Paint Stripper

[James BParticipant @jamesb]

Hi All,

Thought I would post this in case it was of use to anyone.

I am restoring a couple of machines at present, a part of which is removing the old paint, and I have been using Nitromors paint stripper – does a very good job. When my last tin of stripper ran out I went to get a replacement, but I could only get a new ‘improved, double strength’ formula. Well, I can only imagine this was described as ‘improved’ as it doesn’t spoil the paintwork you apply it to… Not impressed.

After some research, it turns out that the old style Dichloromethane based stripper was banned on 1st December 2010, and once stocks of the original formula paint strippers are gone they will not be replaced – they are only producing more environmentally friendly products now, which from my experience doesn’t touch machinery paint.

I found www.restexpress.co.uk still have some old formula stripper left and I have ordered some – if anyone is planning a similar project, might be worth doing the same.

No connection to the above company, etc.

Hope it helps somebody…

James

Edited By James Burden on 12/04/2011 16:48:40

[James BParticipant @jamesb]

[WALLACEParticipant @wallace]

Not only is it ‘new improved’ it’s also more expensive than the original stuff !

 

And you’re right James – no where near as good . .. .

 

 

W.

[DMBParticipant @dmb]

Wot more interference from politcians? The sooner we dump Brussels mob and go our own way like we did for 1000 years, the better!

Back on topic, has anyone tried alternatives, like say gas jet paint burner instead of `cold` chemical?

[Jeff DaymanParticipant @jeffdayman43397]

Brake fluid for cars works well for removing many types of paint.

 

In North America we have a product called “Citrus Stripper” which sellers claim is environmentally friendlier than solvent types. It does work but is slower than the old high power solvent ones and slower than brake fluid. It smells nice though.

 

I have tried burning off paint and it does of course work, but the smoke smells horrifying and people nearby always complain about the fumes. The smoke is probably extremely toxic as well, I was using a full respirator when I have done it. I’ll avoid burning as a paint strip method in future.

 

The very best method I have found is sandblasting with compressed air. Paint gone, surface ‘keyed” for paint. Wonderful. Small “touchup” sandblasters are available in imported tool shops and are not expensive.

 

JD

[WeldsolParticipant @weldsol]

Mmmm, I know the old type of brake fluid worked but I don’t know if the modern silicone based stuff touches paint work .

 

Paul

[Hugh GilhespieParticipant @hughgilhespie56163]

Back when the world was young and dinosaurs roamed I was a development chemist in a company that manufactured paint strippers. We were trying to make a paint stripper for aircraft to an MOD standard, DEFSTAN 80-15 or summat. We ended up with a brilliant mixture that was extremely effective for all paints, even epoxies and it had a remarkably low corrosion rate on all the important metals. Only snag was that it was absolutely lethal to use! It was mainly dichloromethane and anhydrous formic acid and the only thing it dissolved quicker than paint was lung tissue so the project was quietly abandoned.

[TerrydParticipant @terryd72465]

Posted by John Coleman 1 on 14/04/2011 00:22:17:

Wot more interference from politcians? The sooner we dump Brussels mob and go our own way like we did for 1000 years, the better!

Back on topic, has anyone tried alternatives, like say gas jet paint burner instead of `cold` chemical?

I quite agree John,

 

All those dammed politicians doing these things just because they can. I’m sure that they’re doing it just to be mischievous.

 

Fancy banning those things just because they are poisonous, carcinogenic or damage the environment. Think of all those useful substances banned such as asbestos, carbon tetrachloride (just because a few kidneys were destroyed), DDT, PCBs, Freon refrigerants, lead in paint, etc etc. Yeh, lets do things like we did in the past. It was better then surely.

 

Regards

 

Terry

[Richard ParsonsParticipant @richardparsons61721]

Jeff – Sand blasting has been forbidden in the U.K. for years. The way round it was ‘grit blasting’.

