Best way to remove paint and printed numbers

[D860 VICTORIOUS]

Hi all,

I know this is a real "back to basics" question,but I would be grateful for any advice and other's experiences.

I have one of the first Bachmann 37's,not their finest hour admittedly but it still runs really well and parts of the body are well realised.I have attempted two repaints on this model,most recently in TTG,and to put it mildly it looks terrible.

In the spirit of using what I have,I would like to try another repaint into a simpler livery.The question is; what would be the definitive method of complete removal of the paint I have applied,as I want to start  with as much of a blemish-free surface as possible.

I know from reading on here that different methods can be used,including oven cleaner,brake fluid,Modelstrip etc,and have tried a couple of these with varying success...

Secondly,I have recently acquired a few Bachmann "Whisky Blue" grain wagons,a decent model but one I think is unlikely to be re-issued to current standards  due to limited appeal.I have the Fox transfer pack to re-number them,but having tried Enamel and Acrylic thinners,T-Cut,Brut 33 etc,I can't shift the printed-on numbers.I'd rather not use a scalpel to scrape off the numbers,any ideas of alternate methods? Sorry if this is going over old ground,

TIA,

Neil.

[Torper]

An ultrasonic bath and some appropriate cleaning fluid will do the job.  I recently stripped some old Hornby Dublo super detail coaches down to bare metal using this method and it took less than an hour.

Edited January 19, 2023 by Torper

[ISW]

1 hour ago, D860 VICTORIOUS said:

Secondly,I have recently acquired a few Bachmann "Whisky Blue" grain wagons,a decent model but one I think is unlikely to be re-issued to current standards  due to limited appeal.I have the Fox transfer pack to re-number them,but having tried Enamel and Acrylic thinners,T-Cut,Brut 33 etc,I can't shift the printed-on numbers.I'd rather not use a scalpel to scrape off the numbers,any ideas of alternate methods? Sorry if this is going over old ground,

Neil,

 

I've successfully removed numbers using a Sharpie pen. Choose a pen with roughly the same background colour. The fibres of the Sharpie act as a light abrasive and the thinners in the ink help dissolve the transfer. Take it easy as you can remove the underlying colour if you are 'too' aggressive. It'll leave the surface glossy, so try not to wander too far outside the transfer area. However, that glossy surface is ideal for application of replacement transfers.

 

Ian

[BR traction instructor]

Superstrip from Phoenix paints…fetches it back to the plastic.

 

BeRTIe

[Hal Nail]

 

[sb67]

I've tried a couple of things on the factory finish of a Lima class 31, Isopropyl Alcohol, brake fluid and oven cleaner didn't touch the paint even after more than a week in soak. The only thing that worked for me was Detol but that did turn everything into a gunky mess and needed lots of cleaning up! It might be worth using a proprietary model paint stripper.   

[newbryford]

On 20/01/2023 at 06:52, sb67 said:

I've tried a couple of things on the factory finish of a Lima class 31, Isopropyl Alcohol, brake fluid and oven cleaner didn't touch the paint even after more than a week in soak. The only thing that worked for me was Detol but that did turn everything into a gunky mess and needed lots of cleaning up! It might be worth using a proprietary model paint stripper.   

 

There is a theory that cockroaches and Lima paint will be the only survivors of a nuclear holocaust.........

[33C]

2 hours ago, newbryford said:

 

There is a theory that cockroaches and Lima paint will be the only survivors of a nuclear holocaust.........

...and a Triang Jinty....