How to remove lexan paint from a RC shell

[paintball9621]

would this work with original factory painted body shells? thanks

[Squirrelod]

@paintball9621 Different paints can be used so it varies from shell to shell. You will have to try it out.

[paintball9621]

@paintball9621 ok thanks

[1RCMASTER1]

do you have to use lexan paint ? why or why no ... if not can you use any spray paint brand

[Squirrelod]

@1RCMASTER1 Yes, if you want it to stick and adhere to it. Paints are made for a variety of reasons and purposes. Lexan paint is flexible to flex with the shell and also adheres to it. If you use acrylic paint then it will chip and flake off. If you use a spray paint, lacquer, etc then it will pop right off the shell.

[Idontreallycare80]

Thanks a million. Gonna try this method later today. My mistakes make yours look like an atom-sized paint splodge.

[thomas110y]

what happens when you use dot 4 and i heard that dot 4 is better than dot 3 can you set my straight

[Squirrelod]

@thomas110y Everyone that uses dot 4 has a melted and warped shell that is cloudy. I know of the vid that you refer to, and everyone who tries the Dot3, does not have a warped shell or cloudyness.

What can I do to set you straight? Nothing. Its not my shell. I have several vids on Dot 3 showing that it works with many positive comments on it. Its up to you. I am confident in my vids and practices with over 20 years experience. Its up to you what you do with your property.

[tomlinjames123]

Do not use this method, it will remove the paint... But also weakens the lexan, I picked my bodyshell up at it cracked.

[Squirrelod]

@tomlinjames123 No, Dot 4 weakens and melts the lexan, not Dot 3. Dot 3 is fine.

[tomlinjames123]

@Squirrelod oh crap... Just looking back at the brake fluid i used... :/ it was Dot 4! looks like i'm gonna buy a new shell.

[Squirrelod]

@tomlinjames123 LOL, no worries. Dot 3 is recommended by a lot of guys. Dot 4 is the one to stay away from =)

[tomlinjames123]

@Squirrelod Thanks for the heads up... Ha!

[afatbird0123]

Will this work for factory paint that comes stock on an rc like a stock e revo body?

[Squirrelod]

@afatbird0123 yes

[frtzgk]

are you wearing a Rolex Daytona? :D

[Squirrelod]

@frtzgk No, its a Croton

[frtzgk]

@Squirrelod oh okay :D

i was just thinking it is, because it looks the same like my daytona :D:D

[rccarbasher101]

can you use nail polish remover to take paint off of a pre painted body like a micro t/b/dt

[Squirrelod]

@rccarbasher101 Not on lexan paint.

[rccarbasher101]

would nail polish remover work for taking the paint off

[DALE97DSM]

nice home remedey DIY. Would this work from regular silver model paint, forot the name starts with T with circle around name. My brother used a silver model paint pen on my dvd player, and its been on there for years.

[Squirrelod]

@DALE97DSM I would try isopropal or rubbing alcohol. As high of a percent that you can find.

[GinoJerry86]

@Squirrelod would acetone or paint thinner work

[xXShadowRejectsXx]

i got a question, once your done painting do you put on pure color coat over the end result?! im painting my own and i dont know if i should

[Squirrelod]

@xXShadowRejectsXx You can do a clear coat or even enamel.

[SargentBlah]

Looks like an awful lot of work. Doesn't all that scrubbing with the pad scratch the shell rendering it undesirable for repainting it? Also, I doubt the paint is completely 100% eliminated in all the cracks and crevices of the body. I personally would rather spend the $20-$30 for a new shell. And if I didnt have the $29-$30 to buy one, it would be easier to collect aluminum cans cans on the sides of the road to get the money over all that work with the brake fluid, pad and paper towel.

[Squirrelod]

@SargentBlah Hi-

That is fine for current models.

When a model goes end of life then the part support goes with it.

While your opinion is fine for items that you can get off the shelf, there are times when you can no longer get the part support you need. In these cases, this video is for those people.

And in those cases the work might be worth it.

I have never had one where scratches were left, and yes, it completely is removed. I have other vids that show it better

Have a good one.

[SargentBlah]

@Squirrelod You make some very good points that I didnt think about. Being that I didnt consider those points I now see where it would be necessary to perform this and where the work would very well be worth it. Thanks for explaining it.

[Squirrelod]

@SargentBlah No worries man! I do some vids for certain segments and some for others. Since I get a load of questions, I have to try and silence my bias and think more about what the owner of that kit would want.

And to be honest, I use this trick all the time. In the vid I show a whole shell. However, lets say you paint your own and got a little over spray going on, this will take that off for ya ;)

[RCBuggy100]

Hi Squirrelod,

I bought a Team Associated 2nd hand and a custom body and all the paint was all peeling of. I can Basicly see through the body. How long do tou think it would take to get the paint off and is there an aluternative to brake fluid

[Squirrelod]

@RCBuggy100 No alternative and depends on how thick it is on there.

