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Dettol paint stripping


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Morning all,

 

I've been looking through various threads regarding paint stripping and noticed that Dettol seems to work for a number of folks.

I'm stripping a Bachmann class 20 and have had the shell in Dettol overnight and it doesn't seem to have had much success at taking the paint off. The paint has gone a tacky sort of feel.

Is it a case of leaving it soaking for longer?

Does the plastic start to become distorted the longer you leave it

 

This forum has always been very useful, any wise words would be most appreciated

cheers

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I've read numerous accounts of how good Dettol is at stripping paint so I thought I'd give it a go. 

 

I've had a Lima bodyshell in Dettol for two weeks and while it has removed the majority of the paint, what's left is a sticky mess. 

 

I'll probably give up now and try brake fluid instead. 

 

E_R

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I've used Dettol to remove paint quite successfully.

 

I left the parts to soak for a couple of days which reduced the paint layers to sludge then cleaned up with an old tooth brush.

This was enough to remove a brush painted layer of enamel over some Halford's primer on a multimedia kit of etched brass and plastic.

 

Certainly a lot more friendly than brake fluid.

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Over here Pinesol appears to be the same as Dettol.  I have used it many time on Hornby and Meccano stripping quite successfully.  Best if left for a couple of days and wash off in warm water (which is the best part)!:)

      Brian.

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15 hours ago, 37403 said:

Does the plastic start to become distorted the longer you leave it

 

Essentially, yes. 

 

12 hours ago, Enfys_Rainbow said:

I've had a Lima bodyshell in Dettol for two weeks and while it has removed the majority of the paint, what's left is a sticky mess.

 

Agreed.  I tested this method some time back and found that while Dettol does indeed appear to soften paint it does however seem to soften it to a horrendously sticky mess that becomes impossible to remove.  There was also a distinct softening to the body moulding too which effectively ruined the wagon body I was testing, and thus my experiment ended up in the bin.  My first and last journey into Dettol...  :rolleyes:

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Thanks for all the responses, most helpful.

I've had the shell in Dettol for nearly 48 hours and the paint has got soft and scrapes off with a bit of effort. It's not really peeling off like I envisaged though.

I'll bring it out tonight when I get home and take it from there.

Hopefully I don't go home to a blob of distorted plastic!

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I have used it successfully on a few Lima bodies. It needs at least an overnight soaking, maybe 24 hours to work properly. I filled up an old bleach bottle.

My first attempts left it a little sticky. I tried scrubbing it off with an old toothbrush under a running tap. It seems that the water was making it sticky.

I have found that scrubbing it with more neat Dettol (from the soaking bottle is fine) is much more effective.

Once the body is nice & clean, I give it a further scrub in warm soapy water to prevent any residual Dettol from reacting with the paint.

 

I have not observed any distortion.

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Bear in mind that manufacturers paint finishes are not the same. Lima in my experience come off quite easily and I've used slightly dilute IPA with success. Other finishes may well be tougher. Phoenix Precision do a product "Superstrip", although it isn't cheap it is reusable after some careful straining.

 

John.

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Another thumbs down for Dettol here I'm afraid.

 

Dettol turned the paint on a modern Hornby coach body into a sticky mess and then attacked the plastic turning that too into a sticky mess, made worse by toothbrush scrubbing. The stickiness has now gone but the toothbrush scars remain.

 

On a related matter, another Hornby coach body - also due to be stripped - was splashed with a solution of Fairy Liquid from the washing up bowl. The result was a bleaching effect which left streaks and light patches, making the coach look like it had been through an Exmover filled washing plant!

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On 16/06/2019 at 11:04, 37403 said:

Morning all,

 

I've been looking through various threads regarding paint stripping and noticed that Dettol seems to work for a number of folks.

I'm stripping a Bachmann class 20 and have had the shell in Dettol overnight and it doesn't seem to have had much success at taking the paint off. The paint has gone a tacky sort of feel.

Is it a case of leaving it soaking for longer?

Does the plastic start to become distorted the longer you leave it

 

This forum has always been very useful, any wise words would be most appreciated

cheers

Is it the "Antiseptic" Dettol, the brown stuff that your using ? although I've not tried it yet, shows good results on some YouTube vids.....

Another option is Deluxe Materials Strip Magic - again vids on using on YT.....

HTH

 

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Thanks for all the feedback folks.

The loco is currently sitting in a tub looking quite awful to be frank. I tried using white spirit but its done nothing but make the loco smell even worse than it did from Dettol.

 

Is my only real option now to use phoenix stripper?

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I stripped a second hand BR green painted Dapol 57 in brown Dettol - paint came off a treat, left with a grey plastic and nice smelling body shell.

 

Tried the same on a Lima 59 which had been painted the same way by the previous owner - after 24 hours, the paint had lifted slightly. After 48 hours, rinsed and scrubbed and it went "sticky" and "stringy". Gave it another 12 hour's dunk ... still sticky, scrubbing etched the body work, and the exhaust set into the roof had warped!

 

Result? Bought a replacement 59 body off the Bay of Fleas.

 

Definitely the case that different manufacturers, models etc react differently.

 

In future I am sticking with the more expensive but specially formulated products.

 

Good luck!

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I have regularly used Dettol as a paint stripper for some time with no problems until the latest venture a resin body, Dettol removed the enamel paint with no problems in a few hours, there was another layer a black paint over a layer of grey primer presumably these are Halford's spray paint the black soffend after a couple of days the grey primer did not want to move, the tender had a additional layer of green between the grey primer and black.

Dettol seems to work well on enamel paint but not so well on what may be cellulose based paint. I will continue to use Dettol for any future paint stripping though I have no projects planned that need any paint stripping. 

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Got a load of fairy cheap Bachmann BGs in Regional Railways livery and am repainting them into various colours, mostly BR Blue era. Did the first one without stripping it and used a coat of Halfords grey primer. After I had applied the the acrylic Rail blue, the gloss varnish, then transfers, then final satin top varnish. After a week I noticed that the duplex stripes were visible through the paint layers in a certain light.....enough to annoy me and wish I had stripped the paint completely. 

 

Having read some some nightmare tales I decided to go with ultra fine wet and dry and soapy water. This took way too long and risked taking off the door handles etc.

 

This afternoon I tried Meths,........no not to drink.....things haven't got that bad yet!          But on the coach, with the glazing removed, and using the Meths and an old stiff paint brush the results, so far, are great. Doesn't seem to attack the plastic and all I did was brush it firmly on and left in there to soften the paint for a few mins before reapplying. At the finish warm soapy water to clean all residue. Worked for one am now going to try with others. 

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