Ethyl vs Isopropyl Alcohol for Stripping Kato Paint

[robert3985]

I'm posting this just to make SURE I don't make a big mistake.  There are several threads here at TRW which recommend using 90%+ Isopropyl Alcohol to strip off Kato paint...soaking first, then using a rotary tool with a fiber brush to get it off.  I was planning on buying a fifth of Everclear (Ethyl Alcohol) to use instead, thinking that would be more efficient.

HOWEVER...I bought a new 25" Dell monitor for my new PC desktop build, and the instructions on how to clean the screen surface very clearly and emphatically state that Ethyl alcohol is NOT TO BE USED, but that Isopropyl alcohol is just fine.

My concern is that I may destroy the body on my first Kato Broadway Ltd. "Rapids" series 10-6 sleeper by using Ethyl alcohol instead of the tried and true Isopropyl alcohol to strip off the Pennsy paint.

Anybody have any experience using Ethyl alcohol to strip Kato paint???

Maybe I should just use what anecdotally is okay rather than messing around with something that might eat the plastic of what I'm trying to strip the paint off of????

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[Scottl]

Well, isopropyl  works for me (99% is best if you can get it).  Save the good stuff for other purposes 

[learmoia]

I'm posting this just to make SURE I don't make a big mistake.  There are several threads here at TRW which recommend using 90%+ Isopropyl Alcohol to strip off Kato paint...soaking first, then using a rotary tool with a fiber brush to get it off.  I was planning on buying a fifth of Everclear (Ethyl Alcohol) to use instead, thinking that would be more efficient.

HOWEVER...I bought a new 25" Dell monitor for my new PC desktop build, and the instructions on how to clean the screen surface very clearly and emphatically state that Ethyl alcohol is NOT TO BE USED, but that Isopropyl alcohol is just fine.

My concern is that I may destroy the body on my first Kato Broadway Ltd. "Rapids" series 10-6 sleeper by using Ethyl alcohol instead of the tried and true Isopropyl alcohol to strip off the Pennsy paint.

Anybody have any experience using Ethyl alcohol to strip Kato paint???

Maybe I should just use what anecdotally is okay rather than messing around with something that might eat the plastic of what I'm trying to strip the paint off of????

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

I've always used Iso.. I've heard you can use everclear, but never tried it..

If it's cheaper by volume then I'll grab some and try it on a shell.

As a bonus I can try to drink everclear.. which I also have never done..

If it's more expensive, I'd just stick to Iso..  But if your into drinking the excess.. Then yeah knock yourself out I guess..

Also.. Original Orange Pine-Sol is another old school method of stripping kato shells.  I always found it to work better than Alcohol.

.. I used alcohol to remove lettering for renumbering.. I used pine-sol to strip paint.

~Ian

[robert3985]

I've always used Iso.. I've heard you can use everclear, but never tried it..

If it's cheaper by volume then I'll grab some and try it on a shell.

As a bonus I can try to drink everclear.. which I also have never done..

If it's more expensive, I'd just stick to Iso..  But if your into drinking the excess.. Then yeah knock yourself out I guess..

Also.. Original Orange Pine-Sol is another old school method of stripping kato shells.  I always found it to work better than Alcohol.

.. I used alcohol to remove lettering for renumbering.. I used pine-sol to strip paint.

~Ian

I've got 99% Isopropyl Alcohol on hand, but I've got to travel 70 miles to Evanston WY to get a fifth of Everclear since it isn't sold in that volume in Utah.  I don't drink, so I use what Everclear I have on hand for stuff like cleaning mold out of my shower stall (works great!). 

Ian ( @ learmoia ) tell me how you use the Pine-Sol please.  I'm not stripping loco bodies, but shiny passenger cars if that makes a difference, and I want to retain that smooth body surface when I repaint these in Pennsy transcon UP yellow & gray.

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[learmoia]

I've got 99% Isopropyl Alcohol on hand, but I've got to travel 70 miles to Evanston WY to get a fifth of Everclear since it isn't sold in that volume in Utah.  I don't drink, so I use what Everclear I have on hand for stuff like cleaning mold out of my shower stall (works great!). 

Ian ( @ learmoia ) tell me how you use the Pine-Sol please.  I'm not stripping loco bodies, but shiny passenger cars if that makes a difference, and I want to retain that smooth body surface when I repaint these in Pennsy transcon UP yellow & gray.

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

Bob, sorry I typed out a responce yesterday, and today see that it didn't go through.. odd..

SO.. Pinesol method:
Same as 91/99% alcohol..
Use straight (not diluted) Pinesol - Original orange..

Soak for 30-45 minutes.. Brush (or the rotary brush method might be better.)
Repeat in 5-10minute increments until clean.
Soak in warm water/dawn dish soap - Brush again to clean off the Pinesol..
Rinse..

There was a rumor that the Pinesol removes a component of the plastic which makes it brittle - but I've never had a shell crack on me except for a running board piece that cracked when I was brushing it.. but I had the same problem with an Atlas shell soaked in Alcohol... (this is why I'm excited about the rotary brush method)

Everclear (I'm not going to bother with it)
I price checked Everclear and it was $18 for 25floz.. but I can get 91% in the pharmacy for $3 for 16floz..
So I can buy 2 bottles of 91% and a 6 pack of Sam Adams Cream Stout and I'm good for 5-6 nights of stripping..... model.... trains....
 
~Ian

[peteski]

There is always the denatured alcohol (from a hardware store).  It is ethanol. If you are willing to try it, we are waiting for your results. 

[Missaberoad]

There was a rumor that the Pinesol removes a component of the plastic which makes it brittle

I did have this happen to me when I was younger where Kato shell cracked so easily it was like it was crumbling.
I had soaked the shell for a very long time however, Days likely...

I imagine short periods of time would be much safer to the plastic.

[learmoia]

I did have this happen to me when I was younger where Kato shell cracked so easily it was like it was crumbling.
I had soaked the shell for a very long time however, Days likely...

I imagine short periods of time would be much safer to the plastic.

Yeah.. I never left it for more than an hour before brushing and I was fine..  Heck I may have left one for a day or 2 and it was still fine.. but I wouldn't recommend it..

But Kato may have changed their formulatons of plastic and paints since then.. as could Pinesol.


I stumbled on a model car site that compared various stripping methods/compounds..
I'll get the link tomorrow and post it.. 

Interesting stuff.
We haven't talked about Castrol Super Clean (Purple bottle) yet either.. but it doesn't strip Kato paint... Takes off Red Caboose paint like a champ.. a literally shake the tub and it falls off!

-Ian

 

[Wutter]

I've always used 91% isopropyl on everything that I've stripped with good results, and it seems to be available at most pharmacies for much cheaper than denatured and ethyl.

Never really had the need to use 99% because 91% would do the job with a few hours of soaking and just a toothbrush. The only color I've ever had trouble with is Kato's UP yellow as somehow it seems to stain the plastic as well. The staining wouldn't go away but the majority of the paint was gone in a day and didn't affect coverage of the new paint. No damage or brittleness of the plastic either.

Not sure about the safety of plastics from ethyl alcohol but I would like to hear any stories and experiences.

[havingfuntoo]

Just to clarify is Ethyl, (Ethyl Alcohol) the same thing as Ethanol?
In the orange pine sol not knowing for sure as I can not see the ingredients list but being familiar with Tabs D (distilled Pine Oil) and D-limonene (distilled orange oil) which I am guessing are used in this product from the description (yes I know it is dangerous to assume) are both Terpene Hydrocarbons. Products from the Terpene family will attack paint and when combined with surfactants will penetrate very effectively under paint if the surface is lightly scratched. Terpenes will also degrade some plastics leaving them brittle. 

I know I have banged before about the risk of using dremel tools around  Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) so just a friendly warning to be careful and make sure you have active ventilation happening when you are preforming your work.   

[peteski]

From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanol

Ethanol, also commonly called alcohol, ethyl alcohol, and drinking alcohol, is the principal type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, produced by the fermentation of sugars by yeasts. It is a neurotoxic,[14][15] psychoactive drug, and one of the oldest recreational drugs. It can cause alcohol intoxication when consumed in sufficient quantity.

[Philip H]

From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanol

Ethanol, also commonly called alcohol, ethyl alcohol, and drinking alcohol, is the principal type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, produced by the fermentation of sugars by yeasts. It is a neurotoxic,[14][15] psychoactive drug, and one of the oldest recreational drugs. It can cause alcohol intoxication when consumed in sufficient quantity.

Which is why @Ed Kapuscinski uses vodka when he does weathering.

[robert3985]

...I know I have banged before about the risk of using dremel tools around  Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) so just a friendly warning to be careful and make sure you have active ventilation happening when you are preforming your work.

@havingfuntoo , I rarely use my Dremels nowadays.  For this process, I'll be using a Foredom flexible shaft tool, with the rpm's way lower than the lowest speed achievable on any Dremel...inside my spraybooth, with the motor part of the Foredom outside the booth.  I am sure I am not going to ignite any alcohol fumes or liquids working with this setup.

Time to go buy some original Pinesol as soaking for less than an hour seems to be much more efficient than soaking for at least 24 hrs in various alcohols...

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[learmoia]

@havingfuntoo , I rarely use my Dremels nowadays.  For this process, I'll be using a Foredom flexible shaft tool, with the rpm's way lower than the lowest speed achievable on any Dremel...inside my spraybooth, with the motor part of the Foredom outside the booth.  I am sure I am not going to ignite any alcohol fumes or liquids working with this setup.

Time to go buy some original Pinesol as soaking for less than an hour seems to be much more efficient than soaking for at least 24 hrs in various alcohols...

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

Here is the link to the model car paint stripper site I found..

http://www.bonediggers.com/1-3/strip/strip.html

[peteski]

Here is the link to the model car paint stripper site I found..

http://www.bonediggers.com/1-3/strip/strip.html

Interesting review, but they don't cover all the plastic-compatible strippers.  There is also Scalecoat Wash-Away paint remover, the above mentioned alcohol, Chameleon paint remover, and few others which names I can't recall right now.