Baking soda or aluminum oxide for stripping paint off brass?

[Sharky_McSharknose]

I have a Hallmark/Samhongsa brass U33B in Penn Central paint that I would like to repaint to Conrail. I have a Badger air eraser and the aluminum oxide media it came with. When I use the air eraser, should I use the aluminum oxide, or should I use baking soda instead? I tried regular old Arm & Hammer on an old AHM plastic covered hopper but I needed to get the pressure up to 50psi for it to have any effect.

[MK]

If it's 100% brass, why not a liquid stripper?  Zero abrasiveness.

[wvgca]

I have a small air blaster booth that I use for these .. I just run the soda medium, have never tried aluminum oxide ...
The soda leaves a small bit of barely noticeable roughness that helps the paint to bond, I wouldn't run an abrasive free medium for brass ... [ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[peteski]

I have used aluminum oxide abrasive in my Badger sandblasting gun to roughen up Kato plastic handrails for painting them, and that worked fine. I don't see aluminum oxide doing anything bad to brass.  Baking soda has rather large grain (compared to the aluminum oxide).

But if the model is brass, then why ot use chemical stripper. Less work that way.

[Sharky_McSharknose]

I was hoping to find a use for the air eraser because I hadn't tried it since my first attempt. I think I will try brake fluid first. I believe I have some and the local auto parts stores are still open in case I don't. They will also take it for disposal.

[Lemosteam]

Bill Lane, a prominent S Scale modeler uses a full blown sandblaster for his brass models and uses AL OX.

http://lanestrains.com/My_Models.htm

An image after sandblasting and just before paint: 



After Paint:

[peteski]

If it is brass  model, there is no need to use plastic-safe strippers. Go for the "strong" stuff, designed to work on metal and wood. Some should be available in the car parts stores, and hardware stores.  Brake fluid? Yuck!

[wvgca]

brake fluid will definitely work, and the light etching afterwards can be added with an acid dip, even a dilute acid such as vinegar  ...
but the is no way that i would apply paint on a brass item without etching it first .. just my preference as i have done maybe two dozen this way ..