Moving paint?

[Shifty203]

So, I did the tube stripes on my helmet, and apparently the vinyl stencil didn't have all the bubbles out of it,and I pretty much have paint everywhere between the stripes.

 

Anyone know how to safely remove paint off of abs? Is it even possible?

 

Would I be better sanding it off, then polishing the area, and repainting?

[SCTrooper[TK]]

Hi Doug, just get some paint thinner and a cloth and clean the paint off. Be sure to wash the helmet with warm soap and water afterwards. Then let it dry and start again.

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

I tried using some goo remover, worked quite well and didn't melt the abs, then went over with some T cut polish. Hope this helps

[DudeSidious]

What did you use to clean your brush?I use turpentine to clean my brushers and it will remove paint with no damage to your helmet.

[Shifty203]

I use some odorless paint remover I got from a local hardware store. It works great on the normal testors paint, but doesn't work to well on the model master paint (which is the paint I used for the tube stripes). Cleaning the brushes after using the model master paint takes a while, and it wasnt working very well on the test piece I was trying to clean (I took a scrap piece of trimming, put a good layer of blue paint on it, and have been trying various household chemicals).

 

I'll give the goo gone a try tommorrow, as well as one of those green natural cleaners. I've read elsewhere that they work without ruining the finish on the plastic.

[LadyInWhite[TK]]

If you can find an orange stick at a camera shop, it has a wedged end which you might be able to use to lift the paint without scraping the plastic, because the stick is soft wood. It's narrow enough to get between the stripes.

 

Otherwise, don't use acetone, but try the model masters thinner and a Q-tip. Rub lightly/gently, don't use too much, and don't press hard. Just let it slowly work off the top layer at a time...

[Shifty203]

So, as an update to this, I found something that worked, without removing the finish or scratching my test strip. Took about 10 minutes total, including the time waiting for the cleaner to soak into the paint, to remove a 1/2" wide strip of paint about 6 inches long.

 

I used a product from home depot called Simple Green (***This alone didnt remove it all***). I coated the paint in it, then let it soak for about two minutes. Two swipes and most of the paint was gone. I re-did it again, and all the paint was off, however, a light blue hazey stain was left. I tried a few more attempts, but the simple green did not take away the haze at all. I then switch back to the paint remover I have (dipped the end of my lint free cloth into a small cup of remover) and while it doesn't cut through the thick paint, it took the haze away it 30 seconds of wiping. The scrap piece of plastic is now as white and shiny as the rest of my plastic.

 

Off to try it on the actual helmet now.

 

*** Always test on scrap pieces first ***