37403 Posted June 16, 2019 Share Posted June 16, 2019 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 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Torper Posted June 16, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 16, 2019 I tried soaking an enamel painted plastic coach roof in Dettol in the hope of getting the paint off. It didn't. DT Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enfys_Rainbow Posted June 16, 2019 Share Posted June 16, 2019 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 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Corbs Posted June 16, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 16, 2019 Did you scrub with a toothbrush as well? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enfys_Rainbow Posted June 16, 2019 Share Posted June 16, 2019 23 minutes ago, Corbs said: Did you scrub with a toothbrush as well? Like an absolute demon! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Argos Posted June 16, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 16, 2019 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. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Corbs Posted June 16, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 16, 2019 Hmm. How about the soda crystals method? I'm yet to try it myself but I've heard good things. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianusa Posted June 16, 2019 Share Posted June 16, 2019 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. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
YesTor Posted June 17, 2019 Share Posted June 17, 2019 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... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
37403 Posted June 17, 2019 Author Share Posted June 17, 2019 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! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete the Elaner Posted June 17, 2019 Share Posted June 17, 2019 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. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Tomlinson Posted June 17, 2019 Share Posted June 17, 2019 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. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
5 C Posted June 17, 2019 Share Posted June 17, 2019 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! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike morley Posted June 17, 2019 Share Posted June 17, 2019 On 16/06/2019 at 14:32, Enfys_Rainbow said: I'll probably give up now and try brake fluid instead. Be careful! I discovered the hard way that quite brief exposure to brake fluid can make some - repeat some - plastics very brittle. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enfys_Rainbow Posted June 17, 2019 Share Posted June 17, 2019 I have just found out that scrubbing the sticky mess with white spirit and a toothbrush seems to work. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porkscratching Posted June 17, 2019 Share Posted June 17, 2019 I found IPA strips Lima coach bodies completely and effectively, ( didn't seem to hurt the plastic at all)..trouble was i only wanted to remove the numbers... 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tractor_37260 Posted June 17, 2019 Share Posted June 17, 2019 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 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
37403 Posted June 18, 2019 Author Share Posted June 18, 2019 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? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveyDee68 Posted June 18, 2019 Share Posted June 18, 2019 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! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porkscratching Posted June 18, 2019 Share Posted June 18, 2019 The thing with paint stripping I guess, is knowing what type of paint has been used and what will shift it ..( without dissolving the model as well...) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Verth Posted June 20, 2019 Share Posted June 20, 2019 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. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grizz Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 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. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rdr Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 (edited) i've stripped a load of lima locos and triang/Hornby coach bodies with DOT3 brake fluid, they have all survived to this day and feel perfect. Edited June 25, 2019 by rdr Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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