08-27-2021, 10:22 AM
Be wary of brake fluid as a paint stripper: while it can work well on some plastics, it can also make a real mess of others. I stripped an Atlas diesel shell using brake fluid and it damaged the bodyshell so severely that it was almost unrecognisable.
A safer choice might be Super Clean, as I've used it for stripping paint from all types of rolling stock without any ill effects on the plastic. It's supposedly somewhat caustic, but I've handled partially-stripped items un-gloved, with no ill affects. However, if you need to fish the item out of the container that you use for the stripper, it might be advisable to wear nitrile gloves.
I use this former Kool Aid container for Super Clean, although it's too short for most HO scale passenger cars, which need a "double-dip" to get the paint off the entire car....
Simply toss the item into the container, cap it, then come back later to see if the paint has started to come off or is only starting to soften. A toothbrush (used or new) is useful for scrubbing-off the softened or already loose paint. Some types of paint may take longer than others, but it seems to work on pretty-well any type of paint.
It also has a good shelf life, even after you've stripped a number of items, as long as you keep the container capped. The loosened paint usually simply drops to the bottom of the container, but the fluid remains useful as a stripper, even after multiple uses.
Wayne
A safer choice might be Super Clean, as I've used it for stripping paint from all types of rolling stock without any ill effects on the plastic. It's supposedly somewhat caustic, but I've handled partially-stripped items un-gloved, with no ill affects. However, if you need to fish the item out of the container that you use for the stripper, it might be advisable to wear nitrile gloves.
I use this former Kool Aid container for Super Clean, although it's too short for most HO scale passenger cars, which need a "double-dip" to get the paint off the entire car....
Simply toss the item into the container, cap it, then come back later to see if the paint has started to come off or is only starting to soften. A toothbrush (used or new) is useful for scrubbing-off the softened or already loose paint. Some types of paint may take longer than others, but it seems to work on pretty-well any type of paint.
It also has a good shelf life, even after you've stripped a number of items, as long as you keep the container capped. The loosened paint usually simply drops to the bottom of the container, but the fluid remains useful as a stripper, even after multiple uses.
Wayne