I have asked the same question on a difference list and got many of the
same answers.
I would think that the car/Loco Mfg. should be able to tell us all what
would work and what will melt the models..........right.

Bill Hodkinson

About a year ago I tested several products to see if I could find a really good product that could strip paint off of models....
- without rushing me to the hospital because I inhaled the product's vapors
- without having to wear a chem suit while using it
- without melting the plastic model that I am trying to strip the paint off of
- that is inexpensive to buy
- that it is easy to use
- that is readily available
- that it is easy to dispose of the used chemical

I tested several products using an old MDC 36' wood reefer car body and by far the best product I found was "Goo Gone." After 5 minutes or so, the paint on the car started coming off by itself.

Originally the car's paint was thick with yellow paint on the sides and dark brown on the ends and roof (it was a Morrell reefer). And it had a typical paint job from 20 years ago (thick globs of paint all over it). But after using Goo Gone and an old toothbrush, both colors came right off with no problem.

And after 30 or so minutes, the car was stripped pretty well including between the boards and door details.

It is a little sticky when using it but that's because of the orange citrus in the chemical but it rinses off really well. But I would wear some gloves, goggles and old painters clothes while working with it because it can get messy. Also use it in a ventilated space because it does stink somewhat.

I would definitely try Goo Gone and see what happens. The worst that can happen is that the model smells a bit like an orange and it isn't powerful enough to melt plastic.

- Steve Hedlund, Silver Lake, WA

To: STMFC@...
From: Hman56@...
Date: Tue, 1 Mar 2011 18:29:07 -0500
Subject: Re: [STMFC] paint sripping not car melting




























I have asked the same question on a difference list and got many of the

same answers.

I would think that the car/Loco Mfg. should be able to tell us all what

would work and what will melt the models..........right.



Bill Hodkinson







In a message dated 2/28/2011 11:17:43 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,

ggg9y@... writes:



Ray and Friends,



Whether brake fluid works as a paint stripper depends on the paint and

the plastic. I used to do this a lot years ago, and it worked well for

me with Athearn and Roundhouse paints, but some other paint wouldn't

strip at all. Sometimes the paint came off well, but it wouldn't remove

the lettering.



The plastic itself can also be dicey. I melted a Bachmann 44-tonner

shell in just one night using brake fluid. It is also very bad for some

(maybe most) resin castings. I ruined one of Martin's kits in brake

fluid after a botched paint job. Fortunately, I was able to salvage the

sides and ends, but the floor and roof were really distorted.



I would say, "Use with extreme caution."



Kind regards,



Garth Groff



On 2/28/2011 10:39 AM, Raymond Hatfield wrote:

Hello Don,

I'm new to the list, but this is a subject I can comment on - believe it

or not,

automotive brake fluid is a safe and effective paint stripper for models

(and

autos as well!) I have a 1:350 scale model of the RMS Titanic I had to

totally

strip and repaint, and this worked wonders for me. Use a shallow dish of

an

appropriate size to soak it in, and use an old toothbrush to scrub nooks

and

crannies

Raymond L. Hatfield

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Brake fluid will attack the butyl rubber compounds in ABS (guess what the
B stands for) plastic. Kato uses this plastic; evidently so does Bachmann.
Just throw an empty sprue into the brake fluid, and see if it's destroyed
or becomes brittle. If not, then it's safe to use brake fluid.

Sorry, Richard, have I mentioned this before?

Tim O'Connor