I was wondering if anybody has used “Klean Strip Paint Thinner (made with Mineral Spirits)” to remove paint/lettering from any Bachmann, Standard-Line or Spectrum locomotives/tenders and what your results were? I’m not really concerned about ruining paint under lettering as I am wanting to completely repaint the shell(s) without any of the original “paint lines” or lettering showing through when I’m done (I’m more concerned that it might damage the plastic.)
My, my… impatient, aren’t we? Any time you start a thread with “Has anyone used / done / tried x?”, you should allow for the possibility that the answer is “No”, and that therefore no one will answer. Further restricting the question to “on products made by x, y, and z corporations” really limits the pool of potential responders. A question like, “What do you use to remove paint / decals?” would probably have gotten a quicker response. How many views did you have when you bumped your thread? Many views and few / no replies is an answer in itself. And you’ll probably notice that of the replies so far, we’ve all given you an alternative.
For myself, I never have. I use Testors (formerly Floquil) ELO (Easy Lift Off). A light application over a short time removes decals, longer and stronger strips paint. Doesn’t harm your plastic.
I just used PIne Sol straight for a pair of Athern double deckers i painted and decaled but changed my mine after done. Removed all with no damage to shell.
Whether I’m impatient or not is NONE of your concern.
Any time you start a thread with “Has anyone used / done / tried x?”, you should allow for the possibility that the answer is “No”, and that therefore no one will answer.
Every time that I have started a thread in this manner, whether the answer is “No” or not, 90% of the time I get a response stating roughly “Never used/tried it myself but have used insert product name here or tried insert method/technique here.
Further restricting the question to “on products made by x, y, and z corporations” really limits the pool of potential responders.
As to asking on specific brand/product lines, in other posts on “Paint Removal,” some replies asked what brand/product line was this going to be used on because some techniques, such as using brake fluid can make the plastic brittle if used on a certain type of plastic, i.e. a certain brand of model. Another said not to use paint thinner made with acetone, as it could damage the plastic.
Be careful! If this is “Lacquer Thinner” you might be taking a risk in damaging your plastic. Although thinners with mineral spirits are not as powerful as automotive lacquer thinners, the potential exists depending upon the grade of plastic your models are composed of.
If you have an old junker frieght car shell collecting dust, pour some of the thinner into a small container and submerge one end of the shell for 1/2 hour and check your results.
Just a suggestion…speaking from experience, Bachmann, Tyco, Life Like, Rivarossi-AHM-IHC paint on rolling stock and locomotives generally comes off with minimal effort from a 91% alcohol soaking and a toothbrush without harming the plastic.
I understand that you want something stronger as you’re concerned about, what we call, “shadows” bleeding through your new paint. Two easy ways I use to take care of that potential:
If after stripping I see shadows, I wet sand the area or shell with 1500 grit wet/dry paper. It is smooth enough that it won’t hurt corrugated lines. The remaining silk screened numbers and letters usually disappear completely.
Although unlikely after wet-sanding, if you still have shadows, apply a very thin coat of a neutral colored primer to act as a sealer to prevent bleedthrough. Being that the remaining shadows are almost completely invisible, a thinned primer will give you a very smooth surface that will hide the shadow
Whether I’m impatient or not is NONE of your concern.
Any time you start a thread with “Has anyone used / done / tried x?”, you should allow for the possibility that the answer is “No”, and that therefore no one will answer.
Every time that I have started a thread in this manner, whether the answer is “No” or not, 90% of the time I get a response stating roughly “Never used/tried it myself but have used insert product name here or tried insert method/technique here.
Further restricting the question to “on products made by x, y, and z corporations” really limits the pool of potential responders.
As to asking on specific brand/product lines, in other posts on “Paint Removal,” some replies asked what brand/product line was this going to be used on because some techniques, such as using brake fluid can make the plastic brittle if used on a certain type of plastic, i.e. a certain brand of model. An
Pretty sad that a member that has been around longer than CTValleyRR that most likely finds his answers without tons of posts…gets a lecture when he was only seeking an answer. This is why these forums are headed downhill, people like CTValleyRR who prefer to poke at the person’s approach versus answer the question.
