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Best paint stripper? No gubbamint grumping, please.

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bwringer

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Indianapolis
I almost hate to ask this, but I am in need...

Yes, I know the goddurn gubbamint won't let us have the "good stuff" any more.

Let's set that aside for the moment, and focus on the best course given our present reality.


What's the best remaining strategy for stripping the rest of the paint off a set of motorcycle brake calipers? They're aluminum, and I'm sure the paint is some sort of enamel. They're not powder coated.

The "Klean Strip" brand stuff I got from Menard's had had a weirdly incomplete effect. After two applications, I'm down to about 30% paint remaining, but the paint on one caliper is at around 80%. It does not seem to be affecting the aluminum, anyway.

Berryman's Chem-Dip (another useful but heinously toxic substance defanged by the gubbamint) is having no effect on the paint, although it still works pretty well for other sorts of old motorcycle gunk and glop.

Got any recommendations?

Worst case, I'll persevere with repeating applications of "Klean Strip".
 
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wrenchguy

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I been recommending not letting air get into the action by covering with thinnest saranwrap you can find and let it cook. Use a brush and dab out the airbubbles best you can. Its best it stays wet. good luck
 
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IndyGarage

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Throw away anything that is labeled - safe for indoor use or environmentally friendly.

The best stuff is Aerospace stripper - I don't know if they still sell it or not
 
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neophyte

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Pennsylvannia
The best paint stripper is going to vary with the type of paint or finish.
I remember working for someone who got some citrus cleaner gor removing stickers and residue, and he used the stuff undiluted to clean up some type of mess on something plastic, and the citrus cleaner melted the plastic, although the mess might have bee sugar or something, so maybe that helped as well.
Heat might be another option, but that can cause thin aluminum to warp slightly.
 
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Don1357

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Palmer, AK
Sandblasting. Superior to any chemical striper whether government approves it or not.

As a matter of fact the lost of the last great chemical stripper moved me toward sandblasting. I'm still working on my setup but I'm certain it will be one of those things iwill regret not doing sooner.

In a pinch throw them in the oven. Whatever the paint is I'm sure it has a lower melting point than aluminum :D
 
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bwringer

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IndyGarage said:
Throw away anything that is labeled - safe for indoor use or environmentally friendly.

The best stuff is Aerospace stripper - I don't know if they still sell it or not
Click to expand...

"Aircraft Paint Remover" from Rustoleum, Klean-Strip, and maybe a few others, is still around, but from what I can tell it's not much good either.

It used to work great, but Methylene Chloride was banned fairly recently, as of November 22, 2019. So everything is using a new formula.




neophyte said:
The best paint stripper is going to vary with the type of paint or finish.
I remember working for someone who got some citrus cleaner gor removing stickers and residue, and he used the stuff undiluted to clean up some type of mess on something plastic, and the citrus cleaner melted the plastic, although the mess might have bee sugar or something, so maybe that helped as well.
Heat might be another option, but that can cause thin aluminum to warp slightly.
Click to expand...


It's enamel (I think) paint on relatively thick aluminum castings. No plastic.

Moderate heat is a good idea; just hard to do in Indiana in November... maybe I could warm up the parts with a heat gun before applying the paint stripper outside. Or maybe a cardboard box wind break would help. One suggestion was plastic wrap to hold the chemical in place.
 
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bob15

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Dec 8, 2011
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Northeasten, CT
Best stuff I've found is 2 Minute Remover. They also make it for John Deere. It also comes in a gel.

https://www.sunnysidecorp.com/products.php?p=r

076542004721.jpg
 
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Don1357

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Wrench97 said:
I'll second the sand blasting suggestion....................
Click to expand...

I can not third the suggestion because i started it but I swear it is like having a super power. Stuff that takes messy hours is done and clean in minutes, and that was using a ****** compressor with a ****** HF gun.

I can't wait to have my 60-gallon 13.5 CFM compressor and my absurdidly large cabinet up and running. I'm gonna be stripping things that don't even need to be stripped :lol_hitti
 
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johninct

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There is stuff that is used to clean spray guns (Not thinner) . It is pretty hot stuff to clean them.
 
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dnschmidt

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Phoenix, AZ
That was called "The Naked Gun" and it was the absolute bomb. The new version isn't nearly as good but it's still better than the lame **** available currently at the Home Depot.
 
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guitarbutt

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Citrus Strip is as effective as snot. The ol skull and crossbones obviously is not available, but Citrus Strip should be taken off the market for being so terrible. 3M has a drill bit, item number 7771, that I tried on a whim and was thoroughly impressed. Great for painted/ rusted metal
 
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seber

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Deep East Tx.
I'll second the 3M nonwoven paint remover. I've been using that as my first line for 50 years. Access is about the only thing that will drive me to other options.
 
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bwringer

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The brake calipers are pretty darn robust chunks of cast aluminum, but they have way too many nooks and crannies for mechanical paint removal. You just can't get access to quite a few areas.


Wondering whether it might be a good time to experiment with this El Cheapo option...
https://www.harborfreight.com/portable-abrasive-blaster-kit-37025.html

I'd need dry air...
https://www.harborfreight.com/inline-desiccant-dryerfilter-64637.html

If I protect the threads and piston bores, it sounds like glass bead media should do the trick.

It does sound like there's no magic new chemical out there yet that actually works.

Hmmm...
 
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laser3kw

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Nov 17, 2012
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Location
northen IL
I have an electric pan cake griddle that I use to add a little (controlled) heat. In colder weather some chemicals have trouble "lighting off"
as far as chemical, I found the old formula at a smaller local hardware store. They don't turn inventory as quick and had a gallon left.
 
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Al Borland

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Jan 20, 2016
Messages
1,600
And nobody mentioned the obvious.
Brake Fluid.
Submerge it in brake fluid.
If it weren't aluminum, i would suggest oven cleaner.
 
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