Will this work for stripping paint?

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

I want to strip the paint, decals, ect from a Walthers Goldline 89’ tri level auto carrier. I want to paint and redecal it. I have quite a few cars I can strip. I watched this video and wondered if it will work on a decorated walthers model.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1KPljwLUP8

THANKS

MIKE

2

Mike:

The alcohol strip should work just fine. You can use the same alcohol over and over again although if you are doing multiple cars you will need to replace what is lost to evaporation. I would suggest getting a small funnel so you can pour the alcohol back into the bottle between uses. You can simply use a tub with a tight fitting lid to save the solution but you might want to pour the alcohol back into the bottle every so often to let the solids settle out. Otherwise your solution will become pretty mucky after a few cars.

Make sure you are using 91% alcohol. In Canada we can get 99% but the 91% works just fine. 70% won’t work very well.

Please remember that alcohol is highly flammable so make sure there are no open flames i.e. your gas fired hot water tank pilot light. Yes, I’m paranoid!

Dave

3

I haven’t done much train paint-stripping myself; but when I did, I soaked the body shell in 91% isopropyl alcohol for a few hours - then I was able to scrub the paint right off with an old toothbrush. I cut the bristles down to ~1/8 inch in length so they’d be stiffer.

A word to the wise: If you ever plan to strip a Kato shell, do NOT soak it in brake fluid - it will make the plastic brittle and weak, like a potato chip!

4

One other thing,

91% alcohol does evaporate quickly, cut down on evaporation by keeping some kind of lid, even if its only a foil tent.

Also keep the tray size to a minimum. At the grocery store I was able to find single trays for storing silverware in various sizes

.

I have a large one for passenger cars, and a short one for smaller stuff. Keeps the fluid contained and a smaller tray means less fluid used.

I have found 95% alcohol in the local Safeway Grocery stores nearby. [8D]

5

The alcohol would be the 1st and safest method to use, other older models may need considerable soaking time or a more aggressive stripper.Some of the stubborn “pad” printed lettering and heralds can be troublesome.

I notice a portion of the video is done in a rather nice kitchen that has fine cabinetry, and some nice appliances. I hope this was just for “photo op” as I would never try this- could be “death to modeling” in the house by a spouse! Flying splatters of alcohol/ paint will land around the work area. Explain the mottled paint on that KichenAid mixer or those fine maple cabinets.

6

Great point Bob. I prefer the inside of the stationary tub in the basement to the butt whippin I would recieve if I did it in the kitchen and spattered SWMBO’s WHITE kitchen cabinets! [:O]

7

Sure thing, even one of those cheapo mortor mixing tubs work great for a project like this, not everyone has a basement/ garage “slop sink”. After stripping, I will do final wash in the kitchen sink though. Just soapy water and a rinse.

8

Ken:

Good point about trimming the toothbrush bristles to make them stiffer.

Been there - done that with the brake fluid.

Dave