[Jeff DaymanParticipant @jeffdayman43397]

Now that you mention it Richard, the last stuff I bought for the purpose was not labeled ‘sand’, I think one bag was labeled “nepheline syenite” and the other was called “aluminum oxide garnet”. I sure am glad the miners/makers labeled these complex chemicals because I woulda thought for sure they were sand otherwise.

 

Respirator is always handy in my shop for jobs like ___ blasting. I don’t want to breathe paint dust or any other mineral I am spraying around during the ops.

 

JD

[chris stephensParticipant @chrisstephens63393]

Hi Terry,

What are you worried about, the world is over populated as it is. If a few nit-wits croak because they drank paint stripper, well as teenage pregnancy rates show, it’s as easy as pie to create another offspring

Give me paint stripper that works and if I have to impregnate another nubile young wench, well so be it.

chriStephens

PS just noticed that the Goggle ads at the top of this page want to sell me both Nitromors paint stripper and Dreamboys Male Strippers. I think Goggles programming needs a little tweaking.

[TerrydParticipant @terryd72465]

Posted by Jeff Dayman on 14/04/2011 16:00:41:

Now that you mention it Richard, the last stuff I bought for the purpose was not labeled ‘sand’, I think one bag was labeled “nepheline syenite” and the other was called “aluminum oxide garnet”. I sure am glad the miners/makers labeled these complex chemicals because I woulda thought for sure they were sand otherwise.

 

Respirator is always handy in my shop for jobs like ___ blasting. I don’t want to breathe paint dust or any other mineral I am spraying around during the ops.

 

JD

 

Hi Jeff,

 

While you may think that aluminium oxide is ‘sand’, it isn’t. The sand which was banned was silica sand and of course you wouldn’t have any problem with that would you?

 

Quote:

“Silicosis, also known as Potter’s rot, is a form of occupational lung disease caused by inhalation of crystalline silica dust, and is marked by inflammation and scarring in forms of nodular lesions in the upper lobes of the lungs. It is a type of pneumoconiosis.^“

 

No problem there then, Hope your respirator is up to it.

 

By the way, nepheline syenite has a very low silica content.

 

Hi Chris,

 

I don’t think that the problem is with drinking dichloromethane, after all one didn’t have to drink CTC for it to rot the kidneys.

 

Quote:

Acute exposure by inhalation has resulted in optic neuropathy and hepatitis

 

So what if you go blind or get jaundiced as long as your paint is stripped (apart from the possible carcinogenic problems) , but I agree that there are plenty of plebs to put to work and there are lots to spare, after all that’s how the Victorians viewed it didn’t they. It’s a good philosophy, unless you are the one being stuffed up a chimney or between the moving parts of a spinning machine to de-fluff the needles. Damned H&S, they spoiled many a good profit making capitalist enterprise.  Oh, and I wouldn’t worry about finding a nubile etc to ‘impregnate’,  – dream on.

 

Happy Easter

 

Terry

Edited By Terryd on 14/04/2011 21:57:41

[chris stephensParticipant @chrisstephens63393]

Hi Terry,

Agreed and I am dreaming, what other choice do I have?

Happy chocolate munching time to you.

chriStephens

Edit, just for interests sake, I used to do lung function tests in a respiratory physiology lab as part of my training, so I have some knowledge of TTCGW, (things that can go wrong)

Edited By chris stephens on 15/04/2011 01:19:01

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi Terry,  yes it is only Silica Sand that is banned as a commercial blasting agent. Where I used to work, I could have just about any amount of dried sand I wanted (suitable consent granted from any member of management) provided I didn’t tell them I was using it for sand blasting. I don’t think there is any law to stop you using sand in your own back yard for your own personal use, but you just can’t buy it for that use, or use it in a place of work.

 

Regards Nick.

Edited By Nicholas Farr on 15/04/2011 04:37:14

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

If you |gridt” blast the paint, and the paint is old you’ll end up with lead paint dust all over the place, and all the grit will be contaminated. I suppose if the machine is being stripped right down, and if you have a suitable container, you could use caustic soda, or if times not the problem, and you(like me) don’t like caustic, use washing soda.

The main grit sold here is crushed glass, which was sand in the first place. Ian S C

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