Best consensus for stripping Kato shells - 91% alcohol?

[bbussey]

Want to strip some GG1s for repainting.  Is 91% alcohol the best option?  Thanks.

[Hyperion]

I've found  97% works far better, but is much harder to find.  Whenever I find a drug store that stocks it I always buy a few bottles.

[wcfn100]

That's all I use.  The only time I had any issues that I can remember was stripping first run GN F3's that had the double hit of orange.

Some people don't seem to have much success and I've never figured out why.  I can only guess it could be a function of temperature or possibly volume.

Jason

[rogergperkins]

I have not tried to strip paint from a Kato GG-1; however I use 70% isopropyl alcohol = isopropanol = rubbing alcohol in pads to remove lettering from two Kato cabooses.
I started with the pads and then switched fo 91% isopropanol.  This approach worked fine for me.


Do not know a ready retail source of 97%.

[sizemore]

I've been using Chameleon stripping products without the brittle shell result of brake fluid.

The S.

[Scottl]

I stripped a Kato loco in the winter with 91% isopro.  Soaked it for a few hours and then gently scrubbed it with an old toothbrush.  The lettering came off right away, but the paint took the toothbrush.

[Philip H]

I've been using Chameleon stripping products without the brittle shell result of brake fluid.

The S.

Where did you  find that around here?

[rogergperkins]

The isopranol soaked pads are a good way to test if the paint will come off.  I gently rubbed an area on the caboose and the lettering came off. More rubbing took the paint.

[Bob Bufkin]

Where did you  find that around here?

Check with Ace Hardware.  Just read on another non model rr forum that is where someone bought some.

[Philip H]

really . . . 

[SkipGear]

Denatured Alcohol is what I use...also sold as camp stove fuel.

[GP38-2freak]

97% is better, I buy it at the pharmacy and it works very well!

[flight2000]

I've had to resort to Scalecoat stripper since I can only find 70% alcohol in the stores here.  Works the same, but I cheat and use a bristle brush in a dremel set to the lowest rpm setting.  cleans the paint right off after sitting in the solution for 2 hours.  Stripped a Kato ES44AC and a few SD45's that way...

Brian

[sizemore]

Where did you  find that around here?

MBK. They also have the Scalecoat stuff too.

The S.

[Hyperion]

I've had to resort to Scalecoat stripper since I can only find 70% alcohol in the stores here.  Works the same, but I cheat and use a bristle brush in a dremel set to the lowest rpm setting.  cleans the paint right off after sitting in the solution for 2 hours.  Stripped a Kato ES44AC and a few SD45's that way...

Brian

Hey Brian, do you happen to have the packaging for your bristle brush attachment and can get a part number?  And which model number of Dremel?

I had poor luck in the past with that method as it seemed to wear the detail a bit too much.  Either my Dremel even at its lowest setting is too fast or the brush I used was too coarse (or both).

I'd sure like a better method to a toothbrush.  I've found that some Kato colors, like Yellow, are a total PIA to get off.