[Davidwest1983]

buy a new 1

[blackedo23]

Haven some troble

[Squirrelod]

@badboyazza2009 yes

[TRXRunner]

can u use clorox as well if u hav tried it to remove lexan paint

[TRXRunner]

can this work on stock body shells such as the slash 4x4?

[Squirrelod]

@TRXRunner yes

[Squirrelod]

@zildjian203 Ive had no issues with what I am showing. There is brake cleaner and brake fluid. If you use the wrong one then it will eat plastic, and those who are saying that are also buying the wrong type. Gotta love the Internet! =)

[RobinHelder]

too bad i didnt got to manage to get the paint off my shell.

i think it was spaz-stix i used..

i used Brembo brakefluid 4

[warracer03]

@RobinHelder NOT brake Fluid brake CLEANER, brake fluid will eat tour lexan..

[RobinHelder]

ok, i got a hpi baja 5t shell and the paint all crackd and flaked off. the shell is like 3 to 4 months old... can is still get it off with this brakefluid? and arent you damaging the shell with a sponge?

[Squirrelod]

@RobinHelder You can get it off. I have never known a sponge to scratch.

[RobinHelder]

@Squirrelod well i tought you used the rough side of the sponge

[Squirrelod]

@RobinHelder I havent seen this vid in 2 years.

If you use the abrasive side lightly to pick up the paint then that is fine.

[rcnitroracer]

notice the wedding ring, you know his wife kicked his @ss for making a mess in the sink not to mention the smell in the kitchen.

RC is a hobby thats going to cost you money, just buy a new shell and start over.

[Squirrelod]

@rcnitroracer Nope, I wear the pants in the household and bring home the check. Noone does that to me in my household.

As for RC costing cash- sure, it costs cash. But, if you over spray or want to re-do a shell then this will help.

We all have different tolerances of what is, and is not, acceptable. Some are cost conscious and some are more apt to spend for a new shell. Some, who run models not in production anymore, dont have a choice.

[Starsandstripesofcor]

nice transformers logo hehe

[davidt3400]

That worked nice for me.

[davidt3400]

how about just good ol 100% acetone nail polish remover?

[Squirrelod]

Wont work.

[barsucioker]

isnt this acin because i want to repaint hpi body shell su i dont want to acid it please writo to my email

[Squirrelod]

Its not acid. Use what is listed in the video.

[SizeMatterss1]

Do any of you know if lacker thinner will work to take the paint off of a stock body?

Great video I wish my dad had brake fluid that I could use.

[elgh33]

NO! NO! and NO!

the shell turns out white in the lexan...

I did that :(

[bond4111]

cool now i know how to take paint out of an mcx shell and paint it a different color

[CemNiz]

What if we completely submerge the shell in brake fluid and let it sit for an hour ? Will it work to save the effort ?

[Squirrelod]

im showing you work on a very thick shell. An airbrushed shell is not this much. I re-did this vid for ProLine and it will be releasing in a few weeks. It shows how much easier thinner coats are.

[CemNiz]

The thing is, I have a rare Ford Escort shell which is discontinued now. The guy I took it from painted the body on the outside with-what he says is-acrylic. And I have some undercoat beneath this paint. So it's really difficult to remove this amount of paint. Anyway brake fluid works well but you need much patience and so much effort. That's why I'm asking if it would damage the lexan in any way if we submerge the body in brake fluid..

[schlaznger]

oh by the way hopefully you are on a city sewer. If you have a septic tank brake fluid will kill all your bacteria in the tank and thats when all the bad stuff begins to happen!

[schlaznger]

as always a good quality video. Thanks for the info

[keith179150]

u can also use nitro fuel and some elbow grease

[joltxcola]

Ehh nice vid. But for the amount of back breaking to get that paint off, you could go to work for like 3 hours and get money to get a new body.

[Squirrelod]

Not really.

If you airbrush then this is a great way to remove overspray. This shell was painted THICK.

Also, if you have an old shell then you will not have the option to buy a new shell.

Its all prospective and the individual's tastes. I use this all the time for paint removal for over spray. 2 minutes and done.

[bilunasx]

how about paint thinner??

[MingYang23]

haha...nice body shell,is optimus prime :D nice dude 10/10

[meldrian]

i got dot 3 brake fluid but seems nothing happend. i used it on my stock body. any idea? thanks.

[Squirrelod]

Sometimes it has to soak or will take some elbow grease.

[meldrian]

does the body get fogged when it is soak all day? or even few hours?

[Squirrelod]

Ive yet to have a shell fog over soaking

[JZStudiosonline]

what about stock pr painted body shells?

i have no idea what type of paint it is

[Squirrelod]

Its lexan paint too

[meldrian]

hey..can i remove it with methanol?

