Removing paint

I want to strip the paint from a fibre glass tether car body I would like to use chemicals but they must not attack the fibre glass any ideas I don't really fancy rubbing it down with wet and dry.

Are their any options

Thanks Oliver

My experience is that ordinary paint stripper doesn't damage fibreglass, but 'test on a small corner first', as they say.

Neil

From experience, applying a chemical paint stripper will cause you issues. Fibreglass although is a plastic/resin based material is pourous. For example, if you leave a fibreglass car body in the open even with a cover on it will absorb moisture. Agreed if the body is then taken inside in a warm environment (like our beloved workshops) it will eventually dry out. However, even a surface that has a gel coat finish which most bodies do, the moisture can cause small blisters to appear on the surface under the gel coat. The only way to remove the imperfections is to rub down the surface and apply another finish, paint being the most obvious.

However, if you use a chemical to remove the paint, it is very likely that even with washing the chemical off, some of it may penetrate into the fibres underneath. After all your hard work preparing the surface and then apply a painted finish, it is highly likely that the chemicals underneath will find their way out causing undesirable effects on your lovely finish. It is my recommendation that you DON'T use this method but revert to go old fashioned elbow grease to prepare the body for repainting. Once the body is finished, application of a good wax to seal the paint will very much help to stop any moisture ingress in the future. I spend a great deal of my time with TVR's (see my website) and so have come across the many times in the past. You will be very upset I'm sure if you end up with a compromised finish in the future. Similarly, avoid using an oven to cure the paint once it has been sprayed, let it dry naturally allowing the solvents to escape with force drying them.

Hope this helps

Mike

As an apprentice aircraft mechanic I tried paint stripper on the fiberglass wheel fairings of a Cessna 172 that we were overhauling, all I can say after that is DON"T, I'm not sure of the brand of paint stripper we used, but it was stronger/more effective than other brands that a number of sales men tried to sell us. I did manage to salvage the damage, didn't take too much resin, but in the end it didn't speed the job up(a bit of unpayed overtime).

Previous week I had done a similar job on an older 172, it had alloy wheel fairings.

Ian S C

Edited By Ian S C on 22/09/2014 13:22:00

It would help to know what kind of paint was used?

Alkali stripper (Caustic soda in water) may work But it also might damage the fibreglass. (Warning: if there are any aluminium fittings attached they will completely disappear)

Wet and dry sand paper used wet with a small squirt of dishwashing liquid added to the water might be the safest approach starting with maybe 120 grade followed by 240 320 and so on. should not take too long. Then If you are going to repaint it, after applying the sanding sealer 320 up to 1500 will give a dead smooth surface for the top gloss coats.

The trick with sanding is to work your way through the grades, much quicker than trying to do it with a fine grade at the start.

Just before the 1500 grade rub they also applied a fine black powder to the finished undercoat to check for blemishes, it was rubbed on and showed up any tiny blemishes that might mar the top coat. it was easily removed by the 1500 rub down.

I have just had a car repainted and the shop finished the undercoat all the way up to 1500 wet and dry paper before the top coats and clear were applied,. The final result is as good as if not better than new. I pick it up tomorrow.... cant wait.

Regards
John

I generally strip old paint from models by using a bath of gun cleaner, car thinners.

only to be done outside as it's very volatile.

Bri

I used a paint stripper made for stripping fibreglass. It worked Ok, no issues with the later painting, but too many years ago to recall brand.

Frost motor restoration products do a stripper for fibreglass. Most paint stripper you buy in your local hardware doesn't work anymore, as the eu (bless them) have banned the ingredient (dichloromethane) that actually softens the paint as its far too dangerous for use by the general public (dunno how people have managed to be safe for the past 50 years ok with it).

http://www.frost.co.uk/automotive-paint-coating-electroplating/automotive-paint/car-paint-stripper-remover-painting-cleaner/eastwood-gel-paint-remover-powder-strippers.html

I learned about painting over paint stripper remnants the hard way when I was a boy, stripping and painting machine tools and engine cowlings but good old paint stripper is ideal for some jobs.

Whether or not it is still available, it is possible to purge traces of the active constituent by warming the part up. If it is indeed dichloromethane, the boiling point appears to be around 40C, so a stint in the oven at 60C or wherever the fibreglass is still happy should prevent the risk. I used to do this with metal parts I'd used paint stripper on before painting them (see above) but I'm sure the same method would work anywhere above 50C or so.

Murray