What's the Best Way to Remove a Bad Paint Job?

[sabretooth47]

I starting brush painting an old caboose of mine, and it turned out gosh awful.:curse:

I want to start over, but I don't want layer after layer of paint on it...anybody have a good way of removing old layers? Should I just dunk the thing in paint thinner?

I just use Testors Model Masters paints -- at least for the moment...

Thanks!

 

[loggerhead]

Removing paint

Dunking in thinner is a great way to get a pile of mush back out.

there are a couple of ways to remove old paint, you can use Easy-off oven cleaner, just spray it on and wait 10-15 minutes and scrub the old layers of paint off (make sure you wear rubber gloves or you skin comes off too). It may take a couple of applications. I've used it to remove paint from all types of models without damaging the plastic.

Another method (i havn't tried) is to use ordinary dot 3 brake fluid. I'm not sure if the type of plastic the body is made out of matters with this, so I would try on something of similar plastic before going after your project.

Hope this helps.

 

[TruckLover]

I starting brush painting an old caboose of mine, and it turned out gosh awful.:curse:
I want to start over, but I don't want layer after layer of paint on it...anybody have a good way of removing old layers? Should I just dunk the thing in paint thinner?

I have had this happen to me when I first started painting to. It was one of my trucks (MACK CH 603 i believe) and anyway it turned out so bad. I think the paint (testors) needed to be thinned out a little but I didn't know any better because it was the first time I had ever painted a model. I was going to leave it the way it was and just try to make it look like a really bad paint job and have it near a gargage for a new paint job.

But then I put it into paint thinner and scrubbed the paint off with a toothbrush and it worked good. Just be carful when you use the toothbrush not to break off any detail parts.

 

[inkaneer]

I had a bad experience using Gloss Cote in a spray can. Trying to remove it resulted in removing the paint also. This is on 24 hoppers. I am not trying to remove the remaining paint by using an ultrasonic cleaner with a 91% alcohol solution. Got the cleaner at Harbor Freight.

 

[jtloconut]

Hi , There are plastic safe paint strippers out there. Most found at your local hobby shop. FLOQUIL Paint & decal remover, SCALECOAT Makes 2 One metal one plastic, CHAMELEON Is also a good one,

 

[wayerst]

Simple Green (US) and Dettol (UK) are harmless to plastic but strip both enamel and acrylic paint without a problem

 

[shaygetz]

Simple Green (US) and Dettol (UK) are harmless to plastic but strip both enamel and acrylic paint without a problem

Simple Green? Cool, I'll hafta check that out as the funk from full strength Pine-Sol gets me put in the dog house for the night.:thumb:

 

[COX 47]

Brake fluid works for me....Pine Sol too but as Shaygetz says my wife doesn't like to smell....Cox 47

 

[MCL_RDG]

Hammer.

Mark