Removing polish

[berr13]

I've got a body that I painted with Tamiya lacquer and polished with Novus #2, but I now want to repaint it.  I've read somewhere that soap and water will remove Novus polish, but can anyone confirm that?  And if so, what kind of soap?  Thanks,

Jim

 

[BigTallDad]

You might want to try garden-variety Windex. Unlike automotive polishes/waxes, Novus #2 is a polish, but not a protectant.

[StevenGuthmiller]

If you are going to repaint it, aren't you going to strip the old paint?

 

Steve

[berr13]

2 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

If you are going to repaint it, aren't you going to strip the old paint?

 

Steve

I wasn't going to strip it if I could avoid it.  The current paint is smooth (except for one deal-breaking blemish) and thin, with plenty of trim detail present.  If there's no efficient way to remove the polish, then yeah, I guess I'll strip the current paint job.  Prefer to get around it if I can, though.

[Can-Con]

If this is the product you mean,,

Then it shouldn't be a problem removing it because there shouldn't be anything to remove. 

"Polishs" work by using super fine abrasive to remove texture in the paint, making it shinier.  There shouldn't be anything in that to stop the paint from sticking properly unless you waxed it also. 

"POLISH" is NOT a coating like wax is and after it's wiped off there shouldn't be anything on the surface but paint.

BUT, all you need to do is go over the body with some fine sandpaper, 800 or 1000 grit, to give the new paint some extra "bite" just to make sure . Personally, I'd strip it first too though.

[StevenGuthmiller]

2 hours ago, Can-Con said:

If this is the product you mean,,

Then it shouldn't be a problem removing it because there shouldn't be anything to remove. 

"Polishs" work by using super fine abrasive to remove texture in the paint, making it shinier.  There shouldn't be anything in that to stop the paint from sticking properly unless you waxed it also. 

"POLISH" is NOT a coating like wax is and after it's wiped off there shouldn't be anything on the surface but paint.

BUT, all you need to do is go over the body with some fine sandpaper, 800 or 1000 grit, to give the new paint some extra "bite" just to make sure . Personally, I'd strip it first too though.

I agree with all of this.

The boy knows his stuff!

 

Steve

[Snake45]

9 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

I agree with all of this.

The boy knows his stuff!

 

Steve

Consensus from the Snakepit as well. 

[SteveG]

Unfortunate Novus #2 contains silicone or similar type materials that will create "fisheyes" if there's even a microscopic spec of residue remaining on the surface.  If you sand it before thoroughly cleaning it you'll embed that residue and game over.  I one tried to use Novus #2 to clean off BMF residue before clear coating a body.   It looked perfectly clean but I soon as started apply the clear it was a disaster. 

I tossed the Novus #2 out and now I only use true Automotive grade polishes that specifically say they are safe for paint and can be painted over right on the label.   I strongly suggest you thoroughly wash the body several times with a grease removing detergent like Dawn before doing anything else.  

-Steve

 

Edited November 9, 2018 by SteveG

[Don Wheeler]

According to the safety data sheet on the Novus site, it contains 4 to 8% Polydimethyl Siloxane.   According to Wikipedia, this is a silicone.  I left a message on the Novus site asking for some feedback.  If I learn anything I'll post it here.

Don

[StevenGuthmiller]

Personally, I'm not a fan of spraying new paint over old, so I would strip it regardless.

But if you're going to do it, & there is even a slight possibility of silicone in the polish, all you should need is a good scrubbing with hot water &  a dish detergent like Dawn.

That should be all that is necessary.

 

Steve

[935k3]

I have learned the hard way that Novus has silicone. AS others said a good scrub in soap and water will remove it.  Ammonia will work to. I would not use Windex it has some alcohol that will affect lacquers.

[Can-Con]

I feel bad about posting now.  

I used the stuff for a few years and never had a problem painting over it when I had to. Maybe the stuff they sell here is different then the stuff they sell in the States. 

