|
As modelers, we are always trying to find ways to make our kits look better. Sometimes that's a trial and error process. No matter how awesome contest quality models look you can be assured that not every one had a paint job that went on flawlessly the first time. The trick is to recover from mistakes gracefully and come back better than before. For a long time it was difficult or nearly impossible to recoup an intact body after a particularly bad paint experience. This is still true is you have a chemical reaction with the styrene that actually ripples the plastic's surface (crazing). That's a whole other problem. What we're discussing is a bad or unwanted paint job. Several home-spun methods, employing substances, which removed paint as an incidental side effect to their primary purpose, became the most effective choice. They are still widely in use. Many of these are so effective that few products have come on the market made specifically to remove modelers mistakes. In the interest of getting as much of my original, pre-mistake kits back as possible, some of the leading products were assembled for this massive "strip-off" in order to ascertain their real stripping abilities. There is a reasonable cross-section of different types represented; Foams, gels, liquids, sprays, brush-ons, dips. Not only are they diverse in application, but also cost, from dirt cheap to rather pricey. They all share the convenience of being readily available and having a following among different groups of modelers. Over the course of several months over a dozen kits were stripped. The results varied for several reasons which will be noted. My lousy photography skills means that you will only see a fraction of the images that I originally shot. I've tried to put a thousand words in to replace each one. This test DOES NOT include resin or diecast bodies or parts. Don't assume that because something works with styrene that it will work equally as well on either of these other two materials. I've purposely avoided Pine Sol for this reason. Just one horror story involving a "rubbery" result was enough to put me off of that stuff. Now is a good time to say: BE
CAREFUL! Read ALL instructions and WARNINGS before using any unfamiliar
product. TEST
SUBJECTS: Revell Club de Mer - Dupli-Color primer; Dupli-color Medium Blue Metallic IMPORTANT NOTES!
None of the strippers are equally matched. They are each different in how they are applied, how well they work, and what kind of condition they left the stripped plastic. Just to liven up the results, each was tested in two other common stripping duties; the removal of the aluminum coating, commonly called chrome plating, and stripping paint from clear styrene like windows or canopies. It's important to note that I prime my kits before painting. Sometimes minor crazing of the plastic can occur. Whenever possible this will be noted as part of the contestants ability to strip a part clean regardless of the plastics smoothness. Each method requires some basic tools to remove paint from panel lines, tight areas and grooves. An old toothbrush is great for large-area scrubbing and can handle some shallow grooves also. For more pronounced grooves, panel lines, or scripts and badges, a pointed bamboo skewer (readily available at most large supermarkets) can be very helpful. A popsicle stick can be cut in a variety of shapes to tackle unusual scraping chores. Starting with the most widely used method and working toward the newest, here is a run-down of my results. I did not write about each test subject but instead chose the kits that best represented each products abilities. |
||
Dot 3
| Of all the products tested, brake fluid was the most familiar
to me.Years of working at South Jersey service stations as a juvenile has introduced
me to oil, gas, trans fluid, power steering fluid and brake fluid. Even after
spilling some on the bosses truck fender made it clear that brake fluid
could remove paint, I didn't make the connection between this event and model
paint removal until much later in life.
Two other things I remember about brake fluid was; the need to dispose of it properly and its ability to suck the moisture out of your skin. The second trait was learned the hard way. After spending a considerable time handling leaky brake components with bare hands I was rewarded the next day with severely dry and cracked skin on my numb hands. This was a scary experience for a kid. " Look Ma, my hands looked like Grampa's." I have a natural aversion to brake fluid, but when someone told me it's a great paint stripper for plastic models, I tried it. What I found was, it indeed works. The problem was that it still requires special handling during and after use. The Sierra Club may have my likeness firmly etched in their collective memory, with shoot-on-sight orders, but I will not pour used brake fluid on the ground or wash it down the drain. That's plain stupid. So, I try not to use it often. Application starts with an aluminum drip tray and a cheap, 1-inch wide, natural bristle brush. After selecting a likely candidate, brake fluid is poured over the top and agitated with the brush to loosen the paint. It may take some time, but the brake fluid will begin to break down the top layer of paint. Once this is started, the body was left to sit. There is no need to keep it in sealed container. Brake fluid doesn't seem to evaporate. After several reapplications the body was pretty well stripped. However, after it was cleaned up, the surface of the plastic had a distinctly flat finish. There seemed to be a white haze over the entire piece. This happened to both pieces stripped. Primer coats took care of the flat finish and underlying haziness, but need you pay this sort of penalty. Seems like insult to injury. When it comes to stripping chrome, brake fluid is a non-starter. As nasty as it is, it does nothing to aid with chrome removal. Personal reservations about this method initiated a search for better solutions. Luckily so, or else ÒGrampa HandsÓ might have replaced ÒBonediggerÓ as my nick name. It is clear from posts on rec.models.scale that many modelers have a long and successful relationship with brake fluid stripping. My recent and previous experience have me longing for a more meaningful, deep and satisfying result. Bonuses:
|
|
| |
||
Easy-Off
| I was skeptical the first time I used an oven cleaner to remove paint
from model cars. This paint removing tip has been around for sometime in the 1:1
scale car world for removing over spray from the undercarriage and leaf springs.
