Stripping paint disaster

[Doubleshots]

Being a research guy, I checked the internet and came up with Purple Power and Bleche Wite to strip paint. Soaked a body for 5 or 6 days in Purple Power and .......nothing. Different body soaked 2 days, so far, in Bleche Wite.......nothing. First body soaked overnight in 91% rubbing alcohol and the Paint/tampo is coming off but the body is all bubbled up. I mean serious warts! Useless now but at least it won't have paint on it.

I'm guessing to not soak in alcohol but to gently bathe and toothbrush off paint/tampo.

Any suggestions for the next 3 bodies I want to strip?

Vince

[arroldn]

Maybe is was the combination of the two substances. I've use alcohol with no problems. My disaster came when I used brake fluid as some had suggested.


Arrold

[waaytoomuchintothis]

Just use the 91% isopropyl, and leave the others alone. By the way, Bleche-Wite is for cleaning a resin body before priming. I've never heard of anyone using it to strip paint, and the same for Purple Power. They are just cleaners, like Windex. There is an expensive model stripper, blue stuff, and although it works perfectly, 91% isopropyl does just as well, and you don't feel as though you were robbed.

[Junior]

I have used 91% isopropyl alcohol with Scaly and Pioneer bodies and never had an issue. Specifically my So Me Showdown Mustang sat in alcohol for two weeks due to my procrastination. I wonder if it was a reaction caused by the two baths.
I am assuming your body is plastic not resin.
Tom

[loosewheel]

I like brake fluid or cheap oven cleaner. Never had a problem.

[Doubleshots]

The bubbled body was an 80's Scalextric.

I'll thoroughly clean the Bleche Wite off the currently soaking Carrera and try the alky.

Yeah, my internet searches found Purple Power, Bleche Wite and Simple Green as viable paint strippers. Not so much from my experience.

[Mitch58]

Walmart carries a product in their automotive section called "Super Clean" I soaked a couple of Strombecker bodies that had multiple layers of paint on them for about a week. When I took them out and rinsed them off under the kitchen faucet they looked like brand new plastic shells.

[TuscoTodd]

I've never tried the "Super Clean" - but I can confirm that Simple Green won't cut it for normal factory paint. (I had picked some up to try when replenishing my supply of 91% the last time I ran out) The 91% isopropyl alcohol has worked to strip the finish off of every factory painted item I have ever used it on so far. (Scalextric, Carrera, Testors, Tyco, Johnny Lightening, AutoWorld and Aurora bodies.)
I have only ran into one case where the alcohol didn't strip the paint off of something. That was a very old Pyro / Palmer '49 Ford Tudor model that was painted with some type of brush paint? I am not sure what kind of paint it is - but so far, that is the only instance where the alcohol didn't make short work things. :)
For grins, when the weather gets nicer I think I am going to try oven cleaner on that brush paint - just to see if I can actually get it to come off - but I am going to wait until I can do that outside. ;)
:)

[loosewheel]

Outside is the best idea, oven cleaner fumes are nasty!

[dw5555]

Never used anything but alcohol on Carrera, Scaley and Slot-its. Works great although Carrera generally takes longer, maybe overnight.

Dave

[chappy]

I have used both Super Clean and 91% isopropyl alcohol with varying effects.
The trick I find is knowing what type of paint you are trying to strip and from what surface.
If a primer such as an automotive primer has been used underneath, I find the Super Clean works fine.
If it is a paint like Krylon which adheres to the plastic directly , I have had a lot more trouble removing it.
Acrylic paints seem responsive to Super Clean also.
Ok now I am over my head so thats my 2 cents worth.
Bob

[waaytoomuchintothis]

Let me take up where Bob left off. There are many variations. The toughest thing to strip is white kit Scalextric. I defeat this with #220 garnet sandpaper, lightly scratching the surface of the insanely tough clearcoat they use and following with 91% isopropyl alcohol. For all the rest of the factory finishes, I use the 91% alcohol alone, varying only as the situation requires. For initial stripping, I use my thumbnail, scraping to get the chemical advantage, and overnight to get it all the way done.

[borninthe50s]

I've used Pinesol in the past with some success, but you need to soak it for a few days. Surprised nobody mentioned it.

[RazorJon]

I have had good success with purple power, if its just a cleaner it sure cleaned the paint off a few models for me, it did take a few weeks on a scally car I repainted, but with Ace brand rattle cans it melts it off in a few days

[Z-carfan]

With the resin bodies, dreinecke turned me onto Pine Sol.
Giving it a soak for a day or two and I was able to clean most of the body with an old toothbrush.