Die-cast kit Paint removal?

Folks,
Go down to your local harware store and pick up a container of a strong paint stripper like one used for wood stripping. Only put the diecast pieces in it overnight (no plastic!) and you will have a beautifully stripped metal auto. I would not recommend painting over the existing finish even if you rough it up, these paints used on diecast pieces tend to bleed through even when you prime.

Just wanted to warn you to be very very careful about evenly sanding the entire vehicle. I did the same thing (only I used nail polish remover, paper towels, and a whole buncha elbow grease) except i didny completely scruff up one of the rocker panels. The paint stuck everywhere perfectly except that area, where it didnt stick AT ALL!!! 3 Coats later its looking good but its not as even as I would like it to be

I'll be doing something similar whenever I get around to it, but with a die- cast bike not a car.

Its a Minichamps 1/12th and the finish looks really well (as in it looks like a nightmare to strip off !) I had assumed Id have to strip the paint, but the sanding and overpainting sounds much easier. Maybe Im wrong.

Whichever route you choose keep us informed of your progress MGM....

Yes i would think real stripper would work the best and wont seem to hurt the metal.

You can strip it right back to the metal. I've just had the very same problem. It's not the paint that Burago use but the lacquer coat which seems almost impregnable! Would you believe I left mine submersed in brake fluid for three weeks and it hardly touched it! I finally used a standard paint stripper from a DIY store. This was non-caustic but still a messy job and needed rubber gloves and I chose to do it under an outside tap to save mess in the house. Coat the stripper on thickly and work it in with a stiff brush and it will soften the paint which can then be scraped off with a piece of wood or styrene. It may need several applications but is surprisingly easy. Burago are pretty rough under all that paint - you'll be surprised!

Here's the result so far - it's in sanding primer because I've done some body mods.



Best of luck - looking forward to seeing an immaculate Lambo in a few weeks.
Martin

P.S. On the question of getting the paint to stick on bare metal - you would normally use an etching primer but a sanding primer first followed by any other primer type should not be a problem.

castrol super clean maybe....? I'm not sure

The article I read was a bit vague on whether an additional coat of primer was needed, but the author did use one to check up on additional bodywork he did.

As long as you're careful with the paint application, I don't think thickness will be that big of an issue. In fact, to get the best results, your color coat will have to be thick enough to withstand some sanding and polishing... Just in case, I've included a link about painting plastic cars; I'd assume it'd be the same for diecast once the primer is applied.

http://www.briansmodelcars.com/tutorials/tutorial.asp?TutorialID=12&CurPage=1
(Alex also has his published at his own site, http://italianhorses.net)

THANKS! Would I spray directly over the exsting paint or use a primer first? I was concerned about the paint coates becoming too thick. I have never tried this with die-cast either by the way. This is new territory for me...i normall build military and sci fi.lol

I've never done a die cast before, but you can supposedly just sand the existing layer of paint to roughen it up, and then use it as a base coat/adhesion layer for other coats of paint.

Stripping the paint is probably possible, but I've heard it can be difficult to get new layers of paint to stick to the bare metal.