Removing paint

[Wobbleboxer]

I know this question has been asked before but I can't find a thread (and I have looked, honest). I have a second hand Bachmann clerestory roofed coach that has has the roof (badly) painted black over the original red. The paint is chipped and doesn't seem well adhered so I want to try and remove it before doing a proper job. What's best to get the old stuff off with without damaging the plastic?

 

[chris m01]

I have used Phoenix precision superstrip in the past. It isn't cheap but it seems to strip most paint without damaging plastic. Certainly worked very well for me. A cheaper alternative might be nail varnish remover (of the right type) or brake fluid but I've never had the courage to try these.

 

[garrymartin]

Modelstrip is another product that may do the job. I have used this in the past with mixed results, sometimes it has worked brilliantly , others its took 6 or 7 coatings to get the paint off. It also leaves a white residue everywhere , which can be a pain to wash off.

 

[Tony]

Soak it in hot (not boiling) water and then spray it with kitchen mr muscal rub off with fingue nail or a foam scoring pad might work depending on the paint used if not try soda soap

Tony

 

[steven large]

i use muscle oven cleaner..just pop in the bag,seal it,leave til overnite and then wash off......wink

 

[maxi-model]

Oven cleaners and other specilist model cleaners that use sodium hydroxide, e.g. Mr Muscle, Modelstrip, as their "active" component are great for removing oil based paints like enamels. Brake/Clutch fluid works well on cellulose/acrylic automotive type paints without a clear laquer coating - in my experience safe for use on plastics. Phoenix product works very well but I do not know what is doing the stripping on that one. DO NOT use any caustic type cleaner, Nitromores, etc', or cellulose/acetone based paint/varnish removers on plastics.

 

[tramcar trev]

DO NOT use any caustic type cleaner, Nitromores, etc', or cellulose/acetone based paint/varnish removers on plastics.

Oh now you tell me??? yes a trap for young players, we used to carve warships out of styrofoam and coat them with pva glue.... wait for that to dry then float them on an ocean of acetone and see how long it took for them to sink..... I find sodium hydroxide solution fairly weak is good may take some soaking but it seems to work on most plastics, but solvent based products are a no no....

 

[DaveB2]

I can vouch for Fairy power spray removing paint and not damaging the plastic.
I can't say what the paint was as it was a second hand aquisition but I'd guess at car paint (top & undercoat).

Dave