Did The DOT 3 Thing, Now I Have A Question ?

[Beatnik]

Questions now that I've stripped a body with DOT 3. Some colors were much more resistant to being easily stripped, and seems the silver left a cloudy look in spots. Also had to scrub pretty good to get through other sots. I heard mention of polishing ? What do you use to polish scuff marks ?

This was a couple of weeks worth of soaking and scrubbing. Just let it sit under soaked shop towels like was suggested, might try cotton balls in certain areas if I do this again to get down in those tight spots. This is a unobtainable body, so I spent a few bucks to strip it.

Next up, flats on unobtanium tires.

[Coelacanth]

I'm sorry to say the hazing is probably in the Lexan itself and no amount of polishing will get rid of it. You could try some rubbing compound and elbow grease to remove some of the scuffs but when I used DOT3 & DOT4 to strip paint, it hazed the Lexan. There are plenty of posts on here and other forums documenting similar observations. You can still paint it and it'll turn out pretty good, but in the areas where the hazing is, the paint will appear less vibrant.

[Beatnik]

It's odd because the lexan is perfectly clear in most areas, but in some where different colors were used it left a shadow. I might get the Novus out too.

[Coelacanth]

Here are some topics on this discussion:

http://www.rc10talk.com/viewtopic.php?f=62&t=751
http://www.rc10talk.com/viewtopic.php?f=62&t=32353

Another, including my own experiences:

http://www.rc10talk.com/viewtopic.php?f=62&t=23169

[shodog]

The hazing probably won't come out. The old paint did it's job and etched the plastic.

[Kyoshojoe]

Be careful as the brake fluid can make the lexan brittle if soaked for long periods and it may not be overly evident at first, check for little micro cracks around seams and edges. If its a shelfer you probably will be fine but as a runner the body may snap and crack. The hazing may be a result of this or where the paint actually etched the lexan.

take care with buffing lexan as you can easily melt it with a dremel polisher bit or scratch the lexan worse. I have been able to 2000 grit sand optima mid lexan belt covers and then buff them out with a high speed wheel but i am always very careful to not apply too much pressure and buff lightly. Even polishing compound can scratch the lexan but might make the hazing less evident if you use a plastic polish.

Try soaking the tires in wd40 in a sandwhich bag over night. One warning though, if the tires are already deteroirating from dry rot the wd40 may soften them up and reveal cracking that could not be seen before.

Hope this helps, its a hit and miss with stripping bodies and restoring old tires.

[jwscab]

yeah, worst case, plan to use white or or gray or maybe silver in the hazed areas, which will help hide them.

[Beatnik]

The Novus 2 and lots of elbow grease is working great. I haven't noticed the body being any more brittle than it was before, already had some cracking up front. You can see up in the roll cage where silver was, I'm just going to sit and polish it all out. Same with the wing.

I'm afraid to do anything to the tires, might just stuff em with foams.

[Kyoshojoe]

good plan. if ya stuff em with foam and maybe heat em up a little they might relax a bit and take the new shape. Body looks like it turned out well.

[Beatnik]

Running out of elbow grease tonight. The Novus is polishing it out pretty good.

[Beatnik]

Roll cage

[Beatnik]

Here's the before, never was happy with this paint. I was thinking the roll cage was silver, two weeks of soaking and my memory is gone !

[Beatnik]

Next up, the pink/purple cox.

[Beatnik]

This one didn't want to strip, much thinner body to. Looks like ass.