I could relate to using it on metal, ovens are metal, but plastic?
For kits, the technique is quite simple; spray a foamy coat of Easy-Off over the entire body, or other part, and place in a sealed plastic container overnight. The container keeps the oven cleaners volatile ingredients from evaporating and drying out before they have a chance to do the job. This is a very important step. If the foam dries before you remove the paint, it is doubly difficult to remove it and will sometimes stain the plastic underneath. That is what happened to the Pinto. The body of this Pinto was sprayed and left outside where it was forgotten until after the Easy-Off dried out. After 3 more attempts, I was still not able to remove portions of the red paint that was stained on the body. Because of this, and I broke off an A-pillar while scrubbing the paint, it's once again taken up residence in the "someday" pile. I now use a heavy coat of EO and place the part(s) in a sealable container from the 99¢ Store. The result have been much better with more consistent paint removal. While it improved the performance, never once did a single application loosen all the paint. Multiple layers required multiple applications. Easy-Off seems to work best with constant agitation. Gently scrub the foam into the recessed areas with a soft toothbrush (WEAR GOGGLES! I recommend a soft toothbrush because the firm toothbrushes are more likely to sling drops of EO onto your skin or eyes so BE CAREFUL!). After loosening some paint I spray the entire body again before placing it in the container overnight. The next morning the foam is long gone and there is a pool of liquefied EO in the bottom of the container. After donning safety gear, dip the brush in the puddle and scrub the body to loosen as much paint as possible. I keep a bucket of lukewarm water handy to wash the EO and softened paint from the body. This immediately stops the EO from working so you must be happy with the amount of paint removed. If not, spray the body with EO again, scrub a bit, spray again and let sit. When nearly all the paint was loosened, it was time to wash. Before the water washes all of the EO from the body, a pointed bamboo skewer was pushed through all the engraved detail. While the test involved the Easy-Off brand only, other oven cleaners with a hefty dose of Sodium Hydroxide should work. Mr Muscle and others can be found at 99¢ stores or other discount markets. Bonuses:
|
|
| |
||
Hangar 3's
|
Hangar 3's Strip-A-Kit is the apparent underdog of the group. It is
a purpose-driven product marketed by Rick Fluke, an honest to gosh modeler type guy.
It's designed to be unforgiving to painted surfaces while leaving puttied areas
and glued joints free from damage.
