I have 2 4x7 3/16 yellow plex sheets that we masked out and sprayed the the letters with black 1 shot.What would guys recomend to use to remove the paint that wouldn't damage the plex.They were painted a year ago.
Posted by Ken Henry (Member # 598) on :
Rapid Remover will do the trick. That would be my 1st choice.
If you don't have any, denatured alcohol will also work. With the alcohol, you have to keep the area wet over the area where the lettering is. After a bit of time ( about 5 minutes ) the 1-shot will begin to wrinkle up, and that'll be the indicator that the paint bond has been broken and the paint can be wiped off with a rag. Repeat as may be necessary, but this should give you a clean panel with no scratches or chemical hazing.
Posted by Steve Luck (Member # 5292) on :
Depending on if you sanded before spraying, it may peel off with a little heat and a plastic squeegee if you didn't scuff up the surface. I agree with Ken on the Rapid Remover. That stuff works great too. Good Luck Bill.
Sign-cerely, Steve
Posted by Tom Rose (Member # 606) on :
Bill, I would try the rapid remover. A long while ago I used alcohol to remove painted graphics from plex, and it crazed the plex.
Made lots of very fine cracks in the plex.
By the way I painted on plex with One Shot about 23 years ago and it still looks great !
Good luck...
Posted by Bob Moroney (Member # 9498) on :
Brake fluid. Yes it works. Thanks to a tip from Si Allen. I've used it many time to rescue a face.
Posted by Rick Sacks (Member # 379) on :
ditto on brake fluid
Posted by Bruce Bowers (Member # 892) on :
If it is acrylic plastic... lay several layers of paper towels over the painted area. Douse liberally with lacquer thinner... Wait until painting wrinkles... lightly scrape with beveled wooden block.
Posted by Len Mort (Member # 7030) on :
Lacquer thinner, alcohol and brake fluid all work with no affect on Plex or acrylic, one shot is a breeze. Old school sign faces were done with lacquer based paints and were remove the same way. I striped many faces in my 54 years in this trade with great results.
Posted by Ian Stewart-Koster (Member # 3500) on :
What about supplying new faces for the client instead, and charging for it?
I've used paint stripper- but it can be dodgy. I ran out and bought a new can halfway through a job. Same brand of stripper gel, minutely different label. Totally different active ingredients-and the 2nd can wrecked the acrylic. Now I read the label thoroughly first!
Brake fluid is handy if you don't mind the smell. I've bled enough car & truck brakes to hate the smell a LOT!
Posted by Donald Miner (Member # 6472) on :
Bill, I have been using the denatured alcohol, trick on Plexiglass for more years than I care to remember. It is the only way to go on polycarbonate, aka, Lexan. See you soon, Don
Posted by Ricardo Davila (Member # 3854) on :
BILL,
LACQUER THINNER ( DENATURED ALCOHOL, WORKS TOO ) AND LOTS OF RAGS AND / OR NEWSPAPERS ( FOLLOW BRUCE'S METHOD )....I SUGGEST YOU FIND A VENTILATED AREA OUTSIDE OF YOUR SHOP, IF POSSIBLE, TO CARRY OUT THIS TASK....AWAY FROM OTHER PROJECTS......MAKE SURE THAT THE ACRYLIC FACES ARE PLACED ON A LEVELED TABLE OR SAW HORSES....YOU DON'T WANT THE LACQUER THINNER TO SLIDE DOWN ON THE GROUND OR FLOOR.
BROTHER, THIS IS A VERY MESSY TASK......SO, PLAN AHEAD AND DECIDE WHERE YOU WANT TO MAKE THE MESS.
MAKE SURE YOU WEAR INDUSTRIAL GLOVES....IF POSSIBLE....KEEP A WASTE OR TRASH CAN NEXT TO YOU TO THROW AWAY THE USED NEWSPAPERS AND RAGS, AS YOU GO....AND, ALWAYS, REMEMBER THAT LACQUER THINNER IS EXTREMELY FLAMMABLE.
INCIDENTALLY, IF YOU ARE GOING TO USE BLACK PAINT FOR THE COPY, YOU COULD, ALSO, HAND LETTER IT WITH A QUILL OR A FLAT AND ONE SHOT.....LIKE LEN SAYS.
I USED TO DO A LOT OF ACRYLIC COURTESY SIGN FACES FOR COCA COLA, BACK IN MY DAYS IN BOSTON ( 1970s ).....THEY ALL WERE HAND LETTERED IN BLACK, WITH ONE SHOT.....ON THE FRONT......NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH THEM.
