CRG Discussion Forum

Camaro Research Group Discussion => Restoration => Topic started by: DAVEN1256 on May 23, 2017, 02:41:39 PM

Title: Stripping paint from '68 console gauge cover?
Post by: DAVEN1256 on May 23, 2017, 02:41:39 PM
Any suggestions as to what will strip the paint off of a '68 console gauge cover without hurting the plastic itself.

I repainted mine and am not happy with the results and want to start over

Mine has the factory paint on it and then a couple of coats that I put on it. The black paint came out great. When I tried to do the silver trim, that did not work out so well.

I'd rather start from scratch rather than sanding and piling more paint on it.

Thanks.....Dave

(http://i1057.photobucket.com/albums/t386/daven1256/cgc_zpsguykfpqy.jpg) (http://s1057.photobucket.com/user/daven1256/media/cgc_zpsguykfpqy.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Stripping paint from '68 console gauge cover?
Post by: 69pace on May 23, 2017, 02:44:42 PM
Going to sound weird but soaking it in a crock pot of soapy water on low and slow heat will release the paint and hopefully not be hot enough to warp the plastic. Or just try soaking it in a bucket of hot soapy water, changing the water often enough to keep some heat or leave it in the sun all afternoon.
Title: Re: Stripping paint from '68 console gauge cover?
Post by: Mike S on May 23, 2017, 02:45:23 PM
Hi Dave,

  Funny you write this as I am just starting to look into repainting my console and wanted to strip the paint. I searched youtube and see acetone and Easy Off oven cleaner is popular with removing paint from plastic. I have a junk console I'm going to try that on.

Mike
Title: Re: Stripping paint from '68 console gauge cover?
Post by: x66 714 on May 23, 2017, 10:18:08 PM
When I used to build model cars we used brake fluid to strip them...Joe
Title: Re: Stripping paint from '68 console gauge cover?
Post by: DAVEN1256 on May 24, 2017, 12:19:08 AM
Thanks for the replies.

Going to sound weird but soaking it in a crock pot of soapy water on low and slow heat will release the paint and hopefully not be hot enough to warp the plastic. Or just try soaking it in a bucket of hot soapy water, changing the water often enough to keep some heat or leave it in the sun all afternoon.

I'll try the hot soapy water in the sun first.  The heat of a crock pot scares me....and I don't own one anyhow.

Hi Dave,

  Funny you write this as I am just starting to look into repainting my console and wanted to strip the paint. I searched youtube and see acetone and Easy Off oven cleaner is popular with removing paint from plastic. I have a junk console I'm going to try that on.

Mike

I'll try the easy off if the soapy water doesn't do the trick.......By the way Mike, I just painted my console. I did not strip it. The only paint that was on it was the original factory paint. I gave it a good scrubbing with Dawn and a Scotch Brite pad. I painted it with an aerosol can of SEM Color Coat Landau Black #15013. I couldn't be happier with the way it turned out. I have an NOS console door lid that's been sitting in a box for 20 years. The SEM paint is almost a dead nuts match to the factory paint on that door lid. I did not re-paint the door lid and when installed on the painted console, you'd swear the console and lid were painted together with the same paint.

When I used to build model cars we used brake fluid to strip them...Joe

If the surface of the plastic has been sanded, is there a chance of brake fluid soaking in and ruining the chance of paint adhering to it?

Thanks.....Dave

Title: Re: Stripping paint from '68 console gauge cover?
Post by: DAVEN1256 on June 05, 2017, 08:26:18 PM
I tried sanding this before trying to strip it wasn't sanding well. Even though it had been dry for several days, it seemed "gummy" when I tried to sand it.

I went the Easy Off Oven Cleaner route to strip it and that worked. The bare plastic has an interesting pattern in it.

I found some Rustoleum Matte Robin's Egg at Walmart to repaint the back of the cover. It pretty similar to what the factory used.

I repainted the black and that came out alright but there was no way I was going to try to mask the black  again to apply the silver.

I bought a "Chrome Refinishing Paint Marker" from The Parts Place which they claim is closer to Chrome that any other similar product. I was not impressed. It looked the same as a silver Sharpie......I found a "DecoColor Premium" metallic marker at Walmart and did the silver edges with that. It's not chrome but it's closer than the other marker.

Over all, it came out OK.

The first picture is the cover before I started on and the last is the finished product. I added some new CHQ lenses and that makes a big difference.

Dave

(http://i1057.photobucket.com/albums/t386/daven1256/IMG_7951_zpsnxvk4kv9.jpg) (http://s1057.photobucket.com/user/daven1256/media/IMG_7951_zpsnxvk4kv9.jpg.html)

(http://i1057.photobucket.com/albums/t386/daven1256/IMG_8175_zpso3pbolmy.jpg) (http://s1057.photobucket.com/user/daven1256/media/IMG_8175_zpso3pbolmy.jpg.html)

(http://i1057.photobucket.com/albums/t386/daven1256/IMG_8174_zpsgnss2eka.jpg) (http://s1057.photobucket.com/user/daven1256/media/IMG_8174_zpsgnss2eka.jpg.html)

(http://i1057.photobucket.com/albums/t386/daven1256/IMG_8176_zpsphcph4e4.jpg) (http://s1057.photobucket.com/user/daven1256/media/IMG_8176_zpsphcph4e4.jpg.html)

(http://i1057.photobucket.com/albums/t386/daven1256/IMG_8200_zpslutiewfs.jpg) (http://s1057.photobucket.com/user/daven1256/media/IMG_8200_zpslutiewfs.jpg.html)

(http://i1057.photobucket.com/albums/t386/daven1256/IMG_8197_zpsthnwibjv.jpg) (http://s1057.photobucket.com/user/daven1256/media/IMG_8197_zpsthnwibjv.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Stripping paint from '68 console gauge cover?
Post by: 1968RSZ28 on June 05, 2017, 09:19:24 PM
Wow Dave, that looks better than new! Nice job! :)

Paul
Title: Re: Stripping paint from '68 console gauge cover?
Post by: Mike S on June 05, 2017, 09:39:26 PM
Looks good, Dave. I just used the Eazy-off this weekend on my '67's console and it cleaned the plastic without altering the grain pattern.