Rick is an aircraft modeler. In the world of aircraft modeling, where puttied wing roots and uneven two-piece fuselages are the rule, leaving these areas unharmed, while stripping an unwanted paint job, is a very important consideration. The same principles can apply directly to radically customized cars too. Rick was shooting for several goals while creating SAK: (A) A formula that would work on the widest spectrum of finishes - - enamels, lacquers, acrylics, epoxies, and chrome plating. He hit many of his goals, but is it unique among its peers? Yes and no; its thick, brushable consistency makes it the only stripper in this test capable of spot stripping paint or chrome, but it's performance solely as a stripper is very close to that of Easy-Off. It's ability to limit damage to puttied and/or glued joints does give it an added appeal on heavily reworked kits. Another plus over EO and similar volatile products is the flammability factor. If your a smoker you've got enough to worry about without lighting your kit on fire. Winter strippers huddling by the furnace to do their work needn't tempt fate any more than normal. As far as product personality, SAK is what you might call the nerd of the bunch. With the consistency of uh, well...a runny nose, and a smell like an old fish... it is very unusual to work with. At least it doesn't have a eye-burning "chemical" smell. SAK is termed as a semi-gel, but it is more liquefied than that. Applying it as per the instructions, presented a slight problem because of its runny consistency. It was difficult to get significant amounts of SAK on what is often the most decaled and painted parts of the body, the sides. My work-around was to lay the body on its side while in the Tupperware container. Rick indicated that wrapping the kit in plastic wrap aids stripping by keeping the SAK in constant contact with the surface. The instructions suggest agitating the paint after 15-25 minutes. I waited quite a bit longer because of the thick layer of black enamel and decals covering the NASCAR body. After a 24 hour soak, it took another application to clean the decaled body. The main stumbling block seemed to be the large decals, which failed to be dislodged after 24 hrs, and moderate scrubbing with a toothbrush. Another application loosened up the stubborn spots. Wash SAK off with warm water and mild soap. It is biodegradable. The body was left very clean and spot free; no etching or residue staining. Panel lines and vents were the most resistant areas and retained small amounts of unremoved paint. It's a good idea to keep the treated model in a sealed container while the SAK does it's work to prevent evaporation. Also like EO it works best when the ambient temperature is between 70 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Like oven cleaner, you should make every effort not to allow SAK to completely dry out on the model or this will insure a much more difficult paint removal on the next application. The Pontiac 2+2 was also given the half-body treatment for comparison purposes. Since it had several layers of different paints (lacquer primer, Krylon gloss white, multiple Testors and Boyd's colors) it might really test a strippers mettle. Again it took two treatments but the body came out free of residual paint or staining. As mentioned with Easy-Off, water halts the paint stripping process so be sure you are totally satisfied with the stripper's progress before you wash it clean. Since CA glues have largely replaced putty in my gap-filling and sinkhole-filling role, I wasn't able to find a guinea pig to test SAK against putty. So I perused the rec.models.scale bulletin board looking for posts about SAK. There are many positive personal accounts and/or reviews of it. Rick himself will be more than happy to field your questions about his product. E-mail him at doghaus@blackfoot.net The chrome stripping capabilities are most noteworthy; certainly among the best. I still had a little sticky residue to pick out of the recessed areas but overall the parts were stripped in seconds. Neat. Bonuses:
|
|
| |
||
Polly S
| Polly S is part of the Floquil-Polly S Color Corporation. Floquil
is a popular paint line for aircraft and armor while Polly S is more closely associated
with the model railroading crowd. Both can be used very effectively for car modeling
as well. Polly S has a fine selection of weathering paints for that dirty, rusty
heap you've always wanted to model. However, if your heap winds up looking too
good, you may want to start over again, fresh. Easy Lift Off was created
by Polly S for just that reason.
ELO is available either in a small bottle or a large can. It is a clear liquid about the consistency of thin brake fluid. There is nothing subtle about ELO. It works or it don't. If it's working for you, you better keep your eyes on it. Despite the instructions on the side of the bottle which states "it has been made to work slowly", this is the quickest stripper in the bunch, at least on a car the other strippers couldn't even make a dent on. The '57 Corvette went through: EO, SAK, and CSC while the Dupli-Color red lacquer, sprayed directly onto the turquoise plastic, didn't budge. After an application of ELO, the paint immediately liquefied and was brushed off under warm running water. If left on longer it probably could have loosened the rest of the paint for a body free of nearly all paint residue. The same experience held true for other problem paints like Flat Black ,or Fluorescent colors that dry flat. The paints overpowered the other strippers and even put up a tough fight with ELO but within 20 minutes the toughest spots were clean. A case in point being fluorescent orange paint that was sprayed directly onto the white plastic of the CoCo Carlo Monte Carlo's engine halves and rear axle housing (by the previous owner of course). In less than 30 minutes the parts were mostly free of paint. It appears these parts were glued together after being painted because some glue seeped out and trapped the orange paint underneath. Strippers cannot affect the paint underneath a glued joint. I didn't try this on a full body because it seemed too much work (and I only had the small bottle). It's performance on the parts tested however reminded me of brake fluid. I stopped using brake fluid after failing to wear gloves resulted in cracked fingertips. Always wear protection with a stripper. Words to live by..... Bonuses:
|
|
| |
||
Castrol Super Clean Degreaser (CSC)1 Gallon (59 ml) Retail Cost: Approx. $4.95 Active Ingredients: Means of Application: Soak Lindberg A-100 Pickup 
This Little Red Wagon had nearly a dozen coats of Krylon and Plasti-Kote yellow over a Krylon Sandable Primer. You can see the paint was stripped right down to the red styrene on the side that sat submerged in CSC for six hours.
