Stripping Paint from Boxes

[luke691]

I have a few old, empty enclosures (aluminium).. Covered in various layers of acrylics or enamels..

WHat is the best or most general way to strip paint from old effects...?

[PRR]

A sander is "most general". Awful dust. Corners are tough.

Heat will (almost) always work. (HI-temp exhaust paint on zinc/aluminum, you may warp the box before the paint degrades.)

Different solvents for different paints.... hard to know what's sure to work.

Carb Cleaner (auto-parts store) seems to remove an awful lot of paints. Pretty noxious stuff.

There are dozens of proprietary strippers in the home store. Read the label: many are intended for finishes used on wood and similar, not metal. Most will flay your skin to the nerves: follow all directions.

[luke691]

Thanks..  I was originally thinking the sanding option, but it seems so inefficient.

As for heat; in what way would you apply it.. With a separate oven or something else..?

[.Mike]

I have one of these: Link.

It'll melt the paint on just about anything... except concrete, which just sucks up the heat.

Works great on heatshrink, too.

Mike

[linny1982]

I'd say check out an auto paints store. They're bound to have some sort of stripper safe for use on aluminium.

[kungpow79]

I'd strongly suggest using this stuff:
http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3587951&CAWELAID=342248257
I've used it several times.  Works great.  Lay out some newspapers.  But your box down.  Its thick, like... really thick snot.  WEAR GLOVES.  Apply a little, use a small brush to coat the entire outer surface.  Wait 15 mins.  Everything down to bear metal will come right off.  Use paper paper towels to smear it off, maybe a small scraper.  Rinse under water.  It really does work great.  I wouldn't do it any other way.

[Processaurus]

There was another thread here a while ago about stripping stompboxes.     Several people had recommended burning powder coating off, as it is basically just plastic.

[mattthegamer463]

I belt-sanded some powdered enclosures clean, which left some terribly sharp edges behind, so then I sanded with some 120 and as an added touch I sandblasted them to a nice finish.  A belt sander is definitely the route for PC though.  Paint stripping chemicals will do for spray paints and the like. 

Now I just need to figure out how to repair these ridiculously placed holes...

[col]

Take a tip from railway modellers (UK spelling), soak them in universal brake and clutch fluid which will remove most types of paint. There is also a product caled modelstrip which is caustic and will remove paint from  most surfaces and the skin off your fingers if you let it!

[Al Heeley]

Random orbital sander - I'd much rather have the dust to cope with than the messy nasty caustic chemical stripper.

[MikeH]

If you're not in a hurry, I've done this by putting the enclosure in a jar of acetone.  Just turn it over or give a a vigorous shaking a couple times a day.  Eventually the paint dissolves, or becomes soft and rubbery and you can peel it off.

[liquids]

One thing those toasters most of us bought for painting actually IS useful for, is for removing paint.   Crank it up high and bake that sucker.  Careful when removing it and working with it, but any paint comes off pretty easily up to and including any (self-eching) primer coats.

To confirm MikeH's comments, actually acetone has worked quite well for me with some elbow grease, though I can't compare how on certain paint types, and it seems you go through a lot of it quickly.  

A combination of the two approaches--hot toaster session followed by scraping, then acetone+elbow grease, repeat if necessarily--has made for fairly quick work for me, though heating up a painted enclosure with some acetone on the surface is probably dangerous on multiple levels, so be careful.  I always work outside on my porch, ideally with gloves and a face mask.

[MikeH]

To confirm MikeH's comments, actually acetone has worked quite well for me with some elbow grease, though I can't compare how on certain paint types, and it seems you go through a lot of it quickly.  

I keep a big ol jar of it on my workbench and just reuse it over and over.  Lasts a while.  I wait until all of the crud settles, pour off the clean stuff on top, and clean out the goop, then put the clean stuff back in. 

[Nasse]

I fixed my mothers front door and desteroyed a can of Nitromors paint/varnish remover

[DiscoVlad]

Citristrip should work on pretty much anything, and without any noxious fumes.

I've heard that undiluted simple green works on acrylic paint, not too sure about acrylic lacquers though.

[therecordingart]

I use this stuff:

http://www.amazon.com/WM-Barr-ECG73807-Citri-Strip-17-Ounce/dp/B000SAA2IW

If you have a Home Depot or Lowes nearby you can get it there. They say it is safe enough to use indoors, and it certainly smells pleasant, but I wouldn't let that give you a false sense of safety.

[MikeH]

I use this stuff:

http://www.amazon.com/WM-Barr-ECG73807-Citri-Strip-17-Ounce/dp/B000SAA2IW

If you have a Home Depot or Lowes nearby you can get it there. They say it is safe enough to use indoors, and it certainly smells pleasant, but I wouldn't let that give you a false sense of safety.

Smells good = won't get you high.  So what good is it?  Might as well use something that will help you pass the time.*


*MikeH is joking.  MikeH does not condone the use of inhalants.  MikeH is not responsible for any loss of brain cells.

Seriously though, I've used that stuff too.  It does a good job, but it takes a little longer.  Perhaps a worthy trade-off for it's lower carcinogen content.