Removing Paint Lettering from Black Plastic

[scoobydo]

I have a steam engine and the tender looks to just be black molded plastic with gold lettering for the rail name.
I want to rename it and was wondering about removing the lettering.
I don't want to use anything harsh as I don't want the plastic to discolor causing me to re-paint it.
Any tricks for safely removing paint from plastic?

 

[Cjcrescent]

What make is it? Knowing who made it would give us a better chance at answering the question.

 

[Iron Man]

What ever you do dont use rubbing alcohol, there is a thread on here were they to use it and it does take the decal/ old name off but also on my gondola the paint underneath as well. i didnt want to repaint ether, now i have to repaint. they were proto 2000 series gons i bought at least 10 years ago. but surly the paint hasn't changed that much?

now more work cheers ironman

 

[Railrunner130]

I've heard lots of use/don't use comments on several different articles and forums. So, apply the appropriate disclaimers here and heed all notes, cautions and warnings about how it can bubble up the plastic, destroy the paint etc.

I've had either some or no luck with all of the below products. Thankfully without the side effects. Nothing works 100% of the time.

isoprophyl alcohol
paint thinner
nail polish remover (acetone)
Lestoil

What matters equally as important is the applicator/removal tool.
Toothbrushes
Q-tips
brush/paper towel
knife blade

Sometimes, as in the case of hard-luck railroads that buy used equipment, they simply repainted over the old and applied the new lettering. In this case, don't be so quick to discount repainting the old lettering.

Good luck!

 

[scoobydo]

What make is it? Knowing who made it would give us a better chance at answering the question.

Its a Bachmann 2-8-4 Berkshire.

My concern are the ones addresses. Bubbling paint and warping plastic.

 

[Cjcrescent]

Alcohol, 70-91% would strip the paint, and lettering. Alcohol is inert on plastic. Also you may try using Solvaset and some Q-tips to remove just the lettering, but it can if rubbed too hard remove the paint as well.

Scalecoat's Washaway is a paint remover designed specifically for plastics. It and Q-tips would remove the lettering as well.

Overall, it's whats the lesser of two evils. Try and remove the the lettering and possible damage the paint underneath, or just go ahead and totally strip the tender and re-paint.

 

[Espeefan]

Denatured alcohol on a Q-tip will do it.

If you're loco is a Van Sweringen Berkshire, the tender is painted. Careful how much you rub. This is where weathering comes in handy!

 

[scoobydo]

Its a Pere Marquette 1225.
Anybody know if the shell is painted or just plastic?
Also, anybody know what that yellow is so I can match the color?
The lettering looks raised and feels it too. I wonder of I could get an xacto in the raised bits to get as much off as possible.

 

[Cjcrescent]

The tender is painted Black. Alan expressed it better than I about a chance of damaging the underlying paint.

On some models I have been able to remove just the lettering on a side with a X-acto knife. You just need to be extremely careful in removing lettering this way, so you don't also remove rivets.

In some cases, the paint used to letter the model with is tougher than the basic color. With these models, at least for me, its easier to just strip the model and repaint it. Though I use an airbrush, the job can easily be done with a rattle can of spray paint.

 

[Mark R.]

A couple years ago, I did that exact same engine for a customer who wanted it relettered. I was able to get the lettering off using some Q-Tips and Solvaset. While it did take the lettering off, the rubbing from the Q-Tip left a shiney patch in comparison to the rest of the finish. Even after a final dull finish, you could still see where that shiney patch was. The sheen of the finish was even, but it was almost like there was two different shades of black.

The only answer was to mask and respray the side of the tender to get a uniform finish. In most cases, it's almost always simpler to re-do an entire side as opposed to try and patch something in.


Mark.

 

[GN.2-6-8-0]

I!ve had good luck using micro sol and a small wooden cooking skewer for removing just the lettering...just don't leave the micro sol soaking very long,.......long enough to soften the lettering but not enough to disturb the paint.