Hi, I’m getting ready to start custom building some HO Kato NS C40-9Ws. I need to know how to strip the Kato bodyshells, because it’s not like there are any undecorated ones left to be had. I have never stripped bodyshells of paint, so I have no idea how to do it without harming the shell. Any help is appreciated. Thanks.
Word on this forum is that you don’t want to use ELO or brake fluid to strip Kato shells-- It will turn the Kato plastic brittle and cause them to crack and crumble. I don’t know if you can use any other solution like 91% Isopropyl or Pine Sol though.
Can’t help you on what will work, but at least it’ll save you some grief knowing what NOT to use. [8D]
In my experience, numbering and decals (like a operation lifesave decal) come off well with enamel thinner, but that won’t take off the base colors unless you really scrub. Generall, I find removing their decals good enough (these are kind of raised, so they do need to be removed) and then I paint over the base color. I haven’t fully stripped a Kato engine before, but brake fluid has been my hero on more than one occassion for stripping tough paint. It does in fact make some plastic very brittle, but I have done this with Kato shells (undec. that I screwed up, hence the reason I still can’t comment on the Kato base paint) and it was fine. I think the key is to not let it soak for more than a few hours at a time in the brake fluid. Hope that helps.
Eric
I just finished stipping and painting a Kato AC4400 N-scale. I put the shell (was painted in CSX colors) in Pinesol for about two and a half days. I used a toothbrush to wipe off paint. You may have to do this a couple of times as to get all the paint off.
The smell sucks but the results are good. No damage to the shell.
Peter