View Full Version : Stripping paint from JL/AW cars


slotrod65
11-14-2008, 11:57 AM
I want to strip the paint from several of my JL/AW cars.... So I soaked them in my usual formula: Superclean degreaser. This stuff typically takes the paint right off other prjects, but it will not touch the JL/AW paint. Has anyone has success stripping these cars? If so, what method did you use?

Thanks!!

Phred

pshoe64
11-14-2008, 01:31 PM
Use 91% isopropyl alcohol. It will take the AW/JL paint completely off the plastic. Make sure to remove the chrome and windows first as it will haze them. Soak it over night. Do not use this method on resin bodies, they will get soft. Undiluted cloudy ammonia will strip the chrome pieces clean.

-Paul

roadrner
11-14-2008, 02:19 PM
It depends on the JL/AW body. Some colors have come off in Airbrush cleaner, Easy Off and or Alcohol after a overnight soak. Some colors take forever and a variety of stripping agents and elbow grease before you ever see the white of the bod. Stand by, others will be here soon to enlighten you on their experiences. :) rr

slotrod65
11-14-2008, 03:19 PM
Thanks guys... I have the bodies in Alcohol soak right now... so we'll see what happens.

Ph

Bill Hall
11-14-2008, 03:37 PM
Someone tried a Bazooka on that later AW paint....it didnt work either.

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f30/modelmurdering/A34D567-97E3-4292-9901-9F786BD2CE13.jpg

It can be done! See prior to being murderfied....this was an A-dub navy/white two tone fiddy six 'burban.

First came the the bobzilla pickle jar of pinesol. After a few days this allowed me to garge the sludgy paint off with my finger nail. The gnarley residue was buffed off the bulk areas using a well worn scotch brite and airbrush thinner (some guys like Zilla use ELO) Careful ya dont overdo it and over scuff the molded detail... you'll wanna keep that :thumbsup:. The final detail picking was done with airbrush thinner and a sharp wooden toothpick of the pointy round variety.

Hilltop Raceway
11-14-2008, 05:38 PM
I like trucks!!! Never thought about cutting the top, doh!!! I've thought about cutting the hood and stuffing it, does that count??? Looks good Bill!!! I need one of those, if I can get the courage to cut, lol...RM

Bill Hall
11-14-2008, 06:30 PM
Thanks Hill,
She's been back burnered for over six months. Ya might wanna barf Randy but I was gonna go t-jet turqouise for the top coat and have the ickey painted bumpers plated. Maybe an ivory tonneau and accents. My neighbor friends dad had a Cameo in that scheme....sold it for $1800...it was nineteen hundred and ...seventy eight.....sonny!

Gotta deal with dumbass purple glass as well

Whats with the darn glass? Were they all dropping acid that week?

SuperFist
11-14-2008, 07:17 PM
When I'm soaking them in 91% isopropyl alcohol, I'll periodically take them out and use a old tooth brush to get the paint out of the areas you can't wipe off.

__________________

http://www.sloganizer.net/en/style8,SuperFist.png

Hilltop Raceway
11-14-2008, 08:30 PM
Turquoise blue sounds good to me. That would look good with a ivory cover. I had the same problem with the purple tint, just spray some flat black on the inside of the glass, that'l tone it down...RM

slotcarman12078
11-14-2008, 08:41 PM
That sounds good. I myself like the new mopar cool vanilla in a two tone with an dark aqua/teal..a shade bluer than Model motoring's green candy. I always liked them two side by side. If ya get that Cameo casted I want some!! Just out of curiosity, what did you use to bond the body back together with??

UtherJoe

win43
11-14-2008, 09:52 PM
Some of the JL and AW bodies are a pain in the arse to strip the paint off. I have used PineSol, turpentine, etc. etc. When I come across a really stubborn one.....when all else fails......I get out my weed burner (mini flame thrower).....takes the paint right off......so what there's nothing left....at least I feel better.:thumbsup::thumbsup:

roadrner
11-14-2008, 11:09 PM
I would buy more AW cars if I could get them uncoated. Call them an AW Kit, uncoated bod and a chassis. Think of the $ they could save. ;)

Tom, what do you think?

Bring 'em on! rr

resinmonger
11-15-2008, 04:57 AM
Someone tried a Bazooka on that later AW paint....it didnt work either.

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f30/modelmurdering/A34D567-97E3-4292-9901-9F786BD2CE13.jpg

It can be done! See prior to being murderfied....this was an A-dub navy/white two tone fiddy six 'burban.

First came the the bobzilla pickle jar of pinesol. After a few days this allowed me to garge the sludgy paint off with my finger nail. The gnarley residue was buffed off the bulk areas using a well worn scotch brite and airbrush thinner (some guys like Zilla use ELO) Careful ya dont overdo it and over scuff the molded detail... you'll wanna keep that :thumbsup:. The final detail picking was done with airbrush thinner and a sharp wooden toothpick of the pointy round variety.

