My favorite is Chameleon. I’ve stripped every kind of shell I can think of, and it’s the only thing that works EVERY time![:D]
The secret, keep it out of the air. If it sits in an open area too long, it loses its potency.
Get a rectangular, sealable plastic container, and the Chameleon will strip more shells, more cleanly, longer.
The ultimate stripper, for brass models only with NO plastic parts . Berkibile 2+2 carburator cleaner. [:0] Use it outside over a metal trash can, wear eye protection and hold the model with tongs. [wow]
Castrol Super Clean!!! I had mentioned this a few days ago but I guess NOBODY READS! I have stripped LLP2K locomotives right down to the bare plastic with absolutely NO damage what so ever. With some brands it will only take the lettering off. Wear latex gloves and use a Ziplock type plastic container and an old toothbrush. Spray it on and let it sit for awhile. -Jack.
I use 91% alcohol and Scalecoat stripper most of the time. For particularly stubborn paints, I use good ol’ Easy Off Oven cleaner, from a technique I read about years ago in Railroad Model Craftsman. Spray the shell down with a good coat of Easy Off, and seal it up in a plastic bag or tightly-sealed box. Let it set overnight, and scrub it with a toothbrush under warm water and dish detergent. Works almost every time.
I’ve always gone the “soft” route - I found that Pine-Sol seems to work for me. That and a toothbrush. When rinsing the “soaked” model, use more Pine-Sol. Haven’t seemed to have any damage problems.
Tried Micro Sol once or twice to remove lettering. Haven’t mastered that tech. yet.
May try some of the ideas sugggested here.
Lots of discussion about plastic–what works best when removing paint from brass? I have a brass Birney trolley that looks like it was painted with a house painter’s roller and want to strip it down to bare brass!
Perhaps a little chemistry lesson is needed here. Automotive brake fluid comes in two types now. One is silicone based and I doubt that it will remove anything. The other type, the most common, is alcohol based which is why it works to remove paint so well. The only thing I do not like about it is the additives that are put in there may affect the plastics. I use 91% rubbing alcohol on almost everyting I repaint now. This is the same alcohol as isopropyl dry gas I believe. For years I used to use a cleaner product called Simple Green. This would work well on some models and only “clean” others.
Dan Pikulski
www.DansResinCasting.com