodies may take several soakings.
@dkdkrd I use TSP, place 2 tablespoons in a plastic storage bin with several teapots of boiling water to cover the car. You will see the original paint fall off within 20 minutes. Brush occasionally with a toothbrush and you will have base metal. There is no harsh smells or skin irritations. I’ve bought mine from ACE, one pound tub for a few dollars. I wont use anything else. I tried the laundry pods and they took a lot longer with a lot more scrubbing. TSP is the way to go.
For tinplate I read to use dishwasher pods. 2 or four. Just break them into water. I’ll try to find it again.
Yes, scalding hot water and 3-5 dishwasher packs. Scrub with a toothbrush and green sponge
this is for tin. Good luck!
For any all metal object, aircraft stripper will have the paint off in minutes and not attack the metal like alkali strippers can. Just use it outside.
Pete
@JohnActon posted:FYI; The active ingredient in oven cleaner is sodium hydroxide (lye, drain cleaner) I purchase a two pound canister of lye crystals and it is my go to stripper for plastic. I have used 91% isopropyl as well as denatured alcohol they both work most of the time my only misgiving about them is they burn and I would rather not breath the fumes. At the concentration that I mix my stripper, between one and two cups of the crystals in a 5 gallon bucket with about 4.5 gallons of water, you can get it on your hands and just as long as I rinse them off in a couple minutes I have never had any skin burns. Though if you leave it on long enough it will chafe your skin. I do wear protective glasses I would not want to splash it in my eyes. There again it is weak enough that if you rinse your eyes in running water for five minutes you should be fine. I lower a body shell or several into the bucket put the lid on and let it sit till a tooth brush wipes the paint off usually about two days. The process may actually take less time but I just give it about two days out of habit. If you want it faster you can add more lye crystals. Remember as you make it stronger it will eat your skin or eyes faster. I would guess that my brew is weaker than oven cleaner. By the way it will also remove chrome/nickel plating from plastic. Many things will remove paint from plastic Brake fluid works well but is more toxic than lye or alcohol. Model airplane fuel works well, on many plastics, but there again it burns. One last point some drain cleaners contain small bits of metal and some have little blue crystals mixed in the the white sodium hydroxide. I don't use these as once the metal or the colored crystals dissolve they drastically weaken the solution and I keep my solution, in a five gallon bucket with snap on lid, for years. j
I found your comments interesting, especially about the products that contain metal bits in them, or the blue crystals. Does the container list these metal bits? I use to use Red Devil Lye for great results, since I can't get it or find it, I have used some other stuff, and it seems like it is not as effective. I use this solution to strip RR lamps of their paint prepping for re-painting. I am in Wisconsin as far as knowing what products are available here. Thanks!
I'm not an expert and don't know about priming and such but leaving the metal to air dry will invite the rust to come back immediately. Dry quickly with a hair dryer and not air dry.
That's all I got.
KD after the paint removal I just wash with dish soap, rinse and them set on the driveway to air dry in the sun. I have had stripped tinplate cars sitting on my shelf waiting to be painted for months without oxidation.
@Jeff B. Haertlein posted:I found your comments interesting, especially about the products that contain metal bits in them, or the blue crystals. Does the container list these metal bits? I use to use Red Devil Lye for great results, since I can't get it or find it, I have used some other stuff, and it seems like it is not as effective. I use this solution to strip RR lamps of their paint prepping for re-painting. I am in Wisconsin as far as knowing what products are available here. Thanks!
Jeff, I usually pull the cap off and look inside if I see the bits of metal or the blue crystals I don't buy it. They are some sort of buffering agent to keep the lye from eating a metal P trap or at least slow it down. The writing is so small that I never try to read it. I also used Red Devil Lye for years and R.D. removed it from the market place ten or fifteen years ago because it was being used in making Crack or some other dope. What if we took every product off the market which had some potential for misuse. GeeZ I just ate a full half gallon of Blue Bell.
