Stripping lacquer & 2-part clear

[vintagerpm]

So, I've got a styrene body painted with Gravity Colors lacquer paint & their 2-part gloss clear. Unfortunately, it needs to be stripping. What is the best chemical to use to remove these paints? How long will it need to be submurged in the liquid?

[StevenGuthmiller]

Not sure about Gravity paints, but if they are typical lacquers, (I use Duplicolor & MCW) I have good luck using Super Clean.

Don't fall for the substitutes like Purple Power or Simple Green, they don't work nearly as well.

Keep your Super Clean warm, (the warmer the better) and maybe put a few scratches in the paint down to the primer in a few areas.

This will help the solution to get under the paint.

Drop it in & forget about it for about a week.

When you retrieve it, the paint should peel off in sheets.

The chemical does not dissolve the lacquer itself, it dissolves the primer making the paint lift off.

Depending on what you used, you may have to wipe off the remains of the primer with some alcohol on a cotton ball or pad.

Wash with dish detergent & warm water & you're ready for fresh paint.

 

Steve

[Miatatom]

I use 91% isopropyl alcohol to strip lacquer paints.

[vintagerpm]

Thanks, guys.

Think I'll try the Super Clean. And tt will be easy to keep it warm in the garage in Houston. :-)

Off to the store...

[StevenGuthmiller]

9 hours ago, vintagerpm said:

Thanks, guys.

Think I'll try the Super Clean. And tt will be easy to keep it warm in the garage in Houston. :-)

Off to the store...

I do use alcohol sparingly, but I've heard horror stories about it making the plastic brittle.

You can soak styrene plastic in Super Clean for a month & it will not harm the plastic at all.

Easy Off oven cleaner is a good alternative, but the fumes are very caustic & it's not re-usable.

Super Clean can be used over & over again.

Some guys swear by brake fluid but it's difficult to dispose of when it's used up.

Super Clean is biodegradable and relatively easy to dispose of.

You will need to use gloves when working with Super Clean as it is very hard on your skin, but so are most of the others.

 

Steve

[TarheelRick]

9 minutes ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

Super Clean is biodegradable and relatively easy to dispose of.

I have seen this statement mentioned in several posts concerning stripping paint.  It appears to me the Super-Clean would eventually be full of dissolved lacquer and other type paint particles, which would make it just as toxic as basic lacquer.  I know the jug says it is biodegradable, but I believe that applies to the original composition of the Super-Clean.  Anyone else have any thoughts on this?

[StevenGuthmiller]

24 minutes ago, TarheelRick said:

I have seen this statement mentioned in several posts concerning stripping paint.  It appears to me the Super-Clean would eventually be full of dissolved lacquer and other type paint particles, which would make it just as toxic as basic lacquer.  I know the jug says it is biodegradable, but I believe that applies to the original composition of the Super-Clean.  Anyone else have any thoughts on this?

Lacquer paint doesn't dissolve in it.

It just loosens & comes off on sheets.

These sheets can be strained out.

That being said, it does dissolve primer, chrome & enamel, so yes, it needs to be treated with some care.

I still treat it as toxic when I dispose of it, but if you let it set undisturbed for a couple of days, probably 99% of those particles of primer & enamel paint settle to the bottom of the container.

At that point it would be relatively easy to pour off the clear Super Clean leaving only the dirty product on the bottom to be dealt with.

Granted, it will never be 100% clean again once it's been used, but I would still prefer to have this dumped in my back yard rather than brake fluid.

 

Steve

Edited September 11, 2018 by StevenGuthmiller

[Miatatom]

51 minutes ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

I do use alcohol sparingly, but I've heard horror stories about it making the plastic brittle.

Steve

I've never had that problem.

[StevenGuthmiller]

45 minutes ago, Miatatom said:

I've never had that problem.

Just what I've heard.

I've heard the same thing about brake fluid.

I try not to take any chances, especially with irreplaceable vintage bodies.

 

Steve

[Snake45]

2 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

I do use alcohol sparingly, but I've heard horror stories about it making the plastic brittle.

Steve

Never had it happen, and I've had styrene bodies soak in the stuff for days to remove lacquers. I hear it's bad on resin, though. 

Now, naphtha (lighter fluid) will soak into styrene and make it brittle, until it dries out again. 

Back in the day, the stripper of choice was model airplane fuel, the active ingredient of which was nitromethane IIRC. That could also make styrene brittle, though not as bad as naphtha. 

[TarheelRick]

6 hours ago, Snake45 said:

the active ingredient of which was nitromethane IIRC

Would it make the build go faster?    Sorry, I couldn't resist.

[vintagerpm]

Super Clean worked like a charm. After a week there is just little bit of purple stained primer left on the body. But that seems to be easily rubbed off.

Thanks again.

[StevenGuthmiller]

1 hour ago, vintagerpm said:

Super Clean worked like a charm. After a week there is just little bit of purple stained primer left on the body. But that seems to be easily rubbed off.

Thanks again.

I will often times remove any left over primer in a few minutes with alcohol swabs.

 

Steve