Hello,
I recently acquired a brass B&O I-5 Caboose. I soaked the model in lacquer thinner for a day but it did nothing to soften the clear coat in order to remove it.
What is the most effective way to remove the clear coat so I can get to the underlying brass finish so I can etch it, prime it, and then paint it?
Bob Morningstar
I’ve stripped a LOT of brass engines and rolling stock over the years, and laquer thinners always washed it off immediately. (?) Can you actually see a clear coat on the surface that you feel is not coming off ?
If laquer thinners ain’t cutting it, you’re probably going to have to resort to air blasting it. I use baking soda at about 100 psi which leaves a really nice satin finish - perfect for paint application.
Mark.
The brass may be painted under the clear coat, too. I know my brass looked a lot better when I painted it after I built it, so doubt what you see in many “unpainted” pics is raw brass, rather a finish meant to convey the look of the brass underneath to the consumer.
Every brass model I’ve ever owned, certainly was not painted with a color looking like brass! Having worked with metals my entire working life and brass being one of the more common metals I worked with, I know brass when I see it. If what you say is true, this seems a pretty stupid thing to do. The clear coat’s sole purpose is to help keep the bass from tarnishing. Any coating more than this is a waste of time and money.
Mike, I am not saying what you say is false, just saying it’s not what I have seen.
Actually that IS true ! … but only on the very cheap stuff (names escape me at the moment).
Once you wash off that pretty brass paint, it’s understandable why - the solder work on them is terrible. Excessive heat and solder has the whole thing all discolored and giving it a nice coat of brass colored paint was their only saving grace to make a nice looking model in its “raw” state.
Don’t get me wrong - they still make nice looking models when painted, but without that brass paint finish, they would hardly be even marketable with just a clear finish.
Mark.
That sounds like the old “Saw Dust” in the tranny trick!
NP2626,
I kind of thought that brass was brass, too. I do know that some brass was painted, based on reading a discussion of this somewhere years ago.
This didn’t really sink in for me until I built my DL-535 recently. If there was ever any sloppy soldering that needed help, it was mine.[:(] The dip in denatured alcohol helped a bunch with cleaning flux off (I used rosin flux, not acid flux that I believe most brass is assembled with.) Once I hit it with primer, it was “Ooohh, that looks much better!”[8-|]
So, not saying this B&O caboose is painted “brass” or not, but just decided to throw the possibility out there in case it might apply.
Lots of brass is painted with brass-coloured paint, and there’s no intention of fooling the consumer. It gives a uniform finish which covers heat-discoloured brass and solder joints, small repairs made during assembly, and the disparate colours of sheet brass, brass turnings, and brass castings. The paint and/or clear finish prevent further tarnishing which occurs naturally when brass is exposed to air.
If the paint (and the clear finish which sometimes covers it) is thin and uniform, there’s no need to even remove it. If you do wish to remove it, lacquer thinner should do the job. Place the parts in a sealable glass or metal container, cover completely with lacquer thinner, and let it do the work. There should be very little scrubbing necessary.
Wayne
I am certain it is not painted brass as I have a few other pieces that are definitely have more than a clear coat.
This cab has a clear coat I am fairly certain, but so far nothing has soften it. Lacquer thinner and acetone seem to have done nothing.
It OUGHT to have worked. Is it possible you’re using “paint thinner” rather than “lacquer thinner”? Paint thinner is a long way from an aggressive paint remover.
Or, another way: What are the ingredients listed for the lacquer thinner? There should be a goodly amount of acetone, toluene, and/or methanol.
Ed
I had the same issue with a Westside loco recently. The lacquer thinner did nothing for a week long soak. I broke out a bottle of a gel type paint stripper and used an old tooth brush and in 15 minutes was washing it in hot water and soap.The acid in the stripper will give it a nice etching too.
I was told by professional painters that the most recent lacquer thinners are not nearly the same as a few years ago. The body man at work also said if the clear is good and smooth just wash it and use it as a base for your color. I had to strip the tender but the loco remained clear coated on this K5.
http://s1081.photobucket.com/albums/j348/locoi1sa/K5s%205698%20project/
Scalecoat 1 paint will give you a glossy finish that you can decal without needing a gloss coat before the decals.
Pete
Try plain old hardware store paint remover. That will cut thru anything. Or, try Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK). That is also very powerful.