[Squirrelod]

Try it on a small piece of lexan. The method I recommend is in the video.

[meldrian]

i try dot3 liquid.

so i do really need to let if soak for couple of minutes?

[Squirrelod]

My paint job was thick. So, in that case, yes. If it is thin then no.

I have a new video coming soon that demonstrates this better.

[meldrian]

okey thanks. i will be waiting for that.

btw 1 more question.. where can i find isopropyl alcohol? what is the example?

[crazychicken278]

brake parts cleaner will also work too

[TY1050]

try alcohol it make the paint easier to wipe off

[Squirrelod]

Not on lexan paint. Enamels, yes.

[floppydisk35]

THANKS!! =D

[jozeph78]

So it seems teh bottom line is removing paint is a pain in the ass hard job. I was thinking about repainting my Turbo Burns body. It look like it was painted by an unsupervised 12 year old 20 years ago because it was. I'm nervous about ruining the decals though as you can't find them anymore. I can't find a replacement body anymore either (they were at tower 3 years ago but not anymore).

Thx for the video but I think I might just keep original horrible paint job!

[EJ255BL9]

just what i needed...thanks

[SlashMasters1725]

this seems Like way too much time and effort ... the one I painted is nice and now it is chipping but the chipping looks realistic tho due to the other paint

[wordreet]

LMAO! I found some old DOT3 in my shed and tried this on an old factory painted shell from an HB truggy, and nothing happened! Even after an hour! X-D I guess the fluid was too old! Brake fluid is 'hygroscopic' meaning that it absorbs moisture from air, even the air inside the container will cause it to deteriorate over time.

I'll get some more.

[AMHMAN22]

u cant take off paint from the factory cuz its just a big sticker

[wordreet]

A big sticker?

X-D

[Familyguy6288]

Where did you get the Transformer Decal thats like the fifth time i have seen it ???

[wordreet]

Okys, cool.

[wordreet]

Now why didn't I think of this before today?? The brake fluid container warns you not to get it on your painted surfaces of your car! DOH!

But what's the difference between factory painted shells and the lexan painted ones Squirrell? Do they use acrylic or something?

Great vid by the way. 5/5

Pete.

[Squirrelod]

They use lexan paint as well. Acrylic will dry and crack very easily. You want the lexan paint as it moves with the shell as it is flexed.

[RC10B4rc]

if you do this then start to paint your shell will it react with the paint because i only need to get rid of 1 scuf.

[Squirrelod]

I only recommend what I use on the video. Anything esle could damage, make the lexan foggy, melt, warp the shell or not work at all.

[boatguy24356]

carb cleaner works 2 but you have to work fast or it will eat the shell

[Squirrelod]

Its more for people with vintage shells (that cannot find a new shell) and minor over spray.

[kiten26]

sounds like your chassis is warped.

[Gtacrazz213]

is that working in factory paint shells??

[rondar2]

doesnt the break fluid cost more than the body?

[Squirrelod]

nope

[liteumup69]

How did the shell turn out?? Did the break fluid eat it at all? did it take paint ok and look just as good before?I'm having the same problem

[Squirrelod]

It came out clear

[x0owend0x]

id buy a new body

[Squirrelod]

I agree. This is more for people with discontinued shells or vintage RCs and the options are limited.

[frjel80]

ha ha its working even with the factory painted bodyshell.

[cmorgan3335]

really? what truck (or car) is the shell from.

[cmorgan3335]

really? what type of car or truck is the shell off of?

[frjel80]

cheap bodyshell for HSP flying fish. It is the toyota soarer model.

[Dran4444]

What body is that?

[frjel80]

few hours wiping off the paint and few more wiping off your fingers. Why don't you wear gloves?

[Squirrelod]

No need

[milo1104]

looks like a lot of job and a lot of tissue paper, i have a suggestion.. mixing up a lacquer thinner and a dot3 brake fluid will make the job more easier.... ive tried this so many times on my rc shells.. and oh dont forget to wear gloves..

[gewizz2]

does'ent it do ur head in doing that sort of stuff? i just started spraying a brand new hpi shell and i wanted it 2 b perfect! then realized i had not put on the window masks!!!

im real pissed off! bcoz the masks are not on straight and rrrrrrggggggggg im pisssed off man!! i rode my bike so far to get that and i hav been breathing in loads of fumes!!so im lookin at how to get rid of paint on windows now! but i will b carefull coz rubbing shells scratches them easy!!

[MicroTbashing]

i found that paint thiner works great.. just put a little in a rag and start wiping it off.

[rickyricon350z]

Hey men you need to be crazy!... Is too much work than the Body cost... Washing a car you can buy another BRAND NEW CLEAR BODY... But if you are home alone whithout work, i a good maner to get a really HARD WORK! Jejeee...

[datt94]

I've heard that the plastic gets broken faster after using the break fluid. Could that be true?

[Squirrelod]

I have not seen that with my kits. However, this is a thin lexan shell designed to be bendable and kits inevitably crash and break. A broken shell is almost unavoidable.

[thaiboy007]

Noooo Optimus Prime!lol

Wow, that's pretty neat,but that took a while.

Does it still leave any residue when you're completely finished, or does it look brand new?

[Squirrelod]

No clouding at all.... it looks like new.

[thaiboy007]

that's cool.

[ZeroEndurance]

wouldnt goo gone work

[Squirrelod]

Never tried it. I would be surprised if it did

[ZeroEndurance]

well it removes goo =]

[Squirrelod]

LOL Yes, it definately does!

[Bw321a]

ok thanks. your right the cleaner is causing the damage. I'm gonna go out and buy FLUID today. and all of your tips that I've watched and tried always work. awsome job, keep it up!

[smackymb101]

Ill be honost, brake fluid is way too long. Use Easy off oven cleaner. It works alot better. Hope that is some help.

[Bw321a]

like how long did you leave the body sitting with the brake cleaner in it? and will any brake cleaner work?

[Squirrelod]

Im sorry but I have been writing threads all day and editing vids all day since I start a new college semester tomorrow. I am busy and 100 YT and forum emails have left me scatterbrained.

It is STP brake FLUID dot 3. Key word being fluid and I do not let it sit longer than a few minutes before rinsing it off with water and reapplying if needed.

I would think that cleaner might be causing the damage to your shell.

[Squirrelod]

I also show the bottle at :34 where it clearly states the name brand and type of fluid on the bottle. And at 2:11 it gives the time interval.

[Bw321a]

eh. i'll try it again on the same body. but how long did u leave the body sitting

[Bw321a]

its a 3yr old body with a few minor paint chips.

[Squirrelod]

I dont know what to tell ya. I use it on lexan shells with lexan paint on them and it wipes right off. I also use it on my airbrush to remove the lexan paint and it removes it right away. A lot of people us this tip.

[Bw321a]

i just tried that with Brakleaner brake cleaner and it wasnt as easy as this and it started cracking apart the body. got any advice on why this might of happened?

[Squirrelod]

How old/ abused was the shell? Ive tried this on numerous shells and it has never cracked 1 lexan body.

[Bw321a]

can i still do this even with an old body with the protective covering off?

[Squirrelod]

Yes it will!

[H100A]

if you have a ford or dodge you might keep a stash under the hood already, only joking

any one with an eighties or earlier car (any brand) probably does

[jojogel]

any type of break fluid will do? and where can i buy one?

[Squirrelod]

Any automotive store. I was at a Safeway when I bought that bottle of it.

[similian0]

yeah ok i see the point.

[AffectiontoDetail]

Some paint strippers will cloud the plastic as well. In regard to buying a new shell, most decent 1/5 shells are £100+. I defo wont be buying a new one!

[Squirrelod]

I agree! Clouding is bad and some will do that. I used DOT and it worked with no clouding.

I was goingto replace my FG Monster Beetle Pro shell till I learned of the price! My 5b shell is not that bad but it is still higher than the 1/8th and below.

[dunedinsk8r]

does the brake fluid eat awway at the plastic

[Squirrelod]

Nope! Just the paint. =)

[similian0]

i would rather buy a new body!

[Squirrelod]

I would too....BUT, if you have a shell that is no longer made (IE: vintage or obsolete) and your paint is starting to flake, then this might be a good option for you.

Alot of people in this hobby are cost concious. If they mess up a section then these tips are good for them

At thetoyz, we think about all hobbyists and all mindsets.

[similian0]

yeah sure that ia a good point actually (vintage obsolete) that could save the day! i think that rc stuff is quite expensive so being cost conccious is a good thing. good video though and a great tip. would it work better tipping in the stp fluid then moving it around with a brush doing several coats and wait for it to bubble?

[Squirrelod]

It would work the best in a tub (I could not find one for the size shell I was doing handy) and if you didnt cut holes in the shell yet. I personally like to make sure everything will fit prior and will cut my holes first.

[similian0]

ive actually just got a truck shell and after saying "why not buy new" i want to try this out and repaint it so i might even do a video response! have you tryd paint stripper?

[Squirrelod]

That would not work on lexan paints.

[similian0]

ok,1 month on i still havent tried this yet! how longdoes it take for u to strip a shell? i want to try at the weekend.

[similian0]

allso why the paper towl does that not waist the fluid,or was that cuz u had holes in the shell?

[Squirrelod]

It absorbs the liquid and pushes it against all areas of the shell versus the liquid going to the lowest point.

[VinyGambini]

nice trick and it works on car paint too :P lol wonders of brake fluid