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Simple Green as a paint stripper


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I have had rotor blades for a Ch-53E sitting in full strength Simple Green for over 24 hours now and nothing is coming off. I used enamel paint about 2 years ago to paint these things with and it is still on there like it is never coming off. Am i doing something wrong? I have heard about this way of stripping with very good results but, even when I scratch the paint with my finger nail it still doesn't want to come off. Here is a pic of what I am using.

IMG_0834_zps41dc7caf.jpg

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If the enamels have had that long to cure, then they're probably doing exactly what they were designed to do. Once hardened, they're no easy contender. I've heard that simple green is really a good alternative to a project that is currently in work. Not sure I've ever heard anyone say that they've had to use them on a project as old as the one you're working on. I'd say let them soak overnight to see if that'll do the trick. If not, oven cleaner is supposed to be really good, and I can imagine that there's probably stronger chemicals in that, so it may help.

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I am not sure if all brake fluid will remove paint, but the first generation fluid will, I think it's called DOT3 It's been years since I needed any, but yes it will do the trick

Don923 (flylo)

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Ok thanks. I will let them sit for another day or 2 and see what happens. Then I will go from there.

I assumed you were soaking them in pure (undiluted) Simple Green. If not, try it that way. Undiluted SG will take off carbonized motor oil, so it should work. If not, let us know.

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Yes it is undiluted. There are 3 different coats of paint on them and the top coat is just barley starting to break loose. I will let them sit for a few days and see how it goes. I still have to scratch pretty hard to get the paint off so we will see how they fair after a couple more days.

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Never used Simple Green, but I've used Purple Power, and it removed paint that had been on for a couple of years w/ no problems. I seem to remember it took a few days to get it all off, w/ scrubbing on the parts every day or two to remove what was loose, so if the first is just starting to break loose, then it sounds like its probably doing about the same as Purple Power.

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My experience is that Simple Green in spray bottle takes three or four days on well-cured paint. Purple Power full-strength works faster but a two day soak in it etched plastic and distorted a small propellor. Brake fluid is an overnight operation for me.

I don't recall what kits I used it on, but a different manufacturer's plastic and/or paint may react differently.

HTH

Rick in Maine

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  • 1 month later...

The bottle you have there is pre diluted for use. You need to pick up some undiluted Simple Green. If you pick up a gallon jug of the undiluted it will work better than what you have. You can also pick up a gallon of Purple Power concentrated. I found it at Autozone and it was cheaper than Simple Green and Castro Super Clean.

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The bottle you have there is pre diluted for use. You need to pick up some undiluted Simple Green. If you pick up a gallon jug of the undiluted it will work better than what you have. You can also pick up a gallon of Purple Power concentrated. I found it at Autozone and it was cheaper than Simple Green and Castro Super Clean.

As stated above, you have the "ready-to-use" watered down version. You need to get the concentrated version: Photo of Simple Green #13005

Most automotive stores have it and I've also seen it in grocery stores. I used to detail cars and have removed paint overspray with it.

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Just an example, I had to strip a model a couple weeks ago that had been painted for several weeks, so the paint was pretty well cured. I used the undiluted gallon jug of Purple Power.

Draken054_zpsf37bdddb.jpg

After about 3 hrs of going back & forth soaking & cleaning, I had this.

Draken060_zpsbc507d45.jpg

I soaked the rest of it overnight, and it went down to the bare plastic w/o any problems. Also stripped the clear canopy parts w/o any problems at all, didnt affect the clear parts in the slightest.

Paints were Polly S enamel as a primer, and then Model Master enamel for the color coat. It had been painted 6 or 8 weeks when I stripped it.

When I was done, I used a funnel and a strainer and poured the PP back into its bottle, so that I can use it again in the future.

Edited by Adam Baker
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I've used brake fluid for stripping, and had fairly mixed results w/ it. I used to do a lot of race car models, and commonly had to strip the body at least once during painting, and would use brake fluid. On things like acrylics and Testors enamels, it would strip decently. But hotter things like Tamiya rattle can lacquers and Duplicolor automotive lacquers, it would hardly touch, and I'd have to leave it soaking for days. If it stripped the paint, a lot of times the plastic would come out brittle, and I actually had a case of where I forgot about a body that was soaking and after about 3 weeks, it was mush and totally destroyed. Since then, I dont use brake fluid for stripping any more. I found that the Purple Power I mentioned before, will strip anything, including Duplicolor spray can lacquers.

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