Paint stripping discovery?

[robdebie]

Last week I wanted to strip a ~35 year old Tamiya M23, and I found a new (?) way to do that. First I tried sodium hydroxide (NaOH) oven cleaner / drain opener, my classic method, that worked well but slow. I tried my ultrasonic bath, but that had hardly any effect.

Out of curiosity I tried the combination too, with the sodium hydroxide in a separate container suspended in the ultrasonic cleaner. And that worked very well: all paint and decals were removed in 10-20 minutes, without the need for scrubbing. Everything was completely clean without any effort. Interestingly all glue joints also broke down during the paint stripping, a unexpected but nice benefit.

Rob

 

 

 

[kittesvsr71]

Can you please show your method and what product you used?  I've got duplicolor I'm trying to strip off a starsky and hutch car, tried totally awesome, nada  trying the barbecue black can of easy off oven cleaner and so far nada. 

[Jantrix]

6 minutes ago, kittesvsr71 said:

Can you please show your method and what product you used?  I've got duplicolor I'm trying to strip off a starsky and hutch car, tried totally awesome, nada  trying the barbecue black can of easy off oven cleaner and so far nada. 

Rob. I'm sure we'd all like to see your method in a brief tutorial perhaps?

Jeff. Duplicolor lacquers are very tough stuff. 90% isopropyl alcohol does work. I recommend though, you use the old Super Clean degreaser BUT first sand through to the primer in a half a dozen spots on the body. Let the chemical attack the primer. After a week or so, the lacquer should slough off like a snake skin.

[paul alflen]

Robdebie, can you show how you did it?? I have an ultrasonic jewery cleaner that I got at the resale store for  this very purpose! maybe I  can put the purple pond stuff in there and let the ultrasonic waves do the removal for me!!!!!!!!!!

[kittesvsr71]

Jantrix - Thanks for that =)  I used easy off oven cleaner and that didn't help even though I sanded prior to that.  But I used my backup of the Scale Coat Wash Away Paint Remover and it took the paint right off the hood and tamiya white lacquer primer as well in 10 mins!  =)  That stuff is well worth its weight in gold but wish it wasn't so expensive. 

[peteski]

8 hours ago, kittesvsr71 said:

 Scale Coat Wash Away Paint Remover and it took the paint right off the hood and tamiya white lacquer primer as well in 10 mins!  =)  That stuff is well worth its weight in gold but wish it wasn't so expensive. 

Yes, it is, but it is reusable.

[landman]

10 hours ago, kittesvsr71 said:

Jantrix - Thanks for that =)  I used easy off oven cleaner and that didn't help even though I sanded prior to that.  But I used my backup of the Scale Coat Wash Away Paint Remover and it took the paint right off the hood and tamiya white lacquer primer as well in 10 mins!  =)  That stuff is well worth its weight in gold but wish it wasn't so expensive. 

I looked this up. Any reason for all the colors?

 

[robdebie]

On 5/20/2019 at 3:32 PM, kittesvsr71 said:

Can you please show your method and what product you used?  I've got duplicolor I'm trying to strip off a starsky and hutch car, tried totally awesome, nada  trying the barbecue black can of easy off oven cleaner and so far nada. 

I used a 10% NaOH drain opener. It's a Dutch brand, so you'll have to look for a local equivalent. Please note that my model was painted with enamels (Humbrol), and I don't know how effective the method is for other paint types.

Rob

[robdebie]

On 5/20/2019 at 5:38 PM, paul alflen said:

Robdebie, can you show how you did it?? I have an ultrasonic jewery cleaner that I got at the resale store for  this very purpose! maybe I  can put the purple pond stuff in there and let the ultrasonic waves do the removal for me!!!!!!!!!!

Here are a few photos.

Shown below are the two main ingredients: sodium hydroxide (NaOH, lye and caustic soda in the US) and an ultrasonic cleaner. I used a drain opener that is a solution of approximately 10% NaOH in water and probably nothing else. I diluted it further down by adding water, to maybe 5%.

From what I read, stainless steel is not attacked by NaOH below 65C, but still I put the NaOH solution a separate plastic container, suspended in the metal wire basket that comes with the ultrasonic cleaner. There are no liquids in the photo, I did not want to get my photo set-up wet!

I think the wire basket can be left out, with the plastic container with NaOH solution directly in the water of the ultrasonic cleaner.

There's not much to tell about it... Try it! And be careful with the NaOH: your eyes at risk, use safety glasses.

Rob

[paul alflen]

Thank you Rob!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[oldcarfan]

Smart tip! Using the plastic tub instead of putting the drain stuff directly in the cleaner also makes clean up easier I would think.

[hotrodblder]

Now I have an excuse to drag my ultrasonic cleaner out of the closet. I have a ton of things that need the possible chance of being stripped quicker than the normal hurry up and wait session.

[robdebie]

On 6/26/2019 at 1:19 AM, hotrodblder said:

Now I have an excuse to drag my ultrasonic cleaner out of the closet. I have a ton of things that need the possible chance of being stripped quicker than the normal hurry up and wait session.

Please let us know the results! I will demonstrate the technique at the next club meeting - I hope it works as well there as at home  :-)

Rob