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strip paint off lexan?

Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2008 11:46 am
by toykilla
Has anyone here tried the DOT 3 brake fluid trick for stipping paint off lexan? i got 3 new 10T bodies that were painted by the previous owner but never mounted. i want to redo them since the paint isnt very good.

Also they dont fit the T2 rear tower.

Re: strip paint off lexan?

Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2008 11:48 am
by RedScampi
Brake fluid works,but...it also clouds and embrittles the Lexan in my experience. Same thing with oven cleaner. Best bet is to save the existing paint job or buy another body unless it's super rare IMO.

Re: strip paint off lexan?

Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2008 1:47 pm
by JK Racing
try nitro fuel, a few people on here have had good results. i have never stripped a body personally...well a lexan body...

Re: strip paint off lexan?

Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2008 1:57 pm
by Mr. ED
There's no '1 trick works for all': there are just too many different types of paint outthere.

If the original owner used pactra for example: the thinner used in that paint is so strong it reacts with the lexan. No way you can ever remove that and have a clean body afterwards.

Re: strip paint off lexan?

Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2008 2:45 pm
by bearrickster
I dont by the breakfluid ? I have a breakfluid soaked rag that has been laying in my LX-T body for 2 months with some frequenty reapplied and the paint isnt even soft yet?? I am giving up I have a new body on the way!

Re: strip paint off lexan?

Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2008 5:32 pm
by murphy3428
Re: the best way to strip a body????
I have used this stripper for a couple years now (Citristrip gel) works much better than brake fluid and does not seem to harm the lexan, infact I have left it on over night and still no damage to the lexan. You can buy it at home depot or lowes. I usually leave it on for about an hour or so it can be a bit messy use soft terry cloth rag and a soft brissel paint brush to get into the crevises you also should tape up the exterior to limit scratching it. Hope this helps

Re: strip paint off lexan?

Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2008 6:16 pm
by bearrickster
I will go to lowes tomorrow anf let you know thanks

Re: strip paint off lexan?

Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2008 6:24 pm
by toykilla
murphy3428 wrote:Re: the best way to strip a body????
I have used this stripper for a couple years now (Citristrip gel) works much better than brake fluid and does not seem to harm the lexan, infact I have left it on over night and still no damage to the lexan. You can buy it at home depot or lowes. I usually leave it on for about an hour or so it can be a bit messy use soft terry cloth rag and a soft brissel paint brush to get into the crevises you also should tape up the exterior to limit scratching it. Hope this helps
Cool. I will give it a try. Yes these are RARE bodies.. aftermarket bodies for the original 10T. I also have 2 Andys bodies painted by him and a Dahms jeep (unpainted) I may be selling and/or trading some of these since they will not fit my t2.

Re: strip paint off lexan?

Posted: Fri Dec 19, 2008 1:50 pm
by toykilla
Good news/Bad news. The DOT 3 works great on the blue paint, but the guy used a silver pearl under it with some line patterns that dont seem to be affected by the DOT 3. I will try oven cleaner on those parts.

Re: strip paint off lexan?

Posted: Fri Dec 19, 2008 2:20 pm
by klavy69
did you try the citrijelstip yet?

Re: strip paint off lexan?

Posted: Fri Dec 19, 2008 2:39 pm
by toykilla
klavy69 wrote:did you try the citrijelstip yet?
Where can I get that? I just tried laquer thinner and it didnt phase the silver. Might be stuck completely

Re: strip paint off lexan?

Posted: Fri Dec 19, 2008 2:57 pm
by murphy3428
toykilla wrote:
klavy69 wrote:did you try the citrijelstip yet?
Where can I get that? I just tried laquer thinner and it didnt phase the silver. Might be stuck completely
you can buy citrusgelstrip at any home depot and I am pretty sure you can find it at lowes as well in the paint section the citrus strip will definitly remove the silver from that body and will not cloud the lexan either this is the same stuff look it up here (Zinsser Magic Strip Citrus Action Gel )

Re: strip paint off lexan?

Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 4:12 pm
by toykilla
Citrisgelstrip takes the paint off but is leaving a thick gunky residue. How do i get that off? The can says to use mineral spirits. Will this damage the lexan?

Re: strip paint off lexan?

Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 11:07 pm
by toykilla
toykilla wrote:Citrisgelstrip takes the paint off but is leaving a thick gunky residue. How do i get that off? The can says to use mineral spirits. Will this damage the lexan?
Mineral spirits isnt working. The citrisgel stuff turns into a thick gunky wax. I can scrape it off with a plastic scraper but its not really getting it all off. How can i disolve the citrisgel stuff?

Re: strip paint off lexan?

Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 11:27 pm
by mikedealer
i read somewhere about freezing the body, then dipping it hot water to "shock" the paint off the body, and they said they had success in doing it