Mike
Title: Re: Stripping paint from '68 console gauge cover?
Post by: 1968RSZ28 on June 05, 2017, 09:43:45 PM
Looks good, Dave. I just used the Eazy-off this weekend on my '67's console and it cleaned the plastic without altering the grain pattern.

Mike & Dave, how long did you let the Easy-Off stand before washing it off?  Any other helpful tips?

Paul
Title: Re: Stripping paint from '68 console gauge cover?
Post by: x66 714 on June 05, 2017, 09:49:00 PM
Did you use the blue or the yellow easy off?...Joe
Title: Re: Stripping paint from '68 console gauge cover?
Post by: Mike S on June 05, 2017, 09:50:28 PM
 Hi Paul,
   I left it on for almost 2 hours inside the shed to keep it from drying in the sun. At about the 1 hour mark I gave it a second coat. At the 2 hour mark I used a semi-stiff nylon brush and some soapy water to wash it off. Gloves too.....that stuff is caustic!

Mike

Title: Re: Stripping paint from '68 console gauge cover?
Post by: Mike S on June 05, 2017, 09:53:02 PM
Hi Joe,

  I used the blue "fume free" (actually lemon scent) version.

Mike
Title: Re: Stripping paint from '68 console gauge cover?
Post by: DAVEN1256 on June 05, 2017, 10:05:59 PM
I used the yellow Easy Off.

I was a little leery of letting it sit on there for hours. I would spray it and let it sit for an hour. After that, I started going over it with a red Sotchbrite pad. I found that it lifted the paint rather than dissolved it. Some areas would come right off. Others, it didn't seem to touch. I had to repeat the process three or four times till it all came off. I used a toothpick to get in the small crevices.

Title: Re: Stripping paint from '68 console gauge cover?
Post by: DAVEN1256 on June 05, 2017, 10:59:07 PM
Here is a better picture without the glare on the lenses. The CHQ lenses are crystal clear.

A couple of other details......I found some fluorescent gauge needle paint online at a place called HI-PO Parts Garage and freshened up my needles with it. It's very cheap.

https://www.hipoparts.com/fluorescent-speedo-gauge-needle-restoration-paint/ (https://www.hipoparts.com/fluorescent-speedo-gauge-needle-restoration-paint/)

On my temperature gauge, the orange "caution" and red "hot" marks were almost completely faded away. I got small cans of red and orange spray paint at a hobby store and touched them up. It adds some nice color to the gauges that really stands out.

(http://i1057.photobucket.com/albums/t386/daven1256/IMG_8204_zpsuoefvqbr.jpg)[/URL (http://s1057.photobucket.com/user/daven1256/media/IMG_8204_zpsuoefvqbr.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Stripping paint from '68 console gauge cover?
Post by: 1968RSZ28 on June 05, 2017, 11:16:03 PM
Mike & Dave, thank you!

Paul
Title: Re: Stripping paint from '68 console gauge cover?
Post by: x66 714 on June 05, 2017, 11:30:58 PM
Very nice. Thanks for the information. I have a 69 bone grill I need to strip....Joe
Title: Re: Stripping paint from '68 console gauge cover?
Post by: bertfam on June 05, 2017, 11:31:25 PM
Turned out GREAT, but man, you must have a DAMN STEADY HAND!!!

Ed
Title: Re: Stripping paint from '68 console gauge cover?
Post by: ZLP955 on June 06, 2017, 02:56:05 AM
Awesome work Dave, looks better than new. I never realised before that the perimeter of the gauge plate itself was chrome-edged.
Title: Re: Stripping paint from '68 console gauge cover?
Post by: DAVEN1256 on June 06, 2017, 03:12:43 AM
Turned out GREAT, but man, you must have a DAMN STEADY HAND!!!

Ed

Not really. I drilled a couple of holes in an upright board that the "barbs" on the bottom the cover would hook into and hold the cover still. So it was really the cover that was steady, not me!
Title: Re: Stripping paint from '68 console gauge cover?
Post by: cook_dw on June 06, 2017, 11:22:27 AM
Impressive.  Very nice work.  Cant wait to see the whole project completed.
Title: Re: Stripping paint from '68 console gauge cover?
Post by: 68camaroz28 on June 14, 2017, 10:28:22 AM
Nice work and reporting! I'd read and heard about the oven cleaner but never had to use but great to know it does work and what and how you both used it. Gage cover and touch up on gauge looks fantastic.
Title: Re: Stripping paint from '68 console gauge cover?
Post by: 69 Zee on June 15, 2017, 03:06:08 AM
Impressive job and very informative guys.  When I first read oven cleaner I kinda cringed  :o
Title: Re: Stripping paint from '68 console gauge cover?
Post by: ko-lek-tor on June 15, 2017, 12:57:32 PM
Darrell Cook 1st told me about this oven cleaner method of stripper for plastic when I wanted to remove clear coat from a radiator fan shroud. It does work! Recently, I wanted to remove interior dye from a door panel and I used oven cleaner.
Dave, thanks for the "heads up" on the Deco-Premium paint pen. I went out and got one myself. I went crazy on dash carriers during a recent stormy day.
Title: Re: Stripping paint from '68 console gauge cover?
Post by: ko-lek-tor on June 15, 2017, 03:49:39 PM
not to hijack, but a picture nonetheless of dashes