That's a Way neat truck from a suburban, Bill. I like that ole school pick em up look! :freak::dude:

GoodwrenchIntim
11-15-2008, 10:00 AM
I use denatured alcohol on tyco bodies, it works great

Bill Hall
11-15-2008, 02:47 PM
I would buy more AW cars if I could get them uncoated. Call them an AW Kit, uncoated bod and a chassis. Think of the $ they could save. ;)

Tom, what do you think?

Bring 'em on! rr

It looks great on paper rr. Sure would be nice to save all the hassle of stripping and get straight to prep and paint.

slotrod65
11-15-2008, 09:49 PM
OK, I soaked my suburban and a 'snake eyes' for 1.5 days in alcohol. The white peeled off the sub's roof, but the blue paint is being a real bugger... I dunked it again for tomorrow. The cobra went a little better. Most of the purple paint came off, but there are still some areas where it is stuck, even after toothbrushing with my wife's toothbrush. (I used my own toothbrush to strip paint once, but it makes the brush taste terrible!) :-)

More later....

slotrod65
11-16-2008, 09:33 PM
Well, I soaked both cars in alcohol for another day, with no effect. Right now they are soaking in ELO....

Phred

SwamperGene
11-16-2008, 09:41 PM
Use 91% isopropyl alcohol. It will take the AW/JL paint completely off the plastic. Make sure to remove the chrome and windows first as it will haze them. Soak it over night. Do not use this method on resin bodies, they will get soft. Undiluted cloudy ammonia will strip the chrome pieces clean.

-Paul


I found this out the stupid way, and it didn't take overnight :freak:

I was cleaning a chassis and the body, a JL Teal/Black Stripe Nova, was sitting in front of me....

One drop splashed on the roof, and by the time I picked it up and wiped it, the roof was white :cry:

I have heard the later paint is a little tougher.

bobhch
11-16-2008, 10:47 PM
Well, I soaked both cars in alcohol for another day, with no effect. Right now they are soaking in ELO....

Phred

Phred I know you probably know about soaking times in ELO but, others who read this may not? Love your decals!


NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

sorry but when you said soaking in ELO I freaked out a little...lol

ELO is very harsh stuff. I use it but, only after a soak and scrub in Pine Sol to remove most of the paint.

I wear plastic disposable gloves and pour a cap full in my ELO lid. I toothbrush it on and let it soak for only 5 min. and then scrub, scrub with an occasional dip for more ELO. after about 10 to 15 min. total soaking in ELO take the body and scrub it down with soap and water to remove any ELO from it.

If needed repeat this step again to remove any stubborn paint jobs. Also have found that a toothpick scrubbing helps for some reason. Just rub toothbrush into ELO coated area and then brush once the plastic color starts to appear.

ELO will eat window post or worse if soaked in ELO for any lengthy periods of time but, as stated above just rinse in soapy water and then you can go back and do it again.

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew didn't know that stripping slot car bodies would get me so worked up. I have been typing like a mad man. hahahahahaha

The important part is to get the paint out of the door lines and such to bring the detail back into the paint job you are getting ready to spray.

Bob...they don't call me a crazed painter for nothing...zilla

resinmonger
11-17-2008, 06:27 AM
Are you using ELO from the "New World Record" era or the pre-sell out stuff like "Eldorado"? :rolleyes:

slotrod65
11-17-2008, 01:39 PM
Sorry my off hand comments about ELO... I have destroyed my faid share of plastic over the years using ELO. I just spooned some ELO on the cars and let them sit. After about 1/2 hour, I was able to scrub the rest of the paint off with a toothbrush. The only stubborn areas were the door seams. Between a toothpick, and the back of the point of a dull exacto blade and I was able to scrub out the paint. There is still some 'shadowing' of the original paint color, that I just cannpt seam to get off the car body.....

Phred

NTxSlotCars
11-17-2008, 09:57 PM
I soaked my JL/AW Ford Fairlane in PineSol for, Oh, a week to get the cream yellow color off it. It was like wiping banana pudding off a slot car with a toothbrush. It worked good and didn't melt the plastic.

So this ELO stuff is like dropping an alka-seltzer in water, huh?

Rich

bobhch
11-18-2008, 12:43 AM
Phred,

Didn't mean to go all APE on you man. :)

Don't worry about the shadowing as paint will cover that up. Saving the detail is the main thing.

Rich,

I recently soaked 8 Sand Vans in Pine Sol and forgot about them for over 2 weeks. They now have a bump in the hood area.....oooooh man. Well I guess they will need to be cut out for blowers now? lol

Pine Sol for a week is good and then as rich says "Alka Seltzer" it....plop plop...fiz...fiz... Have 4 pickle jars of Pine Sol on my garage workbench with a large backup bottle for changing it out once in a while.

Bob...painting is fun...zilla

slotrod65
11-18-2008, 09:25 AM
Hey, no problem... I should have been more specific about how long the cars went for a soak in the ELO. I dunked a 1/32 model once... and forgot about it.... found it about 6 months (!) later, and it looked like something that went through the transporter backwards... all horror movie swollen, melty, you name it. Ugh!!

I am now painting the bodies I stripped, and will post some photos when there is something worth looking at.... Thanks guys!!

Phred