Oh well, I guess I really should have learned by now not to reply to any paint related threads. 

[Don Wheeler]

My guess is that the silicone fills in tiny scratches left by the abrasive and makes the finish shinier.  I don't know why else they would add it.

Don

[Don Wheeler]

I got a reply from Novus.  Here's what he wrote:

Hi Donald,

Thank you for your inquiry from our website.  Yes, NOVUS #1 and #2 do contain some silicone.  Most polishes on the market will contain some silicone because that will give the surface a shine.  Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks,

Dean Trocke   NOVUS Polish Sales Manager

So, here was my response:

Hi Dean,

Thanks for responding.  Novus is a great polish, but don't you think you should warn people about the silicone?  I have heard of guys trying to do touch-ups on models after polishing and having a mess.  That can be really frustrating after spending many hours building and painting.

Is there good way to remove the silicone if touch-up is needed?

Best regards,

Don

If he answers I will post it here.

Don

[Don Wheeler]

I heard back from Novus:

Hi Don,

Thanks for your email.  We do have it listed on our SDS online but just about any polish you will find will have a silicone in it.  We do have a silicone free polish of the #1 and a silicone and wax free polish of the #2 that is available on a special order.  We keep a small inventory in the warehouse because every once in a while silicone can be an issue for auto detailers or customers trying to silk-screed on acrylics.  Our chemist normally recommends Mr. Clean to remove the silicone off the surface.  That will usually do a pretty good job and it is safe for plastics.  

Thanks,

Dean Trocke   NOVUS Polish Sales Manager So, I guess you can get Novus without silicone if you special order it.

[Can-Con]

Some great detective work there Don.  Good to know. Now we'll be able to give a correct answer if someone asks. 

[GeeBee]

Get yourself some panel wipe, it's used in the automotive body repair business to do exactly what you want to do, it will remove and grease including silicone, I use it before i airbrush my topcoats, I use 70%Alcohol on bare plastic.

[935k3]

Note that most Meguiars polishes say they are paintable right on the bottle.

Edited November 12, 2018 by 935k3

[SteveG]

1 hour ago, 935k3 said:

Note that most Meguiars polishes say they are paintable right on the bottle.

Meguiars, 3M and many others have Paint Shop safe polishes.  There's a high end restoration shop that I used to visit that turned me on to a brand called Wizards.  I've been using that happily on both my full size and scale projects ever since. 

Steve

Edited November 13, 2018 by SteveG

[Don Wheeler]

I guess the lesson here is to be careful if you use Novus.  Dispose of any rags and wash hands well after using, and keep it away from unpainted parts and painting equipment.  I wonder if just handling a model that's been polished with it could transfer silicone to your hands.  Also, does it make any sense to wax a model that's been polished with it?  Will the wax just wipe off?

Don

[berr13]

Thanks, everyone.  Some great information here, and y'all continue to impress and inspire me with your knowledge and detective skills.  After all this, though, I think I'll probably wind up stripping the paint from the model.  With that in mind, one last question--what's best for stripping lacquer?  I've used Bleche White in the past, on enamels, so will it work on lacquer too?

Thanks again!

 

[StevenGuthmiller]

Your best bet will be Super Clean.

It will take a while, but if you let it soak for a week or so & the Super Clean can get under the paint, it will dissolve the primer & the lacquer will lift off in sheets.

Some folks will use Isopropyl alcohol, but I'm not convinced that it won't make the plastic brittle.

Purple Power and Simple Green are in the same family as Super Clean, but they are not as powerful.

At least I have had little luck with them.

Easy Off oven cleaner can work as well, but it's more difficult to work with and the fumes are very harsh.

Bleche White is pretty mild & will work for enamels & chrome, but not so much for lacquer.

You can soak plastic in Super Clean for weeks with no damage to the plastic, it's easy to deal with & you can re-use it over & over again.

 

Steve

Edited November 18, 2018 by StevenGuthmiller