discussion Removing horrible silver paint from sprues?

[pjgtech]

One of my next kits may well be a Honda Blackbird Motorbike and it has some of those horrible silver painted sprues, which do not look realistic at all.

How do you all go about making them look more realistic?
Can you just paint over them, sanding/priming first, etc?

Or does the silver paint need to be physically removed and if so how?

I saw a YT video a while back where someone just soaked his sprues overnight in a plain thin bleach solution and it seemed to strip it all off without damaging the plastic.

If using a solution to strip the paint, eg: bleach, etc what do you do afterwards before glueing / painting the parts? I assume they will need rinsing / washing after the bleach has been drained off before doing anything else?

Cheers

 

[Jim R]

The chromed plastic parts do indeed look terrible. It's not only horrible to look at but the thick coating obscures the detail. I use bleach, leave for a while, scrub with an old toothbrush and rinse in water. Then use as a normal part. If any small areas of chrome are stubborn then carefully scrape it away with a scalpel tip or one of those dental probes.

 

[pjgtech]

Great, thanx.... appy xmas....

 

[Ian M]

Sometimes it helps to wash the parts before the bleach. Some chrome parts are tougher than others. So some take a couple of hours, others an overnighter!

 

[PaulTRose]

Bleach works every time

Ive seen some cheapo kits chrome come off in seconds and good qualuty kits take over night

Just wash in water really well and allow to air dry

To replace it humbrol do a rattle can of 'chrome'......its very good

 

[pjgtech]

Had a quick trip to Asda earlier and got myself a 2L bottle of plain thin bleach for £1, bargain!
Do I need to be careful about what container I use to put the bleach into to remove the silver paint?
I have a large old plastic jug that I could use or I also have an old plastic sink type washing up bowl in the garage that I could use.
I'm assuming it does not have to be a glass container.
Cheers

 

[Tim Marlow]

Had a quick trip to Asda earlier and got myself a 2L bottle of plain thin bleach for £1, bargain!
Do I need to be careful about what container I use to put the bleach into to remove the silver paint?
I have a large old plastic jug that I could use or I also have an old plastic sink type washing up bowl in the garage that I could use.
I'm assuming it does not have to be a glass container.
Cheers

Should be fine in a plastic container. Washing up bowl seems a bit excessive though….. Just be aware that if you are going to scrub the part it can damage clothes if you get splashes in it, and personally I would wear eye protection as well. It does rinse off well in water. I’d give it two goes in a sink of cool water. One to get the majority off and the second one to get the residue off.

 

[pjgtech]

Great thanx.

 

[Tim Marlow]

Great thanx.

No worries. Must admit I just nick a bit of whatever ‘er indoors has under the sink…..

 

[PaulTRose]

Plastic container is fine.....it comes in one remember

I use a chinese takeaway tub with a lid on

 

[pjgtech]

Have now started the process of stripping the silver paint, doing it in the garage, using an old large measuring jug (plastic).
Had to cut the sprue down into three sections.
Will have a look in a couple of hours, and maybe turn them over in the bleach solution, but I intend to leave them overnight.

 

[pjgtech]

Just realised I probably should have left the mirrors as they do need to look chrome?
Had a quick look at my paint stock and I do have two chrome paints and a chrome paint pen, so can redo them.

Anyone got any good tips for painting the exhausts? to get a realistic look, eg: stained, heat, etc?

 

[pjgtech]

Just had a quick look at the sprue in the bleach solution and it looks like most of the silver finish has now already come off.
As far as I can see, there's no residue or bits floating in the bleach, which still looks pretty clear, so I assume it just dissolves it?

I've read / seen that leaving the sprue in the bleach for many hours, eg: overnight, should not damage the plastic sprue itself, so I think I'll just leave it in overnight and then give it a good rinse / wash in the morning.

 

[PaulTRose]

To get the blue colouring on an exhaust most people use one of the tamiya weathering kits.....one has all the right shades but its one of those jobs that needs practice to get right

 

[pjgtech]

Been watching loads of YT vids on exhaust colouring. Just to make it harder for myself .... I will be brush painting, whereas all the YT vids seem to show air brushing, Yikes!

 

[pjgtech]

Checked the "silver" sprues just now and all the silver paint/coating has now gone, so looks like a success.
Gave the sprues a rinse in water, then gave them a good wash in soapy water, then a final rinse again in plain water.
Patted them down to get most of the moisture off and now they are hanging up air drying for a few hours.

 

[PaulTRose]

No........the blueing thing......tamiya do these little sets with colours in them which you apply with a little sponge on a stick and sort of polish it in......different sets for different things.....and one has the right colours for exhaust blueing........they are not expensive and last forever

I bet the bossfeller has them in the shop......failing that hobbycraft does them

 

[PaulTRose]

You need set D

 

[pjgtech]

Just ordered from SMS.....

 

[Jukebox64]

I learned a long time ago that easy off works really well. I spray the spray and leave it on thick it sets for about 30 to 45 minutes and I wash it off with a soft brush and regular water. The water dilute the easy off and the easy off is very gentle on the plastic parts.