As for Sodium Hydroxide I would not use it for stripping metal. One of the Methylene Chloride based strippers will not eat metal like S.H. will. M.C. strippers MUST be used with plenty of fresh air. (OUTSIDE) M.C. can attack your lungs and heart as well as your plastic train body. The Auto parts stores sell a spray can stripper called "Aircraft Stripper" it is M.C. but must have more M.C. than Zip Strip as it will take paint off metal very fast. One more point the Methylene Chloride in strippers evaporates off very fast at high tempertures and does not have time to do it's job. Try and keep what you are stripping out of direct sun. A plastic bag over the object slows the evaporation rate giving the M.C. time to penetrate the paint. j
@dkdkrd posted:Thanks, guys!!
One more question... AFTER the items have been in the bath of whatever, is it sufficient to do a simple rinse-and-dry, or should there be something else in the rinse bath to help STOP any residual action (that may influence future paint adhesion, for instance)?
Also, I'm assuming that a low temp oven bake of the cleaned parts will help to stop oxidation. But someone once told me that residual grease/oils in a typical uncleaned oven may leave a deposit on the bare metal. So, would a subsequent alcohol bath...or such...be an appropriate second 'rinse'.....air drying thereafter??
Not trying to get nitpicky.....just trying to cover the bases for us neophytes in the world of strip-n-paint.
Thanks, again!
KD
KD. I usually use one of the Methylene Chloride strippers when stripping metals and they do leave a residue that must be removed with Denatured Alcohol or Lacquer Thinner. If you don't have a vented hood you must use these outside. Even if you do have a vented hood it still makes sense to use them outside as they all burn. When I strip plastic I most often use Sodium Hydroxide (lye) and once all the paint is off a light scrub with a brush and water will usually get them clean enough to paint. j
Unfortunately, methylene chloride has been declared too hazardous by the government and NLA in paint strippers. You may still find some on retailers shelves or on ebay at inflated prices but these days you will have to settle for less effective "green" substitutes. Gone the way of lead in paint and asbestos in brake shoes.
Pete
@Norton posted:Unfortunately, methylene chloride has been declared too hazardous by the government and NLA in paint strippers. You may still find some on retailers shelves or on ebay at inflated prices but these days you will have to settle for less effective "green" substitutes. Gone the way of lead in paint and asbestos in brake shoes.
Pete
November of last year. Dxxn! Gonna go looking. I still have about half a 5gal can. You can still buy a 55 gal drum of pure MC from recyclers. Thank the genius who used it in a closed room. Nitro methane works OK. In a free society idiots are allowed to kill themselves. Wonder if the professional paint stores still have some. At least we can still strip plastic. Thanks for the heads up Pete. j
You can still get methylene chloride from industrial suppliers. McMaster has it as do all the chemical supply houses. Less useful in its pure form though as you need a lot and it vaporizes quickly. For MTH and Lionel black steam its by far the best stripper but for other paints the alternatives are OK if a bit slower.
Pete
Pete , do you know what they used for a thickening agent ? j
I don't. I had heard it was a wax but have no real knowledge here. Also the aircraft strippers have other active compounds too like acetone and MEK. All I know is the former Klean Strip Aircraft stripper would clean a black Lionel modern tender clean in about 3 minutes and a gray locomotive is about a minute. Lacquer thinner won't touch Lionel or MTH black, at least in under and hour. Maybe a few days. No idea how well Klean Strip's green replacement works yet.
Maybe some of the real chemists will chime in here. I only work with them.
Pete
@Norton posted:I don't. I had heard it was a wax but have no real knowledge here. Also the aircraft strippers have other active compounds too like acetone and MEK. All I know is the former Klean Strip Aircraft stripper would clean a black Lionel modern tender clean in about 3 minutes and a gray locomotive is about a minute. Lacquer thinner won't touch Lionel or MTH black, at least in under and hour. Maybe a few days. No idea how well Klean Strip's green replacement works yet.
Maybe some of the real chemists will chime in here. I only work with them.
Pete
You can't imagine how P.O. this makes me. I have been using strippers containing M.C. since the sixties and always had the sense to use it in a well ventilated area usually outside, or fans blowing fresh air into the area. Taken in it's entirety all this boils down to is loss of productivity like 99% of all the green movement. j
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