I'm plagued by layers and layers of paint on the steel parts of my coach. Sandblasting isn't a good idea near bearings. Burning isn't safe near any wood. That leaves needle scaling as a possibility, but if there's a chemical stripper that is up to the task, and household strippers aren't, I'd like to hear from those who've used it. Thanks.

wrj494@aol.com

IMHO ...

1.large scale needle scaling will kill you after awhile ...and it doesn't do a good job on "black rust".

2.large scale chemical stripping is very expensive. must be conducted outdoors and will leave a lot of chemical residue (MEK stinks, burns, and is toxic).

3. if you take the time to properly encapsulate the trucks and any other equipment you will find that sandblasting will do the best job in the least time and provide the proper surface for all the "good" long lasting primers. they sandblast locomotives with a lot more sensitive equipment.

PS: in the steel mill where you could walk around in the motors and generators they would blast the windings with walnut shells before reinsulating them. Walnut shells and corn cobs make the best materials for blasting wood or windings ... as usual it's all in the technique.



lamontdc@adelphia.net

Try using a heat gun and scraper to hog off the heavily built up layers, and a wash with stripper to clean up the light residue.

Dave

> Does anyone have any experience with the "Silent
Paint Remover" that uses an infra-red lamp to heat paint for removal?

There was a discussion about it on This Old House board but nothing definitive. Most of the posts were blather from people who had not tried it.

fk


fkrock@pacbell.net

Depends on the size and shape of the parts. The heat gun (Or heat plate) and scraper method works well, on long or borad surfaces, and as long as the base layers are lead-based. You'll need to protect yourself from the fumes in this case. Also be careful around wood; this method is used all the time on wood, but you have to keep an eye on it to make sure you don't leave any hidden smoldering fires, and you'll want to keep some fire suppression handy. If the paint is a more modern solvent or latex based paint, you'll only burn and harden the paint and make it nearly impossible to remove, so I wouldn't try to heat it up unless you're sure you've got some lead-based paint that will melt and scrape off easily. Consult a more detailed source (book, professional preservation contractor, etc) before you start. For small parts and hardware (hold in your hand size), bead-blasting works well. Sandblasting is OK, but only if done carefully. In addition to the risk of damaging trucks and wooden parts, you don't want to get sand into places where it will sit and hold water. Plus there is a risk of damage even to steel; it's important to remember that sandblasting has the potential to score or cause pitting, especially on weak, soft or corroded metals. Can't say too much on chemicals. Go down to the hardware store and see what they tell you about different paint removal methods. If the paint's really stuck on and you can live with it, just break off the loose stuff with a wire brush and sand and prime it to prepare for fresh paint.
Good luck.
Davago

davago61@hotmail.com

Just following up on my own message; the person known as ge13031 seems to know sandblasting better than myself, and what you can and can not do, so if you're considering that, I'll defer to him or anyone else more knowledgeable for advice. I can always tell you more than you want to know about heating and scraping.

davago61@hotmail.com

> I'm plagued by layers and layers of paint on
> the steel parts of my coach. Sandblasting
> isn't a good idea near bearings. Burning
> isn't safe near any wood. That leaves needle
> scaling as a possibility, but if there's a
> chemical stripper that is up to the task,
> and household strippers aren't, I'd like to
> hear from those who've used it. Thanks.

I would have also said that sand blasting was the
way to go, untill 3 weeks ago when we at O.E.R.M. were treated to a slide show regarding the restoration of 2 Pennsey F units. The owner of the units hired a company that uses water to remove paint. This is the only way to do the job
top to bottom and end to end in two days. no mess
to pick-up. You can contact John Smatlak at jsmatlak@earthlink.net He can give you the mans name. Dave Wolven OERM

davewolven@msn.com

If your going to blast use black beauty.
(makes sand seem like cotton).use it a reduced rate and pressure. If useing stripper nothing beats Klean strip aircraft stripper. Gives you a hell of a buzz if you don't have good ventilation. work small areas and everything comes off. Needle scalers do work but you will go deaf and numb. Ask GE13031 he won't ever use one again. Heat guns SUCK! you are dealing with a large area and need to get it done not spend the rest of your life just stripping.
Just in case anyone is questioning my view point, my crew and I are doing 4 passenger cars at the moment as well as more than one locomotive.

irss@eriecoast.com

> The owner of the units hired a
> company that uses water to remove paint.
> This is the only way to do the job
> top to bottom and end to end in two days. no
> mess

I saw the pictures of this job and you are correct ..this is the way to go ( and I would appreciate some info from Mr. Levin on this) if you are dealing with a "modern" paint system. I question the resulting surface and its ability to meet modern primer specs on "antique" paint jobs and the rust under the paint and the damnable preparacoat they used, surface prep is slightly different from paint removal. The power is there ... we used a similar system to clean ingot molds and at 23,000 psi it cuts cast iron like cheese, I just wonder about the control?


lamontdc@adelphia.net

>Dear Dave:
Here at The Valley, we usually sandblast our coaches although we have needle chipped as well when we couldn't afford the out of pocket cost of sandblasting.
One product that we have used inside our car bodys for stripping is "PEEL AWAY", available from the manufacturer or McMaster-Carr. This is one of the few products that we have used that actually works like the ads say it will. It is a heavy paste that you spread on and cover with plastic coated paper and leave sit overnight. The next morning you scrape it off with all the layers of paint, varnish, etc. It has no fumes so it is great for working inside and it doesn't burn you either. It will work outside just as well (as long as it doesn't rain). GREAT STUFF (I don't have any stock in the company). J.David

jdconrad@snet.net

I hope this isn't considered commercial but I think it has some relevance to this topic. Has anybody tried "Sponge Jet" as an alternative to regular sandblasting in the restoration field? Its basically a dry, low dust, reusable sponge encapsulated abrasive with different medias engineered for different substrates. From wallpaper to steel and everything in between. The sponge media would be less likely to infiltrate critical areas on bearings and mechanical components than regular sand.

Bruce

PS I have no commercial interest in this company.

> I'm plagued by layers and layers of paint on
> the steel parts of my coach. Sandblasting
> isn't a good idea near bearings. Burning
> isn't safe near any wood. That leaves needle
> scaling as a possibility, but if there's a
> chemical stripper that is up to the task,
> and household strippers aren't, I'd like to
> hear from those who've used it. Thanks.


Sponge Jet
trainhead@mymail.emcyber.com

> I'm plagued by layers and layers of paint on
> the steel parts of my coach. Sandblasting
> isn't a good idea near bearings. Burning
> isn't safe near any wood. That leaves needle
> scaling as a possibility, but if there's a
> chemical stripper that is up to the task,
> and household strippers aren't, I'd like to
> hear from those who've used it. Thanks.

We too will need to remove alot of paint. Sandblasting is out of the question because of the bearings. But I read some where that you can replace sand with dry ice pellets. You use them just like sand but they melt and become harmless CO2 gas. This project is on my list of things to research but feel free to jump on it.

Thanks,
Mark

Nevada Northern Railway Museum
nnry1@mwpower.net