stripping paint from a kato

[tom mann]

There is always a lot of discussion about this, but will just plain 91% alcohol work?

[Sokramiketes]

There is always a lot of discussion about this, but will just plain 91% alcohol work?

I suppose it will take as much time waiting for a reply as it would take to dunk it and see...

[tom mann]

There is always a lot of discussion about this, but will just plain 91% alcohol work?

I suppose it will take as much time waiting for a reply as it would take to dunk it and see...

Well, it seems like it could take forever, don't know if I should continue or do something else.

[Robbman]

Message deleted

[inkaneer]

There is always a lot of discussion about this, but will just plain 91% alcohol work?

I used 91% to strip some Kato caboose bodies with no problems.  I used it in a ultrasonic cleaner.  The shells came out okay but the alcohol was not too kind on whatever type of clear plastic they use in the lid of the ultrasonic cleaner. 

[amato1969]

Cool thread!  I have a few Kato PAs to strip this weekend.  I was going to try ELO, but I'll give the isopropyl a shot first...

  Frank

[FrankCampagna]

This comes up from time to time. People who have done it say it is the best for Kato paints. Some colors, however, just don't come off completely. Frank

[CRRNJ]

I have had very little luck stripping paint from Kato locos. I suspect that a blow torch would work as well as anything : ;D . I have been advised to just paint over the original.

Len

[Chris333]

I used alcohol to strip 4 Kato F3's. Worked just fine.

[engineshop]

Cool thread!  I have a few Kato PAs to strip this weekend.  I was going to try ELO, but I'll give the isopropyl a shot first...

  Frank

You might have to be careful with ELO since in can make some plastic brittle. I use alcohol and Badgers sandblaster for best results. The sandblaster even removes the paint in the radiator grooves.

[nscalesteve]

91% alcohol and a round brush in a flex on a dremel with low rpm will work ! *
(and if you try to strip a new run Kato Conrail SD40 be prepared to strip them twice - yes, they are painted and pad printed twice !)



* that's how I strip Kato shells...

[rmansker]

Whatever you do, DO NOT GO NEAR A KATO SHELL WITH ELO- IT WILL CRUMBLE INTO PIECES!!! I lost two SD40 shells trying to strip with ELO not too long ago. As soon as I started to scrub with a toothbrush, they literally came apart in my hands. I have used it on both Atlas and Lifelike shells before with no problem, so I guess Kato uses a different type of plastic for their shell that doesn't react well to the ELO.

[amato1969]

Thanks, guys.  Isopropyl it is!

  Frank

[Catt]

If it's a single colour KATO I'm working with I don't bother stripping the paint.I will use Acetone (fingernail polish remover for those that don't know) and just remove the lettering then spray the new colour and decal to suite.

[RS-27]

I have 5 Kato SD40s + 2 SD45 + 2 U30C (olde).  They still had remanents or more of paint from previous attempts.  I soaked them in 91% isopropyl.  A toothbrush got off the paint off the shells along with a bicarbonate sandblast (99.44%).

There was some slight residue, no prob.  I was happy.

I soaked the sills and handrails, left them immersed for a week.  Not good...  the delrin/whatever engineering plastic of the handrails absorbed the alky.   The curve of the assembly was impressive... NOT. 

Luckily, after toothbrushing (might just as well) and letting them sit for a week, the handrails shrunk to their original size. I was happy again.

Moral of the tale:  even benign(??) solvents might not be...

My mileage (your's may vary):  91% isopropyl or denatured ethanol is the first step.  I have Chameleon: $7 for 8oz, alky is about $1 per quart.  ELO on a q-tip removed some old Atlas(Roco?) paint that 91% didnt touch (neither did oven cleaner).

I will not use brake fluid. Period.  I'm not thrilled with PineSol either.

Be cautious.

Bob in IDaho