[R-390] Painting Notes and Parts

[Paul H. Anderson]

On Thu, 8 May 2003, Todd Bigelow - PS wrote:

> David P. Goncalves wrote:
>
> >1. Jeez, that paint that they used on the R-390 is tough to remove. I let
> >the knobs soak for a WEEK in Zip-Strip, and I still had to sand them. I
> >spread the stripper on the panel with a plastic scraper (which then melted
> >into yellow goo) and still has to scrub it for an hour - and that was just
> >the gray bits! The white lettering refuses to go!
> >
> Someone mentioned an aircraft-grade stripper that works quite well.
> Anyone remember what it was? I almost think it was Barry #1. It's
> amazing how scratched and hacked up these panels could get, considering
> how tough the paint is to remove intentionally.

I've never had any problems removing paint with Mar-Hyde in the spray can,
or Tal-Strip III (in gallon cans).  I can get specific names for the
Mar-Hyde product I like - I get it at the local car parts place.

The good paint strippers often will only strip one layer of paint at a
time - they bubble the layer, then no longer are in physical contact with
lower layers.

I have never gotten very effective paint strippers in the hardware stores,
although the liquid stripper is ok if you drop something like knobs into a
sealed can and shake it around a bunch and let it do its thing for an hour
or two.

Most of the semi-paste or especially the safe strippers don't work well
for automotive, aircraft or military paint removal.  The safe strippers
are a lot safer, however, since they don't seem to have methylene
chloride.

What I like doing is knocking off most of the paint with a stripper, then
plastic media blasting the knob.  Last batch I did, I got a little
careless and didn't get all the white out of the grooves, though.

Paul