Paint removal

[Guest]

Hey. I know there has been some discussion about removing paint. I always suffer from bleeding under masking tape. But found a nail polished remover that doesn't contain acetone and it seems to do a good job and doesn't harm the lexan. Sample attached. 

[Munchbox]

It looks great.

A couple questions. What kind of paint is that and how long was it on there before you removed it? 

It seems that Tamiya PS paints for lexan bodies are pretty easy to remove before they're cured but after they are cured its worth your life to get it off. Evidently the only thing that works after it's cured is Tamiya paint remover and a lot of elbow grease.

[Guest]

Yep, fair point. The paint (by Humbrol) had only been on an hour or so. What was good about was removing slight over spills.

Pictures of the A team Suzuki Lowdown to come. 

[ALEXKYRIAK]

I have a Lexan shell from probably about 1992, I am considering stripping the paint from it and repainting it, as part of a restoration project. What's the best paint removal for a shell and paint that is so old?

Thanks

 

It's for this project....

 

 

 

 

[Truck Norris]

Paint removal questions are asked quite often, and as to what works, the reality is it depends on the chemical makeup of the original paint. The big problem is whatever is capable of dissolving the paint won't necessarily be safe to use on the body.

If you have unknown paint It’s going to take some trial and error and it’s best to start with the least potent solution and work your way up. The first step would be Tamiya’s polycarbonate cleaner, 87118. This isn’t really intended for cleaning paint off, more for cleaning shells prior to painting and tidying bleeds, but it does work to a certain extent. Next up would be Tamiya’s 87183 Paint Remover. This is a remover that’s safe for use on polycarbonate and won’t cloud it. If it’s Tamiya paint this should do the trick.

If that’s a no go then Carson Paint Killer is more aggressive and about as strong as you can go without risking damage. From there, De-Solv-It Grafitti remover works well but may make the body brittle so test it first. Autosmart Tardis and a non-acetone nail polish remover are two other suggestions, but again they may affect the polycarbonate so test first.

[67CamaroSS]

I understand this thread is about paint removal but in reading the first post, a good way to avoid paint bleed and therefore the need to remove paint is to start with a good mask. I started using vinyl masking tape and it works great. Have not had any issues with bleeding, even on curves.

I apply the mask, pressing it down firmly and sometimes even warm it up with a hairdryer. A couple thin coats of paint later before a final thicker coat and its done. 

The mask peels right off with zero bleed.

[ALEXKYRIAK]

On 5/31/2018 at 11:06 PM, Truck Norris said:

Paint removal questions are asked quite often, and as to what works, the reality is it depends on the chemical makeup of the original paint. The big problem is whatever is capable of dissolving the paint won't necessarily be safe to use on the body.

If you have unknown paint It’s going to take some trial and error and it’s best to start with the least potent solution and work your way up. The first step would be Tamiya’s polycarbonate cleaner, 87118. This isn’t really intended for cleaning paint off, more for cleaning shells prior to painting and tidying bleeds, but it does work to a certain extent. Next up would be Tamiya’s 87183 Paint Remover. This is a remover that’s safe for use on polycarbonate and won’t cloud it. If it’s Tamiya paint this should do the trick.

If that’s a no go then Carson Paint Killer is more aggressive and about as strong as you can go without risking damage. From there, De-Solv-It Grafitti remover works well but may make the body brittle so test it first. Autosmart Tardis and a non-acetone nail polish remover are two other suggestions, but again they may affect the polycarbonate so test first.

Hey thanks Truck, really insightful advice, I will try the Tamiya Paint Remover. The shell I have in mind dates back to the early 90s I think.

However I will also try the paint Cleaner, as on new shells I generally always get at least one minor masking bleed somehow, however fastidious I have been on the masking and painting. Sounds like a good fix for small boo-boos.   Cheers.  

[Badcrumble]

42 minutes ago, ALEXKYRIAK said:

Hey thanks Truck, really insightful advice, I will try the Tamiya Paint Remover. The shell I have in mind dates back to the early 90s I think.

However I will also try the paint Cleaner, as on new shells I generally always get at least one minor masking bleed somehow, however fastidious I have been on the masking and painting. Sounds like a good fix for small boo-boos.   Cheers.  

I couldn’t find many U.K. sellers but Tamico stock it so worth adding to a kit order if you use them.