Need help stripping Tamiya Primer

[Some_Kid]

Hey guys so I gave a lacquer paint job a bath in 91% alcohol and it stripped the paint very well. However the tamiya primer has only come off in patches/flakes.
I figured that the alcohol had lost it's bite once it got down to the primer so I emptied my container and put a fresh batch of alcohol in there and I've only seen a minimal difference.

How can I get the rest of this primer off? I don't want to resort to break fluid because the body has panels CA glued together and puttied over to make smooth. I don't want to lose body work on it.

Can I get an even stronger batch of alcohol. Do they sell 97% percent anywhere?

[stevenoble]

Very rare for the alcohol to take off all the primer. No idea why, but it just doesn't seem to touch it. I usually just sand the remaining primer smooth and re-prime as necessary. Seems a waste to remove it all, just to re-apply again...

[Some_Kid]

Originally Posted by stevenoble

Very rare for the alcohol to take off all the primer. No idea why, but it just doesn't seem to touch it. I usually just sand the remaining primer smooth and re-prime as necessary. Seems a waste to remove it all, just to re-apply again...

Interesting. But is it safe to assume that the primer that is still attached to the body suitable to be painted over? Wouldn't the alcohol compromise it, or perhaps cause the paint to crack in the future?

[mkucaba]

Originally Posted by Some_Kid

Hey guys so I gave a lacquer paint job a bath in 91% alcohol and it stripped the paint very well. However the tamiya primer has only come off in patches/flakes.
I figured that the alcohol had lost it's bite once it got down to the primer so I emptied my container and put a fresh batch of alcohol in there and I've only seen a minimal difference.

How can I get the rest of this primer off? I don't want to resort to break fluid because the body has panels CA glued together and puttied over to make smooth. I don't want to lose body work on it.

Can I get an even stronger batch of alcohol. Do they sell 97% percent anywhere?

Try some denatured alcohol, but don't soak, just rub it with cloth wet with it. Maybe check it in a hidden spot. I've used DA as a plastic prep for years on styrene & resin.

[Slash.Snakepit]

Originally Posted by Some_Kid

Can I get an even stronger batch of alcohol. Do they sell 97% percent anywhere?

You would probably find 97 or 98% (Isopropyl alcohol) in stores where supplies for electronics and pcb´s are sold.

I got the best results using this type of alcohol to strip paint off. Brake fluid always caused me trouble making the plastic brittle.

I am testing this week a tip about using ethanol and it seems to work so-so, but the ethanol sold in Brazil is made from sugarcane I don´t know if it would work where the ethanol is made from corn or other plants. But as stated above, sanding the remainder of the primer smooth would be a safe way to go so you don´t loose your ca or putty job.

[Tamar]

Try to get your hand on a bottle of "dry-cleaning naphta" or refined petrol or as a last resort Zippo lighterfuel. The product is called wasbezine over here in Holland.
Its a cleaning petrol. you should be able to pick it up at every hardware store.

These products will remove/etch, attack all tamiya laquers including the primers (both white and grey) But they are harmless on your kit plastic resin etc etc.

Why I know? I'm a slotracer and we use these product to clean parts chassis etc etc. We cover the paint on our plastic or GRP car bodies with a fuel resistant clear topcoat (like the Mr Hobby or a Gunze 2k) to protect them.

I've wiped/ soaked several car bodies this way to remove previous primer coats as in slotracing every gram counts.
Which is why on white cars I use the primer as my color topcoat.

with kind regards
Tamar

[stevenoble]

Originally Posted by Some_Kid

Interesting. But is it safe to assume that the primer that is still attached to the body suitable to be painted over? Wouldn't the alcohol compromise it, or perhaps cause the paint to crack in the future?

No problem the primer will be fine to paint over. Done it myself with my McLaren MP4/5B build and a Tamiya Mitsubishi Evo VI WRC. Both still sat in my display cabinet as good and glossy as the day they were painted. Why make yourself a load of extra work and waste expensive primer, just a thought...

[Some_Kid]

Originally Posted by stevenoble

No problem the primer will be fine to paint over. Done it myself with my McLaren MP4/5B build and a Tamiya Mitsubishi Evo VI WRC. Both still sat in my display cabinet as good and glossy as the day they were painted. Why make yourself a load of extra work and waste expensive primer, just a thought...

Thanks. Just trying to get all the primer off with as little sanding as possible. I've got some Zero primer on the way. All the way from SpotModel

[stevenoble]

Originally Posted by Some_Kid

Thanks. Just trying to get all the primer off with as little sanding as possible. I've got some Zero primer on the way. All the way from SpotModel

No problem. You don't need to remove all the old primer as such. Just make sure it's smooth and has no rough edges and spray your new primer over the top of the old. Done that before with no problems at all. That was with the same brand primer, Tamiya over Tamiya, though I'm sure Zero primer over Tamiya will be good. Maybe test a small section first just to be sure..

[RonCla]

Some of Tamiyas' ' plastic friendly ' Lacquer Thinners #87077 on a rag would wipe off your primer without affecting your bodywork.

We can get 99% Isopropyl alcohol here in NZ which has always stripped off everything I've thrown at it.