As many of you may know my new re-paint on my RS500 project has turned out very badly resulting in all the paint needing to be removed from the body and all plastics (bumpers, arches, fin etc).

Stripping the body is a huge task but that's just time stripping/sanding

Anyhow my main problem is how to get the many layers of paint off the plastics without hurting them? Any experience with this? suggestions?
Paint stripper effects the plastic, is there any available non harmful to plastics? Someone mentioned soda blasting too?

I would just get replacement parts but 500 fins and bumpers don't come cheap

 

nitromors is the best stuff just scratch the surface first with a bit of sandpaper the slap nitromors on it and the paint will peal off

 

Not true! Nitromors is not the way to go, their instructions clearly state that their products arn't safe on plastics and to test that I did try a small patch and guess what? The product attacks the plastic!

 

Martin

I always just sanded back with a palm orbital sander and then wet flatted to get them smooth again

I did this with all the plastics on my Caltex car and they came out perfect



Paul

 

might be too aggressive but what about sand/bead blasting?

 

oh really oh ok then erm bit of elbow grease then, i have to admit ive only really used it on ally wheels and body work, i thought it would be ok on plastic,
have ya tried brake fluid, or other thinners

 

Ginge have you seen what it does to plastic ? i have & would certanly not reccomend it. Martin the safest way is prob the most time consuming way with a da sander taking your time

 

oh? obvioulsly not....i normally just use a sander but it does take time i was just thinking of quick sollutions but there not normally the best ones

 

Soda blast mate, had a dodge bumper ( huge ) done about 6 months ago, was the only way as it had almost 12 layers of crap on it.
Came back very well and was very workable from there.

Pm me and I will give you details.

 

i would do it dry tbh, using stripping agents can easily end it tears on plastics, and does carry risks when the new products are applied aswell,

 

ive heard of that before being done on kit cars before but never seen it done

 

Just whack the details on the thread, might help others too

 

the last place I worked at used to do alot of work on old aircraft, any composites or plastics that where not available new, where always glass bead blasted to remove paint, worked very succesfully and even left the texture on textured plastics

 

Bead blasting could do it but you really have to be carefull it don't mark the plastic

 

how much have u stripped so far

 

same way as most do it with a da ,as for the car 40grit nock throw it in no time ,but then id just get it blasted start from scratch then much easier

 

yep soda blasting, If you were local I could do it for you.

 

i dont envy your task martin !

soda blasting sound a good idea and i would think better even if you had to send it away

hope u get sorted

 

Front bumper as the primer is about 1/2mm thick in places, all the arches & front grille for the moment the rest we are going to sand down. I have found a soda blasting company who have collected the above parts but its not cheap at Ł325!

 

Where are you based? I may have to have some other stuff done if it takes too long to sand.

 

just use a DA

 

just use a 120 grid san paper and theyll be ready in no time mate

 

i've seen some companies in the states using walnut shells to use as a blasting media as it's the softest thing they used

not sure how they got them to be the fine powdery state they were in when they used them but it might be worth asking for them to use the softest media in order to stop it pock marking the plastics

don't forget that if they are using blasting they may also get hot and warp the plastics too (although you'd expect them to get thigns done right if they know what they are doing, but just something else to look out for, i've only used a sand blaster to clean up alternator and strter motor bodies when i was little )

 

Martin if you could i would maybe even try and supply a test part to the blast people... something that is easier to get a hold off or cant be seen if using the originals.
Its a pain and mega time consuming but cracking on with the DA and/or going by hand is going to bring bet results and run th lowest risk.

 

people are making a fuss on nothing ffs. just use your hands and a da

 

Have you ever tried to remove that many layers from an RS500 bumper? Its not just the bits you can get at its the air ducts and returns where all the dodgy paint HAS to be removed.

 

i wouldnt use 120 grit on filler let alone plastic ! i wet flat plastic with 1200/1500 then plastic prime, but as said soda blasting is the way forward!
edit to say i would 500/800 on a d/a 1st

 

Test done already and it was fine.

 

well just to remove that layers of paint mate. or use 220 but will keep u busy more lol

 

I am in hertfordshire mate, but I would need to come to you to do it, as need a indoor dry space, as the soda cakes in this weather and my workshop is too moist lol.

 

........

 

Sorry Martin should have said the place is on Morcom rd/ Roma road, Tyseley,B11.

Blokes name is Roy, not cheap but gets the job done.

Had to have mine done twice as first time they only took a few layers of.

 

That's whose doing it, like you said not cheap!

 

seems u have it in hand now
i was gonna offer a helping hand in some way

 

What can you do? I may have more bits needing the treatment I would have done the outside of the shell but he wanted far too much money!

 

employ a lad for a week.

 

good hint
ether get it me
or ill come there
ill bare metal it ect put it in etch or what ever u disier and leave rest to u

 

We used an air sander on my bumper but be carefull it doesnt eat into them and make them furry