In these before an after photos you can see the thick red and black enamel covering the body and the stark lack of paint after a 24 hour soak. 
|
If I had started to write this story after my first use of this product,
I may have saved a lot of time testing. I was totally stunned by its capabilities.
CSC is a clear purple liquid. It appears harmless enough, but don't be fooled. Even short physical contact with it will create a slime on you that is partially made up of your former top layer of skin! Never use this stuff without protecting yourself. It is a very strong degreaser and will breakdown your body oils like a stick of butter in a microwave. Only lots of cold running water will neutralize this effect. Better to wear gloves, then find out personally. It possesses a pleasant enough aroma in a ventilated area, but a strong chemical smell can really sneak up on you if you use it in tight spots. I first purchased CSC for stripping clear-coated chrome from plastic wheels. When my trusty Formula 409 first failed to de-chrome an entire set of wheels, I was forced to look somewhere else. Easy Off worked well but I had some trouble getting the base coat, to which the chrome attaches to, to release from the plastic. Super Clean was new, and touted as a super tough cleaner so it got a shot. It stripped the wheels bare in under 15 minutes. It was the first of many pleasant surprises. Much later, that I learned of its ability to strip paint. And boy, what I learned. Castrol Super Clean is the stuff dreams are made of. Weeks after the initial experience I'm still a little giddy about the whole thing. Imagine having a clean, and I mean clean, slate from which to start. It is low maintenance, easy to use, cheap and extremely effective. The preferred method involves submerging the entire body into a plastic container filled with CSC for a couple hours or as needed. No sloppy brushing or breath-taking sprays. No scrubbing, most of the time. No special rituals at all, except proper safety precautions for exposed skin and eyes. The submersion process requires a suitable vessel in which both parts and CSC can reside comfortably. The local 99¢ store had many useful options. A metal container should NOT be considered an option. Plastic or glass is best. CSC can make surfaces very slippery so I strongly suggest you stick with plastic. A quart sized container worked perfectly in my case. Depending on the type of finish, the loosened paint usually falls away from the body in sheets. According to Castrol's literature, Super Clean works in two ways. It dissolves the grease and reduces its ability to adhere to a surface. This is what struck me about my initial encounter with it as a stripper. The paint simply slid right off the surface of the kit in nearly one piece. It dissolved the sandable primer underneath the top coat which remained mostly intact. This may also account for the smooth finish appearance of the plastic. It's a stunning sight. At first I was so unbelieving that I tried another. Again total success! DANG! I tested my own nerve when I dropped a rare, MPC Color Me Gone '67 Charger into a fresh vat of CSC. This car wasn't primed so I didn't know how it would turn out. Three hours later I pulled a bright white Charger from the dingy liquid. WHOA! At that moment modeling seemed to become fun again, like it hadn't been for a long time. Instead of looking at these cars as mistakes piling up in the "someday pile, I saw a bright light at the end of modeling tunnel. "Go into the liiiiiiight...." p> A Lindberg Little Red Wagon body was place, half submerged in CSC and left to sit overnight. The A100 had many (too many) coats of Krylon Yellow and Plasti-Kote Schoolbus Yellow over a Krylon sandable primer. Detail was beginning to fade by the 100th coat and the color was still spotty. The initial coat of the Krylon primer crazed the surface of the kit and the body was stripped one time previously, with Easy-Off. Even so, all the paint came off in the first soak. The glass of the CMG Charger was also painted with the Metalflake green (?). It was time to see if there was any hope of making it useful again. In it went. After forcing myself away for a couple hours. I checked on it to find a perfectly clear, and virtually new windshield again. WOW! Chrome plating removal is as good as it gets. While not as aggressive as SAK, CSC strips even the clear-coated chrome quickly and effectively. Even the gooey lacquer undercoating is loosened enough to brush free under warm running water. Because this stuff works so well, I will now consider the purchase of builtups for possible projects in the future. Bonuses:
Bummers:
|
|
