# Stripping Lacquer??



## eradicator178 (Sep 3, 2008)

What can be used to strip lacquer off a styrene plastic model. I have tried the Castrol Super clean which is superb for cleaning paint off of plastic but I am having no luck with it taking off lacquer. Help Please!!!! :freak:


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

In my experience automotive lacquer is impossible to strip from a styrene kit without damaging or destroying the plastic. lacquer tends to bite in to the plastic.

Chris.


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## eradicator178 (Sep 3, 2008)

Auroranut said:


> In my experience automotive lacquer is impossible to strip from a styrene kit without damaging or destroying the plastic. lacquer tends to bite in to the plastic.
> 
> Chris.


Oh wonderful!!!


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

Don't panic yet- there might be guys here with a method that I don't know of....

Chris.


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## Mark McGovern (Apr 25, 1999)

ee-rad,

I hope you're talking about a vehicle that has large areas of smooth plastic. A heavily textured figure like the Mummy or the Wolf Man will pose problems. My suggestion is that you hunker down with some fine (400-grit at least) wet-or-dry sandpaper and go over the entire lacquer-painted area. I'm not suggesting that you sand all the paint off, just break the smooth surface. In the process, you'll reduce the thickness of the paint a little.

Then you'll need to use a stronger stripper Castrol Super Clean. Easy Off Fume Free oven cleaner has always worked for me (note that you want the Fume Free formulation). Find a container that will accommodate the model and that can be sealed with a lid or plastic wrap. Spray your model with the oven cleaner and cover it. The Easy Off will take several hours to work.

When it looks like the paint might be lifting, add a little water to the Easy Off left in the bottom of the container. This seems to help it do its work - I haven't a clue why. Put on some rubber gloves and something to protect your eyes (at the very least; you should wear protection for your clothing as well) and scrub the model with an old toothbrush, dipping it in the water/Easy Off solution. I hope you have a utility sink in which to perform this operation; the females of our species simply don't appreciate what oven cleaners and dissolved model paint mixtures do to kitchen or bathroom fixtures.

You'll get much of the lacquer off your model, but will probably have to repeat the process a time or two to remove all the paint. If the Easy Off Fume Free oven cleaner doesn't seem to be working, follow the same procedures I've described with Polly S Easy Lift-Off paint stripper. Be aware that this stuff will attack the plastic over time, so keep an eye on your model and scrub as soon as it looks like the Easy Lift-Off is working on the paint.

If that doesn't work, you have two options left: decide you like the paint as it is or get a new model. Luck o' the Irish getting that paint off!


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Lacquers are tough paints and will be hard to remove without melting the plastic itself.

You might try some Tamiya (plastic safe) lacquer thinner or Gunze Mr. Color thinner. Both are synthetic thinners that are relatively safe on plastic. 

I have found oven cleaner, super clean, etc. will not do much with lacquer at all.


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