I am trying to remove some paint off of my old Athearn GP35’s this afternoon. I have been using “Polly S ELO” to do the job. The old Athearn paint seems to be pretty resistive to the ELO. I have put several applications on and letting it sit for some time. I will then scrub it with hot water and soap and dry. After the models are dry I have re-applied another coat and started the whole event over. Pretty slow going. These models are from the mid-80’s. Any ideas out there?
Thanks,
Brad
Yes, old Athearns can be a challenge as I found a few months ago with a Santa Fe FP45 shell.
Using a narrow plastic or aluminum container, I pour 2 or 3 bottles of 91% alcohol and submerge the model in it. If it is a tough paint, I’ll let it soak several hours. I lay the shell in upside down and put a small weight in the middle to keep it submerged.
Later while still submerged, I scrub the shell with a toothbrush, turning the shell over continuously. Most of the paint comes off on the tough jobs. Usually if what’s left won’t come off easily, you can try carefully wet sanding it with 3M 400 grit paper first, and then 600 grit. This way as long as the paint looks and feel smooth, it won’t show thru when you apply your primer.
OH DEAR GOD…DO NOT SAND DOWN YOUR SHELL…bad advice…except if you want to loose all your details.
David
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Antonio,
Thanks, I will try your process and see what happens.
Brad
Hey David,
I am not going to sand, just try the stripping method with the alcohol. Nice fleet picture too.
Brad
David,
No, don’t worry, I don’t mean sand off the details.
I should have been more clear. I was referring to the areas of stubborn paint where the edge of the paint line forms a hard edge…that can be wet sanded with success. Exception would be, of course, to be careful with details, such as rivets.
10-4!
Not real sure about the diesels, but almost all of the older Athearn freight cars are very easy to strip using methyl hydrate, available at any hardware or home improvement store. I have an old Tupperware plastic jug with a lid. It’s tall enough to hold an Athearn passenger car on end. Just drop it in for about 15 minutes, and most of the paint comes off in sheets. An old toothbrush works well anywhere the paint is a bit stubborn, like around details. I have left body shells in this stuff for several days, with no apparent ill effects. Be sure to use only in a well ventilated area and wear rubber or plastic gloves. While methyl hydrate is not caustic, it is readily absorbed through the skin (or eyes, so safety glasses would be a good idea too) and can cause serious liver or kidney damage.
Wayne
Wayne,
Tell me more. Is there a brand name for this stuff? I’ve not heard of it before.
Currently I use PineSol, which is okay, but slow. I like the sound of 15 minutes.
Around here, I just buy Canadian Tire brand, but that might be a bit of a drive for you. You should be able to pick up a pint can of it at any hardware store or Home Depot. It’s used as a thinner for shellac and as gas line antifreeze. It’s cheap, and I usually buy it by the gallon, but try a pint to start, just in case it doesn’t work on what you’re trying to strip. It also works on (old) Roundhouse, some Rivarossi, Tyco, etc. It doesn’t work on Atlas, but I’ve not had any trouble with it damaging plastic, whether it removes the paint or not. If you don’t have a sealable container to work from, you can work with a brush and/or toothbrush over some newspaper, but this stuff evaporates very rapidly. I reuse my batch in the plastic Tupperware container, just adding more to compensate for evaporation. There’s almost an inch of sediment in the bottom, but it still works effectively. Be sure to observe the safety precautions that I noted.
Wayne
I just stripped a bunch of Athearn RDC shells in 91 percent alcohol. Half of the shells were easy to do, the paint just peeled off. The other half was hard as heck, needing lots of soaking and lots of scrubbing. I’m thinking somewhere along the way, Athearn must have changed the paint it used.
The problem in your process here is that you scrub the model as you are washing it wth soap and water. Water arrests the stripping prcess - it neutralizes the ELO. Try scrubbing before you wash it, while it’s still in the ELO.
Plain old brake fluid works well with old Athearns too… I’ve been using it for 25 years.
And BTW, do we modelers still have too be so cheap that we can’t go to the local dollar store and buy a 5-pack of toothbrushes for a dollar, instead of using old ones with bent bristles, old toothpaste and bacteria???
I’ve never had much luck with Polly S ELO (but I do remember when ELO was one of the coolest bands put there)[{(-_-)}]
Brake fluid works ok, but tends to make the shells brittle.[V]
The best stuff out there is Chameleon.[:D] Takes anything off anything, does’nt stink too bad, cleans up real easy.
One note for everyone. When stripping shells in ANY chemical, keep it in a well ventilated area, and get yourself a box of surgical gloves. Not only to protect your hands from the chemicals, but also to protect your models from finger oils. Once the models are done and dry, do not handle them again without gloves on. It might sound extreme, but take it from me, once you load up an airbrush, and on the 1st pass recognise your thumb print in the side of a model, you will remember why you got the gloves to start with.[banghead]
I tried the alcohol and it took quite some time for my old Athearns to come clean, soaked for several days with routined toothbrushing in between while still in the alcohol. I use Nitrile gloves as I prefer the toughness of them over latex. They cost allot more but I use them several times and I use my hands for a living and like keeping them intact. I am going to stay away from Methyl Hydrate (Methanol) a little too flamable for my likes, do not want it in my garage. I will stick with alcohol, not as toxic either. As some of the forum has said, do all of this chemical stripping in a well ventilated area away from any flame or ignition sources. Fumes travel along way.
Brad
As I recall denatured alcohol worked great with Athearn. Good Luck.
The alcohol is about the only idea I would have except paint thinner and a toothbrush, but I’d go with alcohol first. Good luck!