Janissary Posted May 7, 2010 Share Posted May 7, 2010 I would like to dilute lacquer thinner and use it to remove some excess paint from a model with a soft brush (around small areas). What can I use to do that? My main challenge is stripping the Mr. Surfacer 1200 primer that I applied using Mr. Leveling thinner. The rest of the paint has come off alright. Thanks! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Triarius Posted May 7, 2010 Share Posted May 7, 2010 Lacquer thinner is usually a blend of solvents, some of which are highly aggressive to styrene. I'd recommend sanding the Mr. Surfacer off. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Hawkeye's Hobbies Posted May 7, 2010 Share Posted May 7, 2010 have you tried alcohol? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ThatJeffGuy Posted May 7, 2010 Share Posted May 7, 2010 Mr. Color Thinner will dissolve Mr. Surfacer and not harm the plastic Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MoFo Posted May 7, 2010 Share Posted May 7, 2010 Taking the questions in turn... - Yes, it'd be possible to dilute lacquer thinner - you can buy most solvents in different concentrations - but I have no idea what to use. And it would be kinda pointless. - (as mentioned) "Lacquer thinner" is a bit of a catch-all term for a variety of cocktails of noxious stuff. The can you buy at your hardware store is "lacquer thinner". Mr. Levelling thinner is "lacquer thinner". The $50-a-quart can from your auto body shop is lacquer thinner. Buy they've got wildly differing formulae - you can use the stuff from your hardware store as a direct substitute for liquid glue (Tenax, Pro Weld, etc.) as it melts styrene quickly and effectively.... and you can soak parts in Mr. Color's thinners without any ill effects. BUT, when it comes to the hardware store variety, which melts plastic, I wouldn't feel comfortable soaking plastic in it at any concentration. You've got a sizeable risk of causing some serious damage to the part you're trying to 'fix'. In fact, I'd be surprised if diluted lacquer thinner didn't melt/craze/attack the plastic. It's not worth taking a chance. Don't do it. - Since we're talking smaller areas, a little Mr. Levelling Thinner on a q-tip will work wonders. In fact, I did this just yesterday, removing some overspray. Yes, it's pricier than the hardware store variety, but it's a lot cheaper than buying a new kit. If it's a larger area, I'd wet sand it back (and even ask, does it need to be GONE, or just smooth?), then use a bit of Levelling thinner along panel lines and finer detail. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Janissary Posted May 8, 2010 Author Share Posted May 8, 2010 (edited) Thank you all. Mr. Color Leveling thinner works great. Pretty expensive though. I'd tried alcohol but that didn't work. Thank you again for your suggestions. Edited May 8, 2010 by Janissary Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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