discussion thinners

[Guest]

i have made a woopsy on my enzo...i wont go into details (sorry i cant update the thread as my paretns are away in Egypt with the camera.)

i know you can remove paint with acrylic thinners, but is there a time limmit after that paint has dried that this works? and how long do you have to leave them in for?

 

[Guest]

just give it a coat of brake fluid that will sort it no proble paint comes off with ease no mater how old it is

 

[Guest]

i dont have brake fluid, well not that i know of, and im not going to route through loads of bottles of stuff in the garage not knowing what they are!!!

will the acrylic thinners work?....how long shal i soak them for?

 

[Guest]

i dont have brake fluid, well not that i know of, and im not going to route through loads of bottles of stuff in the garage not knowing what they are!!!

will the acrylic thinners work?....how long shal i soak them for?

 

[Guest]

it should do provided the paint hasnt fully cured which is about 48 hrs you need to soak for about 30 mins to 1 hr

 

[Guest]

yes the paint has fully cured. what could i use other than that or brake fluid?

 

[Guest]

Caustic soda !

 

[wonwinglo]

Try soaking in warm water overnight,sometimes works but brake fluid is really best as Nigel has pointed out.

 

[Guest]

i have found some brake/clutch fluid, will it still do the job? says it damages paint work on cars so i guess it will, since the paint is fully cured, how long do you think it will take?

 

[Guest]

As with so many of these things I would strongly recommend that you test it first on a surface that will not be seen or prefferably a piece of sprue. Brake fluid is very corrosive and can attack many surfaces and not just the paint itself.

I once soaked a part of a bike model overnight in humbrol thinners to remove some gloss enamel and the plastic went completely soft.

I always test first.

 

[Guest]

ok, but will it still work on cured paint, it has already been in it for 15 mins and nothing happening so far...do i need to take it out and wash it off after an hour or two? then maybe put it back in if nothing has happened?

if all else fails i am prepaired to get a replacement part.

 

[Guest]

Brake fluid (or clutch fluid, same stuff) is caustic and will remove hardened paint with time. It will also remove your skin so be carefull.

 

[Guest]

I would really never advise soaking any plastic in anyform of spirit thinners apart from acrylic as it destroys the plastic as well as the paint! I must be honest though i had some old phoenix missles that were painted about 5 yrs previously and needed to be redone for another model I soaked them overnight in brake fluid and in the morning the paint just fell off leaving a lovely unmarked surface (beware though dont use some of the specialised citroen stuff as that doesnt work at all!)

 

[Guest]

It was all part of the learning curve!

I actually had to buy another of the same kit so that I could finish the model. I still have an unbuilt Honda Racing bike minus the seat pan in the attic somewhere!

 

[Guest]

did they not always do replacement sprus then?

 

[Guest]

I never managed to get one for a Tamiya kit. The whole process was too involved and far too lengthy.

That was one thing that Airfix was actually very good with.

Who remembers the little paper slips in the bottom of the box under the instructions that you sent off for spare parts?

 

[Guest]

i do actually.

well i have left the parts in the brake/clutch fluid for about 16 hours and most of the paint has come off fine with a bit of careful scratching, just a few finer bits to get rid of with some w&d paper.

perhaps this could go in the tip section?

 

[Guest]

By all means Richard put your learnings anywhere you see as usefull to others who may also benefit from your experiences.

 

[wonwinglo]

Richard W,yes it is a good tip,Nigel told me about this stuff a while back,why not add it to the techniques section as a reminder,especially good for restoring old beaten up models that need a repaint.Just do not get too much on your hands it will go straight through your skin just like Hydraulic fluid does,I still suffer to this day because of misuse years ago,use barrier cream and latex gloves from a chemist.

 

[Guest]

well can a mod please move this thread then