How to strip paint from LEXAN SHELL???

[fezzy]

[*-)]I recently got a Terra scorcher form Ebay and I am restoring it. I have had hard plastic shells from SRB'S which I have stripped with oven cleaner, but will it damage lexan, or is there anything better. Appreciate any help.

Cheers fezzy 

[peejay]

Acetone-free nail varnish remover supposedly does the job.  Not used it myself so can't qualify the claim.

 

[Shodog]

don't use easy off on lexan.  I have found that nitro fuel is the best lexan stripper.  simply brush it on, swirl it around an area and then rinse it off before going to another portion of the body.

[Rabiedmushroom]

Daft question - doesn't it leave any cloudy residue?

I'd love to restore my original Mini bodyshell that I bought when they first came out in the early 1990's, but never had the courage to play chemical mixtures on the lexan paint (I think I used pactra at the time, and some places its peeled off, and in other areas is stuck like glue inside).

 

[Shodog]

Lexan paint is designed to etch into the plastic so most likely you will get a cloudy look after stripping.  some of it will come off by scuffing the surface with some steel wool. 

Rabid, why it didn't stick in some places is you probably had oils from your hand or release agent still on the body.  before I paint, I wash the body really good and scuff up the surface with the green scrubby on a kitchen sponge.

[pleiku68]

I use brake fluid....I may take a few hours...Sometimes the lexan looks cloudy when dry..If it is not cloud when wet it will not show after painting..same with light scratches if on the inside of the shell...

[Rabiedmushroom]

Shodog - To be truthful the paintwork was over a decade old, with some battering to the shell!

Thanks for the advice posted here guys. 

[Singapore_959]

JUST what I was about to post to ask!  []

 

To confirm - the clear plastic Parma body on the Daytona Thunder is LEXAN, yes?

And to clean either BRUSH on nitro fuel or normal car brake fluid?

and not leave it in a bucket for a night or two?

 

Thanks Shodog and fellow gurus [*] !

  I have to strip and repaint the body before it's first race in 8 days! Black, I think to hide to bad cutting []

 

 

[DJTheo]

Three times yes! []

Cheers 

[Singapore_959]

Yis sah, yis sah, three bags full! Great,  just got the new paints, and some nitro.

 now for some gloves and saturday morning is set..... []

 

Will post some picts.

Cheers!

[DeeMiller]

Acetone-free nail varnish remover supposedly does the job.  Not used it myself so can't qualify the claim.

 

Acetone-free varnish remover contains MEK* and it WILL damage the Lexan.

(MEK= Methyl-ethyl-ketone, a non-cancer-causing agent to substitute the acetone).

 So: claim disqualified.[]

 

Grtz Dee.

[Singapore_959]

 

Hope the attached photos come out.

 

Brushing on nitro did nothing!!   After 10mins heavy brushing with a nitro saturated brush nothing happened. 

So I uncomfortably let petrol sit in the shell for further 10 mins, but still nothing. Is the paint unusually strong or...  ?

 

I expected the paint would just dissolve off under the brush... suggestions?

 The goods

 10mins of this

 10mins letting it sit

 

No change!?? !

[DeeMiller]

Try 24 hours.

Not tested but read it would do no harm.

Maybe you can use the "search option" to find out what's the way to do this on Lexan shells.

 

Grtz Dee.

[necronomicon]

You may be better off lightly sanding/ keying the outer shell and painting over the top. then sealing with good varnish, than all this chemical attacking!- just a thought- how much rough treatment is it going to get?

[Singapore_959]

 

Too right,  chemical farr farr was a waste of time and money unfortunetly.  But I was surprised about the tenacity of old lexan paint!

 

Got the good old citrys spray out and a green kitchen scruff pad out and cleaned all the old sticker gunk off the outside, and it looked somewhat better.  Happened to be in a craft store in the afternoon and they had some VERY stretchable type of pvc plastic adhesive sheets. Bought black and have covered the sides of the shell to disguise the **** cutting.  worked fine, and it will peel off with no trace.

 

Will get some picts.   Try to trade the nitro for a receiver at the LHS tomorrow!

 

Did consider painting the outside after realising how tought to get off paint is!  But then the craft shop came along first.

[HunterZero]

Newer Tamiya PS paints are pretty much fuel proof, and so won't come off with nitro fuel. Older Tamiya PC paints aren't fuel proof, and nitro will remove it easily.

I am wondering what the carrier/thinner is that Tamiya use in their PS spray cans, as respraying new layer of PS paint over a previous layer does seem to attack and soften the existing paint layer until it all dries again. If we could find out what that thinner is, It might be used to strip PS paint.

 - James

[Shodog]

One thing to try is scuffing up the surface so that the fuel can penetrate the paint.  In addition I have found 20% nitro to work better than 10%.  I was able to strip this

and repaint it to this

 

[HunterZero]

Hmmm, going to have to get some 20% then, pretty sure the stuff I have is 10%. Wasn't shifting PS paint at all.

What did you scuff up the paint with, steel wool? Sand paper?

Anyone have any ideas what the thinner/carrier is in PS paint?

- James

[Jim the wookie]

Hey all, just thought i'd chuck in!

I have used acetone free nail polish remover successfully, on a falcon shell, it didn't seem to damage it. Working a small amount at a time on a cheese cloth rag then rinsing and starting a new patch. Removed all paint over a few hours, tedious but well... my time is worthless anyway! Lexan was slightly cloudy in spots where the paint was stubborn though didn't show following repaint. An earlier post noted that a sustitute chemical in the product can damage lexan, what does the substitute chemical do to the lexan does any one know?

 Cheers

Jim the wookie

[qatmix]

I cant believe noone has used citrus based cleaners? These remove tamiya acrillic paint from a lexan shell. I used some on my Boomerangs several years ago, just put it on the paint, leave for 10-20 minutes and peel it off no cloudyness etc. They sell it in lakeland for about £3.99 a bottle.

 

I havent tried it on new tamiya paints BTW but they should react the same. 

[petris]

If you use a high nitro content fuel it will strip it right off.  I use 30% and it comes right off.  10% WILL NOT WORK well at all!  Good luck it takes patience!

[Vintagenewbie]

You might be better off finding a replacement shell by the time you get the paint off youll have spent about the same in what you used to do the striping in money and time

[HunterZero]

Hehehe, find a new shell he says. Not always possible with lexan shells that are long out of production and rare as hen's teeth.

Plus there's something extra satisfying about restoring an old shell to a respectable condition, even though it does take a bit of effort.

- James

[DeeMiller]

I didn't have the courage to post this before but here's what happend with ovencleaner:

I DON'T RECOMMEND THIS THOUGH!!!

The roof is also  sanded but it shows it becomes matt...

I'm kinda lost here...[^o)]

Maybe it has to do something with the paint...I really don't know anymore.

It works but I guess only for some brand of paint.

Still, the little marks won't come off but in general...well...see for yourself.

 

Grtz Dee.

[DJTheo]

I thought ovencleaner was for hard bodies and brake fluid or nitro fuel for lexan?

Cheers