I have several locomotives from Atlas and Kato that I want to repaint into Conrail colors. What is the most effective way to strip the paint? I’ve used denatured alcohol on Atlas models before and have found it takes a while to strip and causes the handrails to deform.
Have not stripped any ATLAS locos but I have a few KATO units.I’ve had good luck with Scalecote Washaway but the stuff is pricey.If your working with single colour locos you can usually strip the lettering with Acetone just don’t leave it on for long or it will take paint too.You can also use the wash away to remove lettering.
I usually don’t strip KATO single colour paint jobs because the paint is usually thin enough that it does not hide detail.
Kato paint jobs are quite strong. Kato uses a different plastic and that may have something to do with it. I have had good luck with Scalecoat ‘WashaWay’, and ‘Chameleon’ paint stripper. I have heard that Chameleon may not be available any more. Some folks have had good luck with ‘ELOI’(Easy Lift Off)’
I would not try Acetone - it will eat plastic if left on too long. Also, Lye has been used, but you must wear rubber/nitrile gloves, and it will pull the oils out of the plastic if you soak it too long. The plastic can become rather brittle.
I have stripped Atlas paint jobs with 91% isopropyl(cheap and easy to find).
Jim
I’ve used 91% ISO on Kato and atlas units
Atlas’ paint will strip quite easily, Kato on the other hand takes a bit longer and needs some encouragement.
Back in the dark ages, I used Pine Sol to strip shells. It did cause the plastic of a Kato shell to develop a crack, though. The Scalecoat stripper is good. I’ve never tried Chameleon.
Is 91% ISO better than denatured alcohol?
ISO/Denatured/Rubbing - Just by the most inexpensive(or available). I buy the cheap Walmart brand for stripping old paint jobs and for wetting ballast/scenery before appling the adhesive.
Jim
You want to use the highest percentage you can get. The lower percentages will work, they’ll just take forever ! I use 99% ISO Alcohol and it seems to work pretty good. When I have it, I prefer the Scalecoat plastic stripper … but I’m always out just when I need it.
Mark.
In my experience 91% isopropyl and denatured alcohols are equivalent. Denatured alcohol is made from 95% ethanol
Joe
I’ve used nothing but 91% alcohol on both. Keep it in a container with a lid to cut down on evaporation and to preserve its potency.
From time to time I find 95% in grocery stores…and the wife thinks I’m just there to carry the bags![;)]
I’ve stripped quite a few Atlas loco shells with 91% alcohol. The paint usually lifts off fairly quickly. Kato takes a few hours. Toughest I’ve encountered is Bachmann. Some have taken over twenty-four hours.
I use 91 to 99 percent alcohol from drug stores/walmart exclusively to strip locomotives. As others have said, KATO’s take longer.
I use a tennis ball sleeve as the soaking container, since they come with lids, and it will hold almost all diesel body shells except for the longest diesels. I remove the handrails first and soak them separately and any disfigurement is both slight and staightens out when they are reinstalled.
When repainting the handrails, you’ll want to prime them with clear Adherance Promoter used by auto body shops when they repaint those slippery plastic bumpers on cars. The promoter is usually sold in auto supply stores.
I’ve had the best results using Washaway. After I use it, I’ll filter it and pour it back into the bottle. I have some that is 5 years old and it still is potent. If washaway doesn’t cut the paint, I’ll run the loco through a media blaster, using baking soda as the media. I don’t use full pressure, only about 30-40 lbs and it removes the paint quickly and easily without damaging the plastic.
While you are at Walmart, stroll over to the auto aisles, where the car cleaning products are. You will find a large purple bottle (antifreeze-size) of something called “Super Clean”, a biodegradable grease cleaner solution that I often use for paint removal (and I do this almost weekly these days with swap meet old rolling stock I am repurposing).
If the solution is still fairly clean, you can re-use it for another car or two, but toss it when cloudy from removed paint and decals.
I put a shell in a plastic container (those “Swifter” floor cleaning pad ones with a clear top are great, when empty) and let it soak for anywhere from 1 hr. to 1 day. It is a mild (no adverse effect on your hands) solution that works well. I use a toothbrush to scrub where necessary (crevices, corners, etc,) but I swear by this stuff!
A large bottle costs less than $7.00, I believe, and lasts quite a while.
Cedarwoodron
I have successfully used a number of products to strip paint: the first thing I try is denatured alcohol remove any coatings. Then I use engine cleaner/degreaser in a plastic bag. I’ve got several different brands and each works differently on different colors.
For the most stubborn paint I soak the shell in brake fluid in a plastic bag.
Here are the dangers: some of these soften plastic, some can leave striations throughout the shell and some will just plain melt the thing.
Oven cleaner can also work but it seems to carry the most risk.
Many time the auto degreaser will work right away and a tooth brush and dish soap will strip away the paint. About 4-5 applications can strip some heavy duty paint.
But if you are persistant will denatured alcohol it will do a nice safe cleaning. It can also get you to a point where enough paint is removed that you can then primer the shell and call it good.
While I do sometimes use 91 alcohol for some unusually stubborn paint removal tasks, I have found that it is not a good alternative when workin with older aged plastic, as it tends to “dry out” the plastic and make it very brittle. There is no comeback from that point, however, except extremely delicate handling- or just paint, decal and display forever. I stay away from anything stronge, for my own sake.
Cedarwoodron