I remember reading somewhere some years ago that brake fluid works to stip old paint and decals from a model. Does anyone know if that's right?

Specifically I have a Roden Fokker Dr.1 I painted incorrectly some time back with Tamiya paints and then applied some streaking decals that just don't look right. I'd like to get back to bare plastic and start over.

So does anyone know if brake fluid will work here and, if so, what the appropriate procedure would be?

Thanks!!

Michael

The best thing I've found for stripping paint is Castrol Super Clean (aka Purple Power). It's a heavy duty degreaser, and will strip paint & chrome right down to the bare plastic. You can find it in automotive stores like NAPA & AutoZone; also Wal-Mart or Target might carry it in their Automotive Department.

Hope that helps.

Jim

Jim,

Thanks for the suggestion. A couple of questions:

1. How do you use it? Do you apply it to the model and scrub it off or soak the model or what?
2. It looks from the ad like it might create some sort of anti-grease barrier. Is it hard to repaint the kit later?

Just trying to cover my bases, thanks again!!

Michael

No, it's not hard to use at all. Just soak the part for a while (chrome takes about 10 min, paint usually takes longer), scrub it off, rinse well, let dry, and you're good to go.

Jim

Michael,

If you used Tamiya paint, go to Wal-Mart and buy the cheap store brand of Windex in the big refill bottle. Put the model in a tub and pour in the Windex to submerge it. Give it a nudge every couple of hours to keep it fresh. Leave it overnight and the paint and everything else will be gone, no scrubbing. Rinse with water from your kitchen sink sprayer and allow to dry covered with a tupperware to prevent dust. This will give you bare plastic fully prepped for painting.

Guys,

Thanks for all the ideas! My problem is that I've actually partially built the kit so soaking it would cause problems in the cockpit that I couldn't get at to repair. It's a 1/32 Roden Fokker Dr.1 I incorrectly painted blue then with Gunsight streak decals applied. So I'm trying to find something I can kind of brush on the surface and let sit for a while then clean off. I'm not trying to salvage the paint or decals, just the cockpit.

Thanks for everything so far!

Michael

Michael,

No problem doing that with Windex and a brush, sponge, or Q-Tip, then rinse with water. I've stripped and repainted panels before without disturbing the adjacent panel.

Windex? That's a new one. I'll have to try that one of these days. Good tip.

Jim