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etmccaus

Any Way To Strip Tamiya "Black Metallic" Finish?

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Hi, all - new here, but finally succumbed to temptation and picked up a CC-01 Isuzu MU on clearance from Tamiya USA.
Only downside - it's the black metallic edition. Thought this might be cool, but as you probably know, it's far closer to chrome than a metallic black finish...and it's a bit too much for my liking.

Barring sourcing a non-plated body and working towards a normal paint job...is there any good way to either strip the plate finish from the body or prime over it? Curious if anyone else has done that on these.
I've stripped chrome finish from plated plastic parts in scale model kits, but this one...seems a little more robust. 

Appreciate any advice/ guidance you might have.

Thanks!

-Evan

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I don't know how to strip the plate finish from the body but I wouldn't do it anyway. I would buy a spare body and put the original body in the storage. 

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Why was there a 'confused' reaction to this post?

I bought the plated-body kit because the standard version wasn't available, and the plated version was priced attractively. Turns out I don't like the plate finish - it's garish. Just trying to find a way to repurpose that body to make it look the way I prefer without having to spend more money on a body and toss this one in the trash (don't really want to keep one hanging around for no reason, and I very much doubt it'll be worth all that much someday). Was curious if there was either a way to remove the finish or a good way to prime and paint over it.

Seems straightforward enough to me, but YMMV?

 

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I wouldnt take the emoji faces too seriously here.

I dont know if it will be possible to strip the paint off to be honest as I think the metallic finishes on some of the XB and pre finished kits is a plated finish rather than PS paint.

There is a clear matt finish spray PS paint that you spray over the shell and is designed to stick to lexan and be more flexible. It has a really nice effecct on some paint colours.

You might find this would tone it down to a darker grey / gun metal and make it less bad boy gangsta bling.

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Actually that might all be rubbish. Is it a hard body rathef than lexan?

If it is then you could just sand it down and re spray it.

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The finish is plated, then coated with a tint.  I can testify to using lacquer thinner on a towel then quickly wiping the tint off to leave a chrome finish.  As far as removing the chrome, I'm sure another member can offer some insight.

it is an option to use a soft steel wool to prep the metallic finish and paint over it.  You would have a unique effect of bare betal under any scratches as is popular in the scale crawler community.

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32 minutes ago, etmccaus said:

Why was there a 'confused' reaction to this post?

I bought the plated-body kit because the standard version wasn't available, and the plated version was priced attractively. Turns out I don't like the plate finish - it's garish. Just trying to find a way to repurpose that body to make it look the way I prefer without having to spend more money on a body and toss this one in the trash (don't really want to keep one hanging around for no reason, and I very much doubt it'll be worth all that much someday). Was curious if there was either a way to remove the finish or a good way to prime and paint over it.

Seems straightforward enough to me, but YMMV?

I understand where your coming from. The metallic editions don't really appeal to me either but if one was cheap, like the Isuzu on Tamiya USA, I'd get one and try to paint it. I wasn't too keen on the Metallic Midnight Pumpkin that replaced the original version for many years. Back in my static modelling days I'd use mild oven cleaner to strip excess chrome off parts. Just was cheap plating and I imagine the Tamiya chrome is likely much better so I don't know how effective it would be. If the finish can't be stripped, I'd use a grey (fine) scotchbrite pad over the whole surface, then primer, then paint. 

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If its the plastic chrome plate like they use on wheels, light buckets and bumpers etc then that can be stripped off cleanly by soaking in household bleach overnight. Done this lots of times on parts that i wanted to paint silver as shiny chrome wasnt the appropriate finish.

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3 minutes ago, Superluminal said:

If its the plastic chrome plate like they use on wheels, light buckets and bumpers etc then that can be stripped off cleanly by soaking in household bleach overnight. Done this lots of times on parts that i wanted to paint silver as shiny chrome wasnt the appropriate finish.

Brilliant! Household bleach is a mild corrosive but not harmful to plastics.  Great application of chemistry, Superluminal!

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3 hours ago, etmccaus said:

Thanks, all. It is a hard body, not lexan. Might give some thick bleach a try.

Thanks again!

Interested to see the outcome. I also bought the Mu for it being a hard body. I havent opened it so I dont know if I'll like it or not... 

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I opted for the Defender because I didnt want the chrome body/chassis bits.  I was tempted with the Isuzu kit though as it came with a light kit.  

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8 hours ago, Rubyred said:

I opted for the Defender because I didnt want the chrome body/chassis bits.  I was tempted with the Isuzu kit though as it came with a light kit.  

I thought the defender also came with some light? At least that's what I saw when watching RCmart's unboxing video on YouTube. Not sure though if Tamiya USA has the same kit contents. 

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Bought the Mu for the light kit, hard body, *and* the fact it's an Isuzu Mu/ Frontera/ Amigo. :-) 
Always kinda liked those here.

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