TOPIC:

Hi guys,
I want to restore my two clodbuster bodies and I don't know wich method to use and the easiest.
Someone can help me please?

I'd really need to see some photos to get an idea of what needs doing - is it just poor paint? Scratches? Cracks? Bits broken off? Bits missing?

In general I'd say:

1 - Strip the old paint off
- immerse it in brake fluid & give it an occasional scrub, this will take a couple of weeks.
- or -
- immerse it in a caustic soda solution, which will be much faster.
I haven't used either method so I can't advise you more than that, I use De-Solv-It Grafitti Remover, which is only available in the UK

2 - repair any damage
- use filler & rub it down, or if the damage is worse, repair with styrene sheet or car body filler, or even fibreglass and resin

3 - prime
- put several thin coats of primer on, then rub down lightly. That should give you a good flat surface to paint on

I've done this in many projects, for example:

[url=http://www.tamiyabase.com/Forum/33-Vintage-Tamiya-original-build-or-restoration/4233-Mostly-Mk.1-Sand-Scorcher.html#4233
]Sand Scorcher[/url]
Bullhead
Cheetah
Monster Beetle
Sand Rover

Thanks jonny
I need to reform some corner and so on my wrangler. Do you know syntofer?
If yes, is it good product to restore body?

I was sceptical about the brake fluid method, but I use it all the time now. Be warned though, it can be time consuming & will dry your skin & make it sore, so wear gloves.
How long depends on what sort of paint - model enamel will start to come off in about 20 minutes, automotive paint will take 2-3 days or longer depending on how old it is. If it's got a coat of automotive laquer on it, well, it could be weeks....
DON'T use paint stripper, acetone, cellulose thinner, petrol, heat or oven cleaner cos it'll destroy the plastic. I wouldn't recommend using caustic soda either - it's nasty stuff & you'll get hurt if you're not careful. I'm not sure how resilient ABS is to it either, caustic containers/pipework are usually made of HDPE, polypropylene or uPVC, not ABS

I found this thread on TamiyaClub which includes paint stripping with caustic soda, and a recipe.



I looked at www.sinto.fr/ and there are a lot of "Sintofer" products - you need to be more specific about which one ... and don't they make them in smaller quantities?

Thanks guys

I know that brake fluid is relatevely dangerous I am car repairer, but I didn't know if abs resists. Sometimes for lexan bodies I use an oven cleaner in foam bomb. I put the body in a bag and I wait generally one night. no more because once time I refund a puzzle.

For the sinto, I would like to use the car's body repair. It is a mastic in 2 compnent like putty. I don't know if it resist on small parts as windows bays.

My bodies are tamiya paints painted. They are more than 20years painted
nice week end...

Brake fluid seems to be ok with ABS over a week & the ABS doesn't seem to suffer long term from it either. I haven't tried leaving it longer. My only experience of oven cleaner is my Isuzu Mu, which the seller told me had been stripped with oven cleaner - the plastic has gone very brittle/powdery & can't be glued with styrene cement. I also had problems with paint reactions too, despite there being no old paint left on it & properly cleaned & primed. It could be with so many oven cleaner manufacturers, that some work & some don't, but I won't risk it on a vintage/rare shell.
I've also heard people say that brake fluid makes lexan cloudy - I've left an Astute body in it for 24hrs, & nothing nasty happened, but don't know about leaving it longer than that (In fact, the only clouding on the shell was caused by the adhesive in the Tamiya velcro)

I did 4 wild Willy shell in caustic soda today, all hat a different kind of paint(s) on them ranging from one to multiple layers.



Result wasn't to bad, funny though the one with most layers lost nearly all paint the one with the thin coat zip



nice example is blue willy with yellow boots, blue came off nicely not the yellow, and underneath his overall he was wearing yellow straps.

How long did you have them in for? I just wonder if they need a longer soak time, if they need a stronger solution, need it changing part way through, or it's just a type of paint that won't come off (auto 2K, etc)?


But this photo ...

waterbok wrote:

...

...

... I've seen something like that before ... 1977 it was ...

Dont worry some came out unscatched.



Oh wait!! they never went in, LUKE! princess LEIA! , HAN, CHEWIE! .........
I am so sorry.
Seems the caustic soda worked.



I had the cars in the solution for about 5 to 6 hours, some stiring and scrathing with a brush inbetween. I used about 1100 grams with 20ltr so 1:20 (think max. advisable is 1:10)
Had 4 complete bodies with the small parts and 4 sets of rims in it.

I think it is the type off paint that wont come off, one body had 5 layers of very bad paint on it and they came off like butter with some brushing inbetween another with 2 thin coats only started to crack a little (its hard paint and some places I can scratch it off but its still holding on)

I will give the last one a wack with some anti graffiti stuff and next week will soak the lot in some natriumhydoxid to remove the rest paint still stuck.


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