Author Topic: Stripping Paint Off Atlas and Micro-Trains Cars. (Read 5034 times)

Kisatchie · « **Reply #15 on:** October 16, 2015, 02:04:22 PM »

Quote from: peteski on October 16, 2015, 01:08:42 PM

In my experience stripping paint off anything usually is. That is why, whenever possible, I prefer undecorated models for custom paint jobs....

I have a number of Micro-Trains undecs. However, All of the cars I stripped had built/New dates after 1971, the year I'm going to model. I could have tried to sell them, but I'm batting .063 trying to sell stuff here on TRW lately.

Hmm... more like .001...

Kisatchie · « **Reply #16 on:** October 16, 2015, 03:16:23 PM »

Update:

Scalecoat's Wash Away is the runaway winner on the MTL cars I tried it on. It easily dissolved most of the stubborn lettering on the MTL cars, and it removed whatever base paint was left after the alcohol fiasco. I'm letting the stubborn lettering car soak a little longer to see if there is any improvement. Still, it's a lot better than with just alcohol.

It's a different story on the Atlas FGE cars. After soaking for 20 minutes, almost none of the base paint has been removed from the cars. The fiasco continues.

If I learned anything from this, it to wear gloves with the Wash Away.

Hmm... Kiz's fingers
smell like volatile organic
compounds...

peteski · « **Reply #17 on:** October 16, 2015, 03:29:41 PM »

Gloves are a good idea when dealing with any type of paint stripper. Especially the one I'll recommend next.

Try one of the sodium hydroxide (lye) based strippers on that stubborn Atlas paint. This was mentioned earlier in this thread. Purple Stuff (or one of several similar names) one such solution. It intended use is as a heavy-duty degreaser. But it also attacks certain types of paint. You can usually find this stuff in automotive parts stores and Walmart also carries a version of that purple stuff. If you don't wear skin protection, it will dissolve your skin.

Also mentioned is ELO - it is a different from Scalecoat Wash Away and it might work better on the Atlas paint. Or did you already try that one?

Kisatchie · « **Reply #18 on:** October 16, 2015, 03:51:11 PM »

Quote from: peteski on October 16, 2015, 03:29:41 PM

Try one of the sodium hydroxide (lye) based strippers on that stubborn Atlas paint... ...Purple Stuff (or one of several similar names) one such solution. It intended use is as a heavy-duty degreaser. But it also attacks certain types of paint. You can usually find this stuff in automotive parts stores and Walmart also carries a version of that purple stuff. If you don't wear skin protection, it will dissolve your skin.

I think I'll pass on the lye-based strippers. Too bad we don't have an emoticon of a hand stripped of its skin.

Quote from: peteski on October 16, 2015, 03:29:41 PM

Also mentioned is ELO - it is a different from Scalecoat Wash Away and it might work better on the Atlas paint. Or did you already try that one?

No, I don't have any ELO.

Hmm... is ELO related to
J-Lo...?

peteski · « **Reply #19 on:** October 16, 2015, 05:09:48 PM »

Quote from: Kisatchie on October 16, 2015, 03:51:11 PM

I think I'll pass on the lye-based strippers. Too bad we don't have an emoticon of a hand stripped of its skin.

All paint strippers are hazardous chemicals. Lye is present in many household chemicals such as Easy-Off oven cleaner spray (which is also used as a hobby paint stripper) and in many drain unclogging liquids. Lye does work really well as a paint stripper for certain types of paint. As long as you observe safe handling (of any of the above chemicals) you have nothing to worry about.

Angus Shops · « **Reply #20 on:** October 16, 2015, 11:11:39 PM »

I remember actually using drain cleaner as apaint stripper many years ago...
But I can't remember how well it worked.

Geoff

Santa Fe Guy · « **Reply #21 on:** October 17, 2015, 01:26:49 AM »

Way back we used brake fluid, it worked much better when warmed. Now I use ELO quicker and safer IMO.
Rod.

Kisatchie · « **Reply #22 on:** October 17, 2015, 04:32:27 PM »

Quote from: Santa Fe Guy on October 17, 2015, 01:26:49 AM

Way back we used brake fluid, it worked much better when warmed. Now I use ELO quicker and safer IMO.
Rod.

I found MB Klein sells ELO. It's $9.99 for 8 ounces. On the other hand, Scalecoat Wash Away is $11.99 for 16 ounces, $.50 an ounce less than ELO.

ELO would have to dissolve the tough Atlas paint and some Micro-Trains lettering to be worth it to me.

Hmm... I wonder how
much per ounce a
banana daiquiri is...

JMaurer1 · « **Reply #23 on:** October 19, 2015, 02:14:00 PM »

Brake fluid worked really great for me back in the day...now days, brake fluid is not the same as the old brake fluid. As a result, it doesn't work as well.

thomasjmdavis · « **Reply #24 on:** October 19, 2015, 06:57:39 PM »

I have had success on some paints with Simple Green. The MT passenger cars have given up their paint to 91% alcohol, I think, but soaked quite a while. But don't take that as a recommendation for any particular paint or any particular brand of model. Sometimes different paint schemes require different strippers. Or, for that matter, at one time, I stripped the New Haven stripe off some Model Power and Minintrix shorty streamline cars lettered for ATSF. Well, I stripped it off of 4 out of 5 of them. The paint on one coach, that as far as I can recall was purchased at the same time from the same hobby shop, just would not come off. After trying 3 or 4 things, the shell warped. Went into the waste basket with the shell destroyed, but red paint intact.

I have a couple things soaking right now, that I had better look after, lest they dissolve.

peteski · « **Reply #25 on:** October 19, 2015, 07:14:17 PM »

Quote from: JMaurer1 on October 19, 2015, 02:14:00 PM

Brake fluid worked really great for me back in the day...now days, brake fluid is not the same as the old brake fluid. As a result, it doesn't work as well.

The DOT3 brake fluid should still be similar to the fluid from 30 or 40 years ago. DOT3 is usually based on Diethylene glycol or Diethylene glycol monoethyl ether. The ingredient list on my bottle of ELO stripper shows: Isobutyl alcohol and Diethylene glycol monoethyl ether. So the same chemical is used in both DOT3 brake fluid and in the ELO stripper.

The newer DOT5 brake fluid is silicone based and not compatible with DOT3 fluid.

EDIT: fixed typo

badlandnp · « **Reply #26 on:** October 20, 2015, 02:03:53 PM »

DOT3 is my preference. It does a good job and hasn't harmed the plastic on any of my Atlas or MT cars. Takes about 15-20 minutes to saok, scrub with a soft toothbrush, soak stibborn lettering and scrub again. Always comes clean with Dawn dishwashing soap and hot water. And it is easily available and cheap.

My pennies worth.

ELO stage dropping down from the cieling..........that was a show!

Scott Lupia · « **Reply #27 on:** October 20, 2015, 05:33:52 PM »

Has anybody tried a wirewheel in a hand held drill! Takes the paint right off!

Scott Lupia

Spades · « **Reply #28 on:** October 20, 2015, 06:54:18 PM »

Quote from: Scott Lupia on October 20, 2015, 05:33:52 PM

Has anybody tried a wirewheel in a hand held drill! Takes the paint right off!

Scott Lupia

....and the shell details, parts of the shell, and the plastic,........

Scott Lupia · « **Reply #29 on:** October 20, 2015, 10:06:04 PM »

Quote from: Spades on October 20, 2015, 06:54:18 PM

....and the shell details, parts of the shell, and the plastic,........

Sometimes some skin and a fingernail it two.

Scott Lupia