I have a Lambert twin unit diner for the PRR that I would like to paint and decal but the table car has the clear coat peeling off and was wondering if anyone knows an easy way to strip it off? I thought I saw a tread awhile back about this but could not find it using the search.
E;
Remove all of the plastic, rubber, fiber components, then try soaking it in 91% Isopropyl Alcohol (Sam’s Club or Wal-mart or favorite pharmacy) overnight. If this does not work, move up in $ to a commercial stripper from your LHS.
Or Laquer Thinner, use in a well ventilated area.
Rick
You can also use common automobile brake fluid,works slow but won’t hurt any rubber/plastic fittings. Soak it in a glass bread pan overnite and then scrub it down good with a old toothbrush,followed by a warm soapy bath in dish soap. anything clearcoat left, Just repeat the process.
As noted above, make sure you have all the plastic and/or any non-metal parts off, and then soak it in laquer thinner in a metal pan. One big advantage of brass. You don’t have to fool with any candy a$$ methods for stripping. If you have any tarnished areas, Brasso on a Q-tip before you paint or prime will solve that very quickly.
Not all small details are always soldered, those that are not could be loosened and may even fall off. Proceed w/ a bit of caution if soaking in brake fluid or strong solvent.
Do NOT !! Brake fluid will damage most plastics used on recent (last two decades) model railroad models. That is why there are so many RPP SD45 shells running around on Kato SD40 chassis.
Thanks for all the suggestions guys. I’ll try the 91% Isopropyl alcohol first since I have it already and if that does’nt work I’ll try the laquer thinner.
Have a Lambert brass car?
DO WHAT PRO PAINTER’S DO:
REMOVE trucks from the body - use jeweler’s screw driver’s - set aside.
BUY a can of ACETONE or similar solvent. $5 @ Home Depot or Low’s.
OUTDOORS: POUR into a bucket. DIP or soak car. Remove and set out (air dry).
POUR back into can. Seal to reuse; or dump out at curb or on a concrete dirveway.(Will kill weeds & grass growing in crack’s.
INFLAMMIBLE. Do not store in a basement. STINK’S. Keep away from fire
Thans Don.
I would only add that when using acetone or other solvent based chemical to where safety goggles!
Just one drop in an eye will turn a modeler into a “back flipping” acrobat yelling like Tarzan!
Here is an update for you guys. First I tried the 91% Isopropyl alcohol, I put the body in a aluminium baking pan, covered with alumium foil and let soak for 3 days then scrub with an old tooth brush but all that did was remove a little clear coat where it was already peeling. Then I tried Don’s suggestion and went out and bought a container of acetone. I put the body in the pan with acetone and scrubbed with the old tooth brush and it worked right away. Only thing is the plastic handle of the tooth brush started to melt. Today I will try to find some solvent safe brushes at an auto parts store or the new Harbor Freight near me. The acetone definetly works stripping METAL ONLY !! Thanks for the suggestions!
Most brass will be finished with lacquer. It is inexpensive, gives a very high quality, non-yellowing clear coat, is extremely simple to apply when spraying (expensive in this country due to the VOCs, but simple process), and is very easy to repair. To find out if anything has a lacquer finish, get some nail polish remover. On an inconspicuous spot, “paint” the model with a little bit of the nail polish remover. If the finish is lacquer, it will soften within seconds and can be removed. Also, because lacquer is a NON-CROSS LINKING FINISH, you can actually just lightly spray it a few times with lacquer thinner and it will dissolve then reharden, shallow scratches filled, peeling gone, etc. You can use lacquer thinner or acetone, nail polishes are all pretty much lacquers BTW. Know that lacquer thinner (a blend containing acetone and other related petroleum distillates) and acetone are both highly volatile, and therefore evaporate quickly.
A similar process can be used to determine if a finish is shellac based, only you use alchohol rather than lacquer thinner. You can use isopropyl alchohol, but its best to use either denatured alcohol, or very high proof booze to test. Shellac, however, darkens with age and so is unlikely to be used for brass, but is very common in furniture, turningware (lathe turned wooden objects) and woodenware.
One advantage to brake fluid is it is water soluable. Once rinsed off with mild detergent/ warm water very little or no residue remains. Poly S used to have a paint stripper that seemed like a mild brake/ hydraulic fluid, it worked fantastic. Don’t know if it is